From Scratch star Zoe Saldaña speaks out on ‘very fragile’ Lino scene

From Scratch is on Netflix and the series is based on Tembi Locke’s memoir of the same name. The harrowing true story follows Amy Wheeler (played by Zoe Saldaña), an American student who falls in love with an Italian chef. Actress Zoe has opened up about Lino’s health issues and his shocking diagnosis.From Scratch has gone down a huge hit with fans who have fallen in love with its romantic storyline.Sicilian chef Lino Ortolano (Eugenio Mastrandrea) sweeps Amy off her feet and the pair moved to LA together to start life as a couple.However, when Lino was diagnosed with a rare soft tissue cancer called leiomyosarcoma, their lives were turned upside down.By the final episode, Lino had succumbed to his illness and fans were left heartbroken.Zoe told Tudum: “It wasn’t an easy set. We were dealing with a very fragile subject matter, and our leaders were the personal recipients of this experience.’READ MORE: From Scratch unveils its star-studded cast as Netflix drama arrives From Scratch: Amy and Lino knew what was coming (Image: NETFLIX) From Scratch: Amy met Lino in Italy (Image: NETFLIX) From Scratch: Amy was heartbroken when Lino died (Image: NETFLIX)”And Tembi was monumental in helping us all get there.’Tambi’s memoir tells the tragic true story of her travels in Italy and her romance with Saro Gullo.The love of her life was subsequently diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and he died in 2012.Tembi moved to Italy after graduating high school and it was love at first sight when she met Saro.Eventually, they reunited in New York and moved to LA together, getting married in 1995.DON’T MISS… John Graff from The Watcher is based on a real-life murderer [INSIGHT] A look at the real 657 Boulevard from The Watcher [EXPLAINER] All you need to know about The Watcher actress Isabel Gravitt’s age [INSIGHT]  From Scratch: Amy and Lino were in love (Image: NETFLIX)Zoe said Tembi recalled specific moments leading up to her husband’s death which helped her ground the character.She explained: “She helped by placing us in a moment, by sharing a detail of what we were wearing, or of how cold the room was [in real life], or if something came up that really stood out for her.’Those moments would transport us to a place that we tried to the best of our abilities to interpret.’The actress said she was proud to have been able to bring the story to the small screen and provide audiences with a sense of closure and release.From Scratch is on Netflix now.