Matteo Simoni would not just play convicted Dennis Black Magic again: “I haven’t slept at all”

“I will think twice if I am asked to play Dennis Black Magic again.” This is the case with actor Matteo Simoni, who played the Limburg porn producer in the film Zillion from 2022, said in Sofie’s world on Radio 1.

Matteo Simoni came to Sofie Lemaire to testify about the portrayal of existing characters. Except for Dennis Black Magic Zillion Simoni has also played singer Rocco Granata in the past Marina, from 2013.

Simoni says he thought about it for a long time before agreeing to take on the role of Dennis Burkas, aka Dennis Black Magic. The Flemish porn king is certainly not without reproach. Just last week he was convicted of rape, indecent assault of eight women, harassment, incitement to prostitution and possession of images of child sexual abuse. In 2008 and 2011 he was also convicted of raping underage girls, and a few years later for inciting minors to engage in prostitution.

“A lot of people didn’t like me playing that role. I understand that,” said Simoni on Radio 1. “I have started to think about it. Playing people with a dark side or a criminal past: it is not obvious. Sometimes I didn’t sleep for nights wondering whether I should do it. But there was something about that character that I had a great affinity with, that made me think I had to do it. But I’ll think twice about it if I have to do it again.”

Simoni, who first met Burkas during a prison visit, underlines in his testimony that he does not support the person Burkas is today. “But that wasn’t necessary. I just had to focus on the Black Magic of the 90s.”

According to the actor, he and Zilliondirector Robin Pront also always tries to maintain a certain distance with the character of Dennis Black Magic. “We used the things we needed. We didn’t make a biopic about him,” Simoni said.