Perfect Strangers - Characters & Cast

To maintain peace and offer genuine support to his family, particularly his daughter. He values wisdom and acceptance over judgment and control.

Rocco begins as a seemingly passive husband, quietly observing the tensions between his wife Eva and their daughter. He is the only character with no devastating secrets, giving him a moral high ground. His arc is one of quiet wisdom, culminating in a powerful, non-judgmental phone call with his daughter where he offers her mature advice about her first sexual experience. In the film's hypothetical reality, he is deeply hurt by Eva's betrayal but remains a pillar of reason.

To assert control and expose the flaws in others, likely to deflect from her own insecurities and deceptions.

A therapist who preaches self-acceptance, Eva is revealed to be deeply insecure, planning breast augmentation surgery and having an affair with Cosimo, the husband of her friend Bianca. She initiates the game, perhaps subconsciously wanting secrets to be revealed. Her arc is a descent from a position of supposed intellectual and moral superiority into a hypocrite exposed by her own game.

To satisfy his own selfish desires without regard for the consequences or the feelings of his wife and friends.

The newlywed taxi driver who appears happy with his wife Bianca. His arc is a complete unraveling of this facade. He is revealed to be a serial cheater, having an affair not only with the host Eva but also with another woman who is now pregnant. He transforms from a jovial friend into the most duplicitous and morally bankrupt member of the group.

To find acceptance and live authentically, while also being protective of his partner from the judgment of his friends.

Peppe, a divorced teacher, arrives alone, claiming his new girlfriend is sick. His arc is about the courage to reveal his true self. He is forced to admit he is gay after swapping phones with Lele to protect his friend from a minor embarrassment. He is initially afraid of his friends' judgment, and their homophobic reactions prove his fears were justified, leading him to lament that he can never introduce his partner, Lucio, to them.

To escape the monotony of his marriage and to protect his friend's more significant secret out of a sense of loyalty.

Married to Carlotta, Lele seems to be in a mundane, strained marriage. His secret seems minor at first (receiving racy photos from a woman), but it's his agreement to swap phones with Peppe that plunges him into a deeper crisis, as he is temporarily accused of being gay. His arc reveals the simmering dissatisfaction in his marriage and his willingness to engage in reckless behavior to protect a friend, with disastrous consequences.