Together with Tom Gleisner, Rob Sitch and Jane Kennedy, Cilauro established one of Australia’s most successful film and television production companies, Working Dog Productions.
Founded 28 years ago, the company is behind films such as The Castle and The Dish, as well as television series including Have You Been Paying Attention?, Frontline, The Late Show, The Panel, Thank God You’re Here, The Hollowmen and Utopia.
But long before he became an acclaimed producer, comedian and screenwriter, Cilauro was a young law student with a passion for football.
An avid Azzurri fan, Cilauro was fortunate and enterprising enough to experience an incredible encounter with Italian football club Juventus, travelling around Australia with them as an interpreter.
At the time, his father, Vito Cilauro, held the role of chairman of the Victorian Soccer Federation.
Over the last few months, lost in the whirlwind of apprehension and excitement of Euro 2020, Cilauro has become the face of Optus Sport and its “technology”, which even his father has extraordinarily conquered.
“I wanted to watch the final with him, but he was impressed by the Optus technology that allows him to wake up whenever he wants and watch the game in his own time, looking only at the highlights if he wishes,” Cilauro explained in an interview hours after the final.
“He doesn’t have a mobile phone, so he didn’t have to worry about any spoilers, like messages from friends or social media posts.
“On the morning of the final, he simply ignored the landline if it rang.
“While the win was being celebrated in Italy and Australia, he was still at the kick-off!”
Over the years, Cilauro has become used to the time difference when it comes to watching games, fighting off the tiredness to wake up at dawn and head out into the bitter Melbourne winter to take part in the chaos of Lygon Street.
“At my age, I’ve had a lot of practice; it becomes part of your day,” he said.
“But I must admit that I’ve been a bit spoiled this time, just because of the way Optus do it.
“If you keep your phone switched off, you can wake up at 6:30 am rather than 4:30 am and watch the game.
“People ask me how I could do it but I’ve watched enough live football in my life, so I think I’ve earned the right to have that little indulgence.
“So I cheated a little bit this time.”
On the morning of the Euro 2020 final, Cilauro woke up at dawn to watch the game from home, only to find himself trying to keep up during overtime while driving to work and watching the penalty shootout from the editing room.
“It was a surreal moment when Italy won,” he said.
Following the Azzurri’s extraordinary victory, Cilauro was inundated with enthusiastic invitations from many Italian cafes in South Yarra to come and have a celebratory coffee.
“I don’t drink coffee, but I felt too embarrassed to ask for decaf, so I guess I’ll be awake for the next few weeks,” he laughed.
He also received many joyous messages from his relatives in Argentina following the country’s historic victory against Brazil in the Copa América final, which took place at the same time as the Euro 2020 final.
“I feel happy, euphoric and full of caffeine at the moment,” he exclaimed.
While Cilauro prefers to watch games in the privacy of his home, surrounded by his family while his mother makes a cake, he admires the enthralling passion of the thousands of fans who flocked to Lygon Street to honour Italy for the final.
In fact, he experienced the electric atmosphere of the street during the 1982 World Cup, when Paolo Rossi raised the cup to the sky.
“I’m moved by the enthusiasm of these young football fans, who pack into a square in front of a screen to celebrate their team,” he concluded.
“Italy has had so much pain in the past, when we’ve lost other championships.
“The only reason this is so wonderful is because we’ve had heartbreak in the past.
“Another thing that I’ve learned at my age, is that there’s no such thing as a bad experience in football because the pleasure and the pain feed off each other.”
