Beatrice Grannò Embodies Classic Italian Glamour in Valentino

The last four months have been busy for Italian actress Beatrice Grannò. Following the premiere of season two of The White Lotus, where she broke out playing Sicily native and aspiring singer Mia, Grannò has appeared on talk shows, on magazine covers, in a Skims campaign with co-star Simona Tabasco, and front row at Paris Couture Week and New York Fashion Week. It’s been a whirlwind press tour for the 29-year-old that culminated in an exciting and well-deserved win at the 29th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. The star-studded cast turned out in full this Sunday to take home the coveted statue for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, marking yet another big night for the Mike White series.

For the occasion, Grannò selected a gorgeous black dress with a deep-V neckline and thigh-high slit from Valentino’s Urban Riviera collection accompanied by Tiffany & Co. jewelry and Christian Louboutin heels. The look, styled by Valeria Marchetti, was complemented with slicked-back hair and her signature red lip. Who What Wear was there to document all the details of her look before she hit the red carpet, and we caught up with the actress the next morning to talk about the special evening.

Congratulations on season two of The White Lotus and your Screen Actors Guild Awards win for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series! What has it meant to you to be a part of this show and incredible ensemble?

The fact that we won as an ensemble is what makes this award really special. Sometimes in this job, you feel like it’s a very individual job. You are very much by yourself. And also with awards, you are always competing with other people. So the fact that we all won as a group, it was something that I had never experienced before, and it was so beautiful when we were there all together celebrating. We kept saying congratulations to one another. We all had our own [statue]! And these types of experiences make you remember that you are never alone. Your job is not just you. It’s loads of people’s jobs, especially when you are an artist. And the fact that all the actors voted for us, it’s beautiful. 

Looking back, what excited you most about playing a character like Mia?

I love that she is so unpredictable. You never know who she’s going to be, what she’s going to become, or what she’s going to do. I love the fact that she is musical. At the beginning, that’s what made me fall in love with her—to be able to play someone who can sing. But I loved the fact that she started out as this innocent young girl, and she flipped into something else. Also, last night, we were all having dinner, The White Lotus cast, and I was having a conversation with Will Sharpe, who is a very clever guy, and he was saying that he realized me and Lucia were… You know Midsummer's Night Dream? That’s a very similar story, and the character Puck could be me and Lucia, so I love the fact that they could not even exist. They could be like two imaginary friends, but they are there to fix things, break the equilibrium. I just love this about Mia and, of course, Lucia.

Mia is a great character. I also love how determined she was to get her moment in the spotlight. 

She is so determined that she becomes blind. She doesn’t see what she’s doing. I said this before, but you know when you are late? You’re in a rush, and you have to leave. You become clumsy, and you leave a mess. And then you come back home, and it’s like, "Oh, how did I do this?” I think that Mia … wants to get there [so quickly], and then she’s so clumsy. 

Both Mia and Lucia have so many great looks throughout the season. Do you have a favorite?

I think the white dress, the one with the feathers when she’s with Valentina. I just loved it because at that point she became sort of a femme fatale, a very strong woman determined to get what she wants. It reminded me of a Marilyn Monroe world. She also sings "Happy Birthday,” so it reminded me of that world.

Let’s talk about your look for the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

What I loved about that look is that it tells a story of sensuality that I like because it’s not upfront. It’s reserved, but it’s there. So sometimes through the gap of the dress, you can see my leg, but sometimes, you don’t. I love this kind of way of telling a story of sensuality. But also, I loved it because it is, in my opinion, what Italian fashion is, what it always was. So it’s chic but minimal but very definite and very strong. It doesn’t need that much—it’s there. I tend to have a very soft energy, so something that makes me feel more strong, it was just perfect.

Was it one that you tried on and instantly knew "This is the one,” or did you try many options?

I tried many looks from many brands, but for some reason, my eye would always go back to that one because that dress was one that we tried, but it didn’t fit. It was the most complicated one, but I kept going back to it.

You had such cool hair and makeup. What was the inspiration behind your glam look? 

I think that we were going for more of a natural look for the makeup. And then for the hair, we wanted a wet look, which is something I’d never done before and was exciting. The glam team was so talented. Peter Gray did the hair, and it was so good. And also the makeup artist Karoline Karakeosian works with Valentino Beauty. With makeup, I don’t like to have too much on. I always love a natural look, but this was the idea to create a sort of wet effect.

What are some self-care rituals you do on the day of a big red carpet event to keep yourself calm and feeling your best self?

I don’t think I have a ritual because every time is different. But I definitely have a few things I like to do. I don’t like to have a night out before. I really like to have a moment for myself and not really have fun. I don’t want to have fun because of the butterflies in your stomach. You should take care of them. So I drink herbal tea, spend time with myself, and try to get bored a little bit. So that’s what I normally do. Listen to music. 

Catch up on The White Lotus season two, now streaming on HBO Max. 

Photographer: Julian Dakdouk 

Stylist: Valeria Marchetti

Hairstylist: Peter Gray

Makeup Artist: Karoline Karakeosian

Manicurist: Riley Miranda

Creative Director: Alexa Wiley