The minute that Jenz Sidwell appeared in Port Charles, you just knew that he was going to be different. Mobsters, killers, and a whole variety of other unseemly characters have come and gone from the “General Hospital” landscape in recent years. After all, that is part of the charm of this soap, crime families living amongst the good, hard-working people of Port Charles. But Sidwell, well, he is just different.
The GH audience quickly embraced Carlo Rota, the actor who brings Sidwell to life, and lucky for us, he immediately fell in love with his new acting family. In his latest Instagram post, Rota praises the people that he works beside.
Carlo Rota Praises the Talent He Gets to ‘Rub Elbows With’
ABCThe jovial actor posted a carousel of behind-the-scenes photos from the GH set, with the caption, “@tanishaharper @rickhearst @joelsartore the talent that I rub shoulders with on @generalhospitalabc is enough to take your breath away. I’m often BREATHLESS, which is my go-to excuse for not remembering my lines…”
A Midlife Crisis Brought Rota to the Acting World
Carlo Rota fits in beautifully at GH, and his character is currently going toe-to-toe with Sonny Corinthos, which suggests that he is regarded as a series mainstay. The two enemies appear to be equally formidable opponents in this brewing mob war, just one of several storylines that is gripping viewers this summer.
Believe it or not, acting was not Rota’s first career choice. Instead, it would be considered more of a second act for him. He told TV Insider that getting into acting was the result of an early midlife crisis.
“My father, who was a chef, my mother, brothers, sisters, and it just became overwhelming, to the point where I don’t know, I had an early midlife crisis — or, one might call it, a mini nervous breakdown! I don’t know what it was, but one day I just said, ‘I can’t do this anymore,’” Rota explained.
He then left the restaurant business and sought advice from his friends. Rota then channeled his natural empathy for people into a career in acting. He took classes and his skills quickly improved, landing him a prime spot on “24.”
“24 became the big one [on my list of acting credits]. That was such a popular show and remains popular in people’s eyes,” Rota says
Now, Rota appears to be having the time of his life while working on “General Hospital.”
