Beatrice Grannò
in season 2 HBOMAX series
The White Lotus
Photography Elliston Lutz
Creative Director Deborah Ferguson
Interview Tessa Swantek
Season 2 of The White Lotus sees an almost entirely new group of White Lotus guests in Sicily amongst crystal seas, marble statues with secret-bearing eyes, sun-drenched citrus, and swelling operatic drama looming over the shore. Beatrice Grannò plays Mia, an Italian local who we originally see on the periphery of the hotel alongside her best friend Lucia [Simona Tabasco]. Mia is an aspiring singer with a silent, yet palpable ambition that, at the beginning of the series, is somewhat overshadowed by Lucia’s more audacious ambition. Throughout the series we see Mia move farther from the periphery to the literal center of the hotel at the piano, as she begins to find a power that is uniquely her own. Grannò tells us that expression through attitude, rather than words, is a huge part of Italian culture. Mia, who makes her ambitions and direction clear, then is certainly quintessentially Italian. And while Grannò tells us that she tends to blend into the background, she carries an ambition that is also palpable, and we look forward to her continued journey as she twirls like a ballerina to the center of her dreams in acting and music! In our interview with her, we talk about her musical performances in The White Lotus, her bond with Simona Tabasco, and what it means to be Italian and a woman in the industry!
Jacket, sweater and pants: Patou Paris, Belt/Choker: CHANEL F22, Earrings: Tata-LA, Heels: Larroude
I read in a few interviews that when you were young, your family used to call you “ballerina” because you would dance as soon as you heard music. Can you share one vivid memory from your childhood that you feel relates to your personality today?
I’m so happy you brought this up! The reason why my family started calling me “Ballerina” was because I used to love moving to any music that was playing since I was a baby. Of course, my moves were always random and out of sync with the beat of the song. When I was four, I remember listening to an Aretha Franklin song and my dad told me that I had to listen to the bassline to understand the beat and dance to it. I remember thinking at that moment: ‘the bassline is boring; I want to listen to the voice!’ but somehow just taking that advice made something click and suddenly I could dance to the beat.
You studied in London and have said in other interviews that you were taught to look for your “diamond” or uniqueness in art. Relating that to your character in The White Lotus, what do you imagine her “diamond” to be?
Mia is a very talented character, way more than she realizes and to her, the way to get what she wants is through confidence. If I had to give her advice, her “diamond” would be to let go of everything she has inside on stage. Whenever Mia gives out, she gets something back.
You were able to do a few performances throughout the series which were so beautiful! The first song Mia sings expresses her character well. Can you talk a little bit about preparing for these scenes? Did you work with Este Haim at all?
I was actually so excited to be able to perform for this role as I am a musician as well! I didn’t have much time to prepare since I had to start shooting in less than three weeks after I knew I got the part. I worked closely with my vocal coach, Daniele Alan-Carter and had the help of a talented pianist, Edoardo Simeone, in finding some harmonic solutions to Mia’s performances. Then, when I got on set, I had the honor of working with Este Haim to really get the most out of the performances. She was such an inspiration. She was a friend to me, and I learned so much from the work we did together. I remember she told me to think of my voice as chewing gum, to bring some plasticity to my performance which is something I use to this day for my music.
The series is known for its comedy but also its social commentary. Mia comments on how power positions play into the entertainment industry, and how it is difficult for women in the industry. As a woman in the industry, how do you relate to this?
Of course, I can talk firsthand mainly about the Italian industry. It is a very uncertain situation, for every two steps forwards there’s another step back. In my experience, there is a lack of depth in describing femininity in film. It seems difficult to talk about fragility and strength as both being part of female characters. I am proud to be part of a show like The White Lotus that doesn’t shy away from these contradictions.
You’ve said that you let your characters go through you a lot, so there are always elements of yourself in your characters. What parts of yourself do you see come out in Mia?
I definitely feel that we have some elements in common like ambition and determination. In my life, I could really use some of Mia’s independence though. I have a tendency to blend into the background and whenever I feel like someone is not at ease, I’ll do anything to make everyone feel comfortable.
Mia is a dreamer while Lucia is a realist. Where do you personally fall on that spectrum from dreamer to realist?
Mia and Lucia belong to a precise equilibrium, they are two sides of the same coin. In reality, of course, it’s more complicated. On a surface level I think of myself as a full dreamer, but when I start to go deeper, I surprise myself in how much of a realist I can be.
Shearling coat, leather pants and heels: IRO Paris
You worked very closely with Simona Tabasco throughout the series, and your chemistry together had a huge impact on your scenes. What was it like to work in somewhat of a partnership? I know you both worked on DOC – Nelle tue mani, so I assume knowing each other beforehand might have helped.
Picture this: the first night in Taormina, Simona and I couldn’t sleep, and we stayed up rehearsing our scenes. We couldn’t believe we were both there. We were in a familiar place and knew each other, but at the same time we had come so far. Simona and I had worked together before, but the experience on The White Lotus brought us closer as colleagues and friends. I will never forget the time we FaceTimed as soon as we found out we got the roles. It was incredible enough that one of us got a role, but that we both got it, it was pure magic!
In The White Lotus, the hotel guests are immersed in Italian/Sicilian culture while you and Simona play the locals. Outside of filming, did you introduce the cast to any Italian culture?
The main topic of discussion was Italian hand gestures. If you want to understand Italian culture, it’s less about the words and more about the attitude, especially hand movement. The Italian part of the cast and crew held intense courses over lunch or dinner on how to pass as Italian. For example, if you don’t care about something, you don’t need to say a word of Italian, you just flick your chin, and the message is clear.
Jacket, blouse, shorts, jewelry, bag, socks and boots: CHANEL F22
I really wanted to ask you about the fashion element of the show because I love so many of the outfits in the series! What do you think Mia’s fashion says about her character? Do you have a favorite outfit she wore?
I worked closely with Alex Bovaird, the show’s costume designer, who was truly wonderful. She, as well as Rebecca Hickey (makeup department head), gave me a lot of freedom in expressing myself through Mia’s look and makeup. Through the episodes, there’s an evolution in Mia’s appearance: as she slowly finds her way, her look becomes more and more a mirror to who she wants to be. Without spoiling anything of course, my favorite looks are the ones in the last episodes.
The Taormina San Domenico Palace looks so beautiful. Was there a particular part of the hotel that was your favorite?
My favorite thing to do at the San Domenico Palace was sitting at the bar, the location most dinner scenes in the show take place in, with a glass of wine reading and studying my scenes for the next day of shooting. It was a liminal place, many people came and went and you could share your thoughts about the day.
Leather jacket, pants and heels: IRO Paris