Enzo Cilenti: Crusader for a Charity Cause – The Cure for Parkinson’s!

Welcome back to WHR You Decide!

We are honored and pleased to announce our next special guest, Enzo Cilenti – actor, author, father, and crusader in the fight against Parkinson’s disease and support of Parkinson’s UK by following them on Twitter and donating to support this worthwhile charity! Thanks you.

Recognized for his roles in such films as “The Rum Diary”, “Nine”, and “The Fourth Kind”, and the soon to be released “Kick Ass 2”, the versatile actor, often cast in the shadows, can step in and be a true leading man when asked.   Enzo has also made appearances in numerous television series as well; most notably in “Prisoners Wives” (BBC), “House M.D.”, “NCIS”, “Rome”, and “The Virgin Queen”. 

And that is just PART of the list! Enzo Cilenti joined WHR You Decide for an exclusive interview on Sunday, June 23 at a special time of 12:30 Pacific, 3:30pm Eastern

A man of many talents, Enzo studied at the University of Nottingham, attaining degrees in BOTH French AND Spanish.  Having just read “Mediterranean Homesick Blues”, a novel co-written with Ben Chatfield, Enzo’s penchant and panache for the French and Cannes often led to hilarious consequences! 

This book comes HIGHLY recommended – once you start reading, you can’t stop, it took me only 4 days!  After time on the Cote d’Azur and in Mexico City, Enzo studied at the Drama Studio of London for a year.  His first professional acting gig came in 1998 on the British ITV police procedural “Trial and Retribution”.

From then, there has been no looking back for Enzo.  Since 1998, he has appeared in no less than 42 projects!! This year alone he is juggling 5 projects – “The Wicked Within”, “Prisoners Wives”, the much anticipated “Kick-Ass 2”, “The Whole Banana”, and “Supercollider”.  And that does NOT include his theatre work, which includes projects at the West End and the Royal Court.  He is an acting machine!

Along the way, Enzo met his lovely wife, Sienna Guillory (most recognized for her role as “Jill Valentine” in the “Resident Evil” franchise, as well as “Eragon”, “Inkheart”, and “Love Actually” to name a few; who also appears in “The Whole Banana”).  The couple has worked together 6 times since 2001’s “Late Night Shopping”, and have 2 daughters.

Acting is not all that Enzo and Sienna do together.  Their first charitable event was in 2004 when they cycled five stages of the Tour de France to raise money for Guide Dogs for the Blind. 

This past year, the focus shifted, shifted closer to home in the form of Parkinson’s disease.  Near and dear to Enzo, Parkinson’s was the diagnosis last fall for Enzo’s father, Pietro.

Parkinson’s is, by the Mayo Clinic’s definition: “a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects ones movement.  It develops gradually, sometimes starting with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand.” 

The site goes on to list symptoms, most obvious being: “tremor, slowed movement, rigid muscles, impaired posture and balance, loss of automatic movements, and speech and writing changes.”

There is no cure for Parkinson’s, only management of the disease at this time.  “It is both chronic and progressive.  Although some people become severely disabled, others experience only minor motor disruptions. 

No one can predict which symptoms will affect an individual patient, and the intensity of the symptoms also varies from person to person,” so says the National Institutes of Health. 

Through to use of medication or surgery, or both, relief from the symptoms can be gained.  From the Wikipedia site, “modern treatments are effective at managing the early motor symptoms of the disease through the use of Levodopa and dopamine agonists.”  The site goes on to say that as the disease progresses, the effectiveness of the remedy lessens.  Current remedy research includes gene therapy, stem cell research, and neuroprotective implants.

Being so close to Parkinson’s, Enzo has chosen to link up with Parkinson’s UK.  It is their site that states, “As the UK’s Parkinson’s support and research charity, we’re leading the work to find a cure, and we’re closer than ever.”  It is Parkinson’s UK’s mission to raise the awareness and to “campaign to change attitudes and demand better services.” 

Using the JustGiving platform and following their mission “to make giving and raising money for charity simple, social, and rewarding”, Enzo’s “JustGiving” webpage imparts, “Parkinson’s affects 1 in 500 people, and there is currently no cure.”  This past May, Enzo raised $4710.03 for Parkinson’s UK as he participated in a grueling bike ride called the “Rat Race Road Trip”, 400+ miles over just 2 days from the Tower Bridge in London to Holyrood Park in Edinburgh.  From their site, the 2013 Road Trip saw 400 riders join in on the inaugural trip with an impressive 95% completion rate.

So please join us this Sunday, June 23 at 12:30pm Pacific and 3:30pm Eastern as interview the incredible Enzo Cilenti, discussing the many hast he wears – from actor to Parkinson’s activist.

Thanks to Kenn for final audio , video re-mastering and image staging, and many thanks to you for reading and for visiting WormholeRiders News Agency. 

Please feel free to leave a comment here, click an icon below to share this news article or you can chat and by visiting and following me on Twitter, just click on my avatar to the right.

Thank you,

Karina (@FidgetTBC)