“She thinks she’s Woman Gaga,” says Beatrice Grannò, who performs scrappy lounge singer Mia on season two of The White Lotus, of her character’s evolution. However throughout a dialog with Grannò, which happened the week of the present’s newest finale, the actress might higher be likened to the fourth Haim sister.
When you’ve been being attentive to social media within the days for the reason that dramatic finale, amid all of the Jennifer Coolidge memes had been behind the scenes pics during which Este Haim was snapped on the Sicilian set of the HBO present which promptly set the web ablaze. Haim was a musical guide on the present and mentored the Italian actress for her lounge singing scenes. “She was the most effective!” Grannò says. “We turned pals. Thank god she was there!”
For Grannò, who studied theater in London and has been performing in movie and TV steadily since 2014 (you might have caught her within the Italian Netflix sequence Zero), The White Lotus was her large break—and a frightening process. “Aubrey Plaza was there, [F.] Murray Abraham, Michael Imperioli, all these folks, and I felt like I had none of their expertise!”
But it surely didn’t take lengthy for Grannò to be in her ingredient on the Sicilian set, reuniting with bestie Simona Tabasco, who performed Mia’s partner-in-literal-crime Lucia, getting to point out off her musical chops and, after all, making pals with Haim.
In an interview with AP, Grannò spoke about breaking into the American market, Mia’s sexual fluidity and why Mia and Lucia had been the guts of The White Lotus season two.
Learn extra: The White Lotus season 2 trailer brims with love, homicide and a complete lot of hedonism
What was your response while you obtained the information that you just’d be starring in The White Lotus season two?
I simply couldn’t imagine it. I used to be so excited as a result of I used to be such a terrific fan of the primary seasonI did a self-tape a yr in the past exactly, and in January, Mike White went to Rome and wished to see a few of the actresses [in person]. I did an [in-person] audition and two days later—it was midnight in Rome and I used to be watching a well-known Italian music pageant known as Sanremo—my agent known as me and advised me that me and Simona] each obtained the components. We had been actually comfortable, we FaceTimed [each other]. I used to be operating round the home, and we had been screaming!
What was it like attending to work with Simona once more?
It was superb. We truly met 10 years in the past once we auditioned for a similar drama faculty [in Italy]. I didn’t get in, so I moved to London to attend drama faculty there. After I obtained again to Rome, we met once more as a result of we did an Italian present collectively known as DOC, and that’s once we did the self-tape audition collectively [for The White Lotus].It was nice to work together with her as a result of Mia and Lucia had been purported to be shut pals, however Mike White had no concept that we knew one another from earlier than. It was simpler for us to do these scenes as a result of we’re so shut. Our friendship grew stronger as a result of we had been each sharing this superb expertise.
Was there stress contemplating how large of successful the primary season was and being one of many few Italian actors forged alongside many well-known English-speaking actors?
Sure, after all. I knew that the undertaking was unimaginable, so I used to be anxious I used to be not going to have the ability to dwell as much as that. However on the similar time, I’ve skilled in [in acting] in London and after I began to behave, [it was] in English, so for me it was like going again to high school in a approach of exploring that approach of working in one other language. Despite the fact that my character is Italian, I used to be asking myself, how did I get right here? However I knew [that] Mike White was searching for an Italian lady who might play piano and sing, so I knew I might deliver that. My character’s power could be very near what I can deliver on movie, so I used to be excited to go for it. It was my first time doing comedy on movie, however in England I’ve a theater firm the place we do comedy, so I might use that.
How did you put together for the musical aspect of Mia?
All of the songs Mike White wished had been sort of jazz requirements and I used to be purported to be a lounge singer so I ready myself with a jazz sound and a really jazzy voice. However after I obtained on set he mentioned, “She’s not that refined. She’s extra of a pop singer as a result of she needs to be totally different from Giuseppe, she needs to be seen.” I labored with Este and he or she mentioned I ought to actually belt it as a result of that’s my voice. I used to be anxious as a result of all of the songs had been performed dwell, so I’m considering, how can I sing [well] dwell and play completely? I used to be training a lot in my room as a result of I introduced my keyboard with me, so I used to be all the time taking part in. It was Mia taking part in at The White Lotus, however it was additionally me taking part in on a HBO sequence, so it’s sort of like the 2 personalities blended.
We noticed pictures from behind the scenes come out on social media after the finale and folks had been like, “what’s Este Haim doing there?” So what was she doing there?
She was the most effective! She was working [on The White Lotus] however on the similar time she was engaged on soundtracks for movies as a result of she’s doing that too now.; she’s doing so many issues! After we had been virtually completed with the songs she left so I used to be actually unhappy. She managed to interrupt me—in a great way! She was organizing karaoke nights on the resort; she was taking part in [piano], she was singing. It was stunning to see such a tremendous musician being so open with everybody.
There’s a really attention-grabbing dynamic that occurred between Mia and Valentina, performed by Sabrina Impacciatore. How did you method Mia’s sexual fluidity?
I used to be so excited after I discovered that [Sabrina] was going to be on the present and that I’d get to work together with her. In Italy she’s very well-known for comedy.She actually put herself into the character. It was good for me to be a part of that course of in her character [development] as a result of to start with she’s sort of blocked, and I believe Mia is blocked, too. Collectively they meet at a degree the place Mia realizes her personal freedom together with her physique and confidence and that second is when she meets Valentina they usually begin this recreation. Mia offers Valentina her power to sort of let herself go. It was very thrilling to me to play that as a result of we don’t all the time speak about feminine pleasure on tv.
Just about the entire characters on the present are obtained what they deserved, for higher or worse. What do you concentrate on the place Mia and Lucia ended up?
Lucia and Mia, they’re the true winners of the present, even when it’s not likely a contest. They fought for themselves, they had been by no means victims or felt sorry about what they had been doing and in the long run they obtained what they wished. That occurred as a result of they’d one another. “The very best issues in life are free” [a reference to the song that plays over the final scene of Mia and Lucia walking through Sicily]: It’s their friendship. Love is free.
We have now to speak concerning the style, and Mia and Lucia are on the pinnacle of that. What had been a few of your favourite appears to be like from the season?
My favourite look was the white gown I put on in episode six when Mia is seducing Valentina. It’s a form of Marilyn Monroe vibe when she’s singing comfortable birthday to her, and I felt actually assured in that. The style [evolution] of Mia is actually attention-grabbing as a result of she began off actually blocked and plain and there’s a second in episode 4 when she seduces Giuseppe when she’s sporting that [frilly] skirt and purple beaded T-shirt which is humorous to me as a result of she doesn’t actually know who she is in that second. She’s messy, and slowly she turns into this very elegant and funky singer on the finish. She believes that she’s Woman Gaga or one thing; she’s a star now.
Now that you just’ve damaged into the American market, what are a few of your dream initiatives?
What I actually dream [about] is [being on] one other worldwide present, however with the ability to act in English as a result of that may open new [doors]. By way of story, The White Lotus was an enormous step, however I acted in Italian, my character was Italian, so it wasn’t too totally different from what I’ve completed earlier than when it comes to performing. I’d have an interest to be a part of different music initiatives and work with some American musicians. The model I’m searching for is folks music and in Italy it’s not that widespread. Individuals eat folks for breakfast.
Nicely you’ve already obtained the reference to Este, so watch this house!
Sure!
