Matteo Guidicelli wasn't always in the headlines for (allegedly) punching a snitching bodyguard.
The 29-year-old actually arrived on the scene as a racecar driver, a sport he'd been mastering since he was 11 years old.
From his time behind the wheel, he won numerous awards, including the 2002 Philippine Cadet 85 Class, 2003 Asian Championships, ICA Jr., 2004 Philippine Open Class, 2004 Philippine Rotax Max Jr., 2005 ICA Superkart Series Championship, and 2006 Philippine 125 Open.
He was also named Karter of the Year three times.
Although still involved in racing, he eventually made a promise to his mother that he would quit the sport following an accident.
But, he had a fallback. His skills and Eurasian looks weren't exempt from the radar of teen magazines, and in 2006, the year he broke into show business, he was featured in Candy Magazine amid public clamor from lovestruck teenage girls.
Mattteo grew up in Cebu.
He attended both the Cebu International School and the Brent International School, then studied at Columbia College in Chicago for two years before succumbing to homesickness and returning home.
In 2017, PEP.ph asked Matteo quite directly who was richer between him and girlfriend (and now wife) Sarah Geronimo.
He declined to answer, saying they each make their own money.
It's a low-key response from the actor who, like his girlfriend, is known for being low key—modest even.
Matteo has a storied background.
His paternal grandfather, Gianni Guidicelli, was born in Venezia, Italy.
The man fell in love with the Philippines after visiting in the 1970s.
The younger Guidicelli's role in Dolce Amore, which was shot in the City of Love, was a fulfillment of his grandfather's wish for his grandson to star in a project that had Italian all over it.
In 2016, the Cebu-based Guidicellis opened a restaurant in honor of their "nonno," who passed away a year earlier.
Da Gianni currently has two branches, a trattoria in Cebu, plus another, more modern version in Alabang.
The kitchen is run by Gianni's two helpers, Antonia and Jean.
Guidicelli's father Gianluca serves as its managing director, and the rest of the family chips in on its day-to-day operations.
On his free days, Matteo himself serves customers.
Matteo is also a Fernan, one of the biggest clans in Cebu, on his mother's side.
His mother, Glenna Fernan is the daughter of the late Cebu Provincial Prosecutor Vicente Fernan who, in turn, is the cousin of Marcelo Fernan, the only person in the Philippines to serve as both Chief Justice and Senate President.
Cebu's Marcelo Fernan Bridge, the longest cable-stayed bridge in the Philippines, is named after him.
Matteo is also the cousin of socialite and designer Mia Arcenas Branellec.
His sister, Giorgia, recently married lawyer Ian Dato, who founded his own law firm in 2013.
Dato was formerly a Senior Undersecretary at the Department of Justice and an Undersecretary for Political Affairs (2008-2010).
Their wedding was attended by the biggest names in Cebu society, including the Lhuilliers and Villaricas. Sarah Geronimo was Giorgia's maid of honor.
The Fernans are also related to the Manigsacas, Ledesmas, and other prominent names.
Matteo was recently in the headlines for his secret civil wedding to longtime girlfriend Sarah Geronimo, which was allegedly disrupted by the latter's disapproving mother.
According to reports, Sarah's mother was against the six-year relationship and wedding because she preferred a non-showbiz boyfriend for her 31-year-old daughter.
It is all very complex.
While they sort out the mess, you'll find us eating carbonara at Da Gianni.