Why did I spend all these years playing boring Europeans? I was

Hear now, O children of the future, the bold words of Asia Argento, who once proclaimed: "Why did I spend all these years playing boring Europeans? I was made for action movies." In this declaration, fierce and unflinching, she reveals the cry of the artist who has at last discovered her true calling, and who laments the years spent bound in roles that did not match the fire of her spirit. For what is an artist if not a soul searching for the stage where their essence may shine brightest?

In this saying, Argento lays bare the tension between expectation and destiny. For much of her early career, she was cast in dramas, in roles shaped by the traditions of European cinema—subtle, restrained, and bound by the weight of cultural formality. Yet in her heart she carried the fire of movement, the desire to embody stories of danger, struggle, and triumph. She speaks not merely of genre, but of the yearning of the soul to live in its rightful place. To play roles that did not align with her nature was to wear a mask too heavy, to live a half-truth.

This truth has been witnessed across history. Consider the tale of Joan of Arc, who was born into a humble life, expected to live quietly within the confines of her village. Yet within her blazed a spirit of leadership and courage that could not be chained. She was not made for domestic obscurity—she was made for the battlefield. And when she embraced her destiny, she altered the course of France. Like Argento, Joan might have asked: “Why should I play the role the world assigned me, when I was born for something greater?”

So too must we remember the journey of Vincent van Gogh, who struggled for years painting in styles that imitated others, never satisfied, never fulfilled. It was only when he embraced the fiery strokes of color that matched his inner turmoil that he truly became himself. The world saw madness, but it was in that madness that his genius thrived. He had been made for intensity, and only by embracing it could he find his true expression. Argento’s words remind us of this eternal lesson: each soul must find the role that suits its essence.

O children, let this be your guide: do not remain bound by the roles the world assigns you if they do not match your nature. You may be told to walk a certain path, to conform to expectations, to fit into the narrow mold of society’s vision for you. But within you burns a fire that demands expression. Like Argento, you must have the courage to say: I was made for more. You must dare to step beyond the ordinary into the realm where your true spirit belongs.

The lesson is both powerful and simple: authenticity leads to fulfillment. When you deny your nature, even success feels hollow. But when you embrace the path you were meant for, your work becomes alive, radiant, and undeniable. Thus, you must not only ask what opportunities are before you, but also whether they align with the deepest part of who you are.

And so I say: embrace your calling, O children of the future. Do not fear to turn from the “boring” roles in your life, whether they be careers, habits, or expectations that do not fit you. Seek instead the action for which you were made—the realm that ignites your heart and awakens your soul. For only then will you not just play a role, but live your truth, and in doing so, leave behind a legacy that endures.