“I think I will never get used to this, but I am doing little by little and, in any case, everything that is happening to me is beautiful.” Beatrice Grannò (Rome, 31 years old) tells us this as soon as the zoom screen is opened, from the room of his family home in Rome, where Christmas has passed family after several months living in Los Angeles. Since the second season of the series was released in 2022, the career and life of this Italian actress (and of his) have given such turn that he still has a hard time processing and putting it into words, although his enthusiasm is eloquent enough to understand They are about to happen to him many things. Hence, he has spent more time in Hollywood more than in his country, where he was accompanied by a race of almost a decade between theater, television and cinema after having trained in London. A past of which starts with a good advantage: an English of almost perfect British accent. But, although the American cinema gate has opened for her, the first call she received wine from Spain. The director (Extraterrestrial, chrocrimes) contacted her to be, next to Henry Golding (), The protagonist of Daniela Forever, His latest film (in cinemas since February 21), a reflection on duel, loss and maturity crossed by science fiction and the spirit of Philip K. Dick.
When it premiered The White Lotus And all that media attention arrived, how did he feel?
I had been working in Italy for a long time as an actress, but the series suddenly opened the opportunity to be in spaces that I did not dream. To be honest, I didn’t expect so much attention. I knew that the series was going to fall in love, but I didn’t expect my character, an Italian secondary, to be so dear. For me everything changed in terms of perspective.
Did he have a lot of pressure to decide what his next step would be? There came Nacho vigalondo with Daniela Forever…
Nacho called me because I think I wanted to work with a European actress and also because I had just seen The White Lotus And he liked my work. It was a difficult time, to have to make many decisions in my career. When you get that opportunity to open the door to be more international, you want to make sure you are taking the steps in the right direction. And for that Daniela Forever I thought the right decision. It was the first thing I surrounded after the series and, honestly, I think it is the best set I have been. It is a movie that comes from a real place, from heart, and this is how I will choose the projects I want to be. It was a very exciting moment for me. And I don’t know what will happen, but I am investing many of my energies to work internationally. Now the movie premieres and it will be my first role in English. Yes, I feel that this could be the beginning of something and I think Daniela Forever It is a good starting point for an international career.
It is not a usual film, it speaks of pain, guilt, duel, depression … and in parallel realities. His character is not usual because most of the time is the reverie of Henry Golding.
Yes, Daniela is never completely a real person, and this was part of what interested me. It was a challenge. At first, she is like a dream, it is not really human, it is a memory. Henry Golding is a victim, but he is also an oppressor. And for me, as an actress, it was very exciting to interpret someone who is just a memory and that is never there. At first you are just someone who is there to fulfill the desire of a man, but as the film progresses, the more he dreams of her, the more real he returns and she begins to ask questions and wants to leave her side again … Everything I think that process tells very well how you feel when you lose someone you want, that possessive part that can be passed to end up learning to let the other person leave and who wants to be. I think that specific feeling was the one I talked to Nacho.
How did you approach the challenge of being that reverie, of not being human?
It was the most complicated part for me, because Daniela is almost an artificial intelligence, it only exists in Henry’s mind. And he had to work with him to be at the same time. Because it was me, but it was also him. And, as an actress, I decided to work to understand how to be or become a more energy than a human being. I had to make sure that when my character was not there he felt very sad and alone. And when I was there, I had to do everything possible to fill the room with this feeling of something that I didn’t even know how to define … Nacho has such an unique vision and style, it is totally free and crazy and you just have to trust him without questioning it, Even when he asks you very crazy, because he knew exactly what he was doing.
That way of working, did you remember its principles in London with the Absurd Theater company?
Yes, yes, I always tell him that he has to come to see us and I think, so I could trust him because also in my company the director is a Canadian with a creative and very crazy mind and I have always trusted it.
But in reality, its beginnings were in music.
Yes, I started playing the piano and in love with music, but I had always liked to write music and do my own things and when I finished the school I wanted to find a profession in which I could turn all my creativity, so I decided to study interpretation. At the drama school I could also include my music; The dance, which I love … although I must say that I do not see myself as a musical theater actress. But I am very happy to have decided to be an actress because it gives me the opportunity to do many things. I write, I’m still working on my music …
Do you have any musical project in sight?
Yes, I’ve been working on something that I hope will come out very soon. It has been difficult lately, for obvious reasons, to take time, but I do not have the same ambition with music as with interpretation. For me, music is a necessity, I dedicate myself to her when I need it and I think I will soon be able to launch an album in which I have been working.
Another project that adds to this moment that lives and in which he says to be making many decisions, is it clear where he will go from now on?
I am 31 years old and this is a very complicated job, it is a delicate moment, in which I have to make decisions to try to have a consistent career. Right now I prioritize the projects that really passionate to me. And in recent months I have realized that I love Italy, but I feel very comfortable in the United States or in the rest of Europe. I started in London, so it is not so alien to me to work and live outside. I definitely want to try to expand my vision and I don’t know if I’m going to achieve it, but at the same time I feel that I have to try or regret it … so let’s see what happens [risas]. I always say that this work is like fishing, you have to be very patient and wait, you can’t leave and go to another place because if you do the big fish he leaves and you will not be ready to fish. At the same time, I feel very grateful and happy to have the opportunity to think what I do … so let’s see what happens.
Does your plan go to moving to Hollywood?
The truth is that I am doing everything possible to move to the United States, but for now everything that is coming immediate is to shoot in Europe, so, being honest, I don’t know what will happen. The angels for me is very exciting and I want to continue and spend seasons there. This last time I was going to be a brief trip, I was in New York because I gave a concert and decided In my music. The angels can feel it as if it were my house. I feel it is a good place for me.
Have you done many tests at this time in Hollywood?
I have been reading many scripts and, above all, building connections. I have also done some castings, I have worked on potential series and films projects. But you know how this is going … I had a couple of things almost closed and then the strike arrived and everything stopped, then I started with the filming of Daniela Forever… But now I’m working on some things that will materialize this year, so I’m very excited.
After the premiere of The White Lotus, Was there any specific moment in which he thought: “My life has changed, this is real”?
Maybe when I met A, because when the series was released, I was in Italy and we only heard the echoes that came to us. In Italy, the series did not make as much noise as in the United States, but suddenly Kim Kardashian called for Simona and I did that campaign with her [de su marca de lencería, ] And we started thinking that something was happening. It was also incredible because we had to fly to Los Angeles, but we needed a work visa and how they took a long time to process it, the entire team decided to come to Milan. It was amazing. Then, I went to the first premiere in New York and there I realized the impact of the series. I remember that from there I called my American agent and said: “I don’t know what is happening.” Because in the street they stopped at the same time I was going to parties and knowing all my idols.
Who did more enthusiasm to meet in those first moments?
I met so many people … but it was definitely one of my favorites. In addition to going to parties, they begin to put in meetings with important people from Warner, from Netflix, called me an incredible director to get a test …
A lot of emotion is heard in his words, of course, but is there also some fear?
I think this work is based on fear all the time, because your work does not belong to you, everything you do as an artist belongs to the audience that looks at you, so you have to be very sure who you are, because it is very easy to confuse you in That identity game between knowing who you are and what is the perception of you. It is a terrifying world because they are guided and they release you there and you do not know where you are … for me it is very important to return whenever I can to why I chose this profession?, Because it is what saves me, I want to do this job well, I love Being an actress … And yes, being an actress is born of fear, it is part of the game.
In that game, do this trip partly with Simona Tabasco, her friend, has it been a help?
We have definitely experienced this together. The two were friends and we knew each other from Italy, we did the casting to The White Lous At the same time and we connect and, suddenly, something that never happens, took us to both. In fact, we recorded the test for the series one to the other, Mike White knew any of this. We were both together when all this madness out of control exploded. We went together to Los Angeles, to all the events. Having a friend by your side was important.
Equipment
Makeup and hairdressing Chiqui Peña (NS Management)
Photography assistant João Pinto
