Jesse Williams Explores the Amalfi Coast in New Series ‘Hotel Costiera’

TAORMINA – Racing through the streets on a Vespa to rescue Elettra Lamborghini’s lost puppy might not sound like a typical assignment, but it perfectly fits in the tone of Hotel Costiera, the new Amazon Original series previewed at the 71st Taormina Film Festival. Set entirely along the breathtaking cliffs of Positano, the action-comedy stars Jesse Williams in the lead role and blends adrenaline, humor, and Mediterranean charm.

Best known for his role as Jackson Avery in Grey’s Anatomy, Williams here plays Daniel De Luca, a former Marine with Italian roots who now works as a fixer at one of the world’s most exclusive hotels. From celebrity scandals to high-stakes emergencies, Daniel handles it all. But his most urgent task is deeply personal: to locate Alice, the hotel owner’s daughter, who disappeared over a month ago. His search takes him through sun-soaked alleys and unexpected dangers along Italy’s iconic coastline.

“Every part of Italy I visited was stunning, welcoming, and culturally distinct,” Williams admitted. “I’d seen places like Florence, Rome, and Venice before, but the Amalfi Coast was new to me. Understanding that specific culture immediately influenced the production. We were facing post-COVID challenges, then the writers’ strike happened, and we had to bring in new writers while still in the middle of casting.

As a producer, I was involved in everything, from scouting locations and casting to costume design and script revisions. We kept adapting as we went. When you fall in love with a place, you naturally make changes. You allow the characters and the story to expand. That’s the advantage of working on a series. If something doesn’t land in episode two, you can clarify it in episode three. In many ways, the setting—the country itself—became a character in the story.”

The cast features a vibrant mix of Italian and international talent, including Maria Chiara Giannetta, Jordan Alexandra, Antonio Gerardi, Sam Haygarth, Tommaso Ragno, Amanda Campana, Pierpaolo Spollon, Alejandra Onieva, and Jean-Hugues Anglade. Behind the camera, the production was entirely Italian, something Williams highlighted with pride: “Our entire crew was Italian: from costumes and makeup to technical staff and location teams. In the U.S., the film industry is often all about speed and profit. It’s nonstop. In Italy, and much of Europe, there’s more focus on quality of life. You take breaks, enjoy meals, maybe have a drink. No one is working 20-hour days. In America, it’s exhausting. But here, food was constantly brought to set, people took care of one another, and you got to know their families. It was just a better atmosphere. Maybe you don’t get quite as much done, but you enjoy what you’re doing and that makes a difference.”

Daniel De Luca is a character shaped by trauma, instinct, and emotional complexity. Around the crimes he’s hired to resolve, the series slowly builds a portrait of someone still grappling with his past: “I did a lot of research,” Williams said. “I became friends with former military operatives who had done this kind of work. Many of them spent their entire adult lives in secret missions and then had to reenter civilian life. What do you do when you’ve been trained to protect, solve, even kill—and now you’re just home? That transition can be incredibly hard.”

“We used a lot of small, intentional details, even in wardrobe, to give Daniel authenticity,” the actor added. “We built a backstory I’m really proud of, especially in how we unfold it gradually in the first two episodes. I was careful not to over-explain anything. I believe in trusting the audience. If you respect them, they’ll connect the dots.”