From Italian stardom to fashion front rows and now a surreal English-language film debut, Beatrice Grannò is proving she’s not just a rising star—she’s the star to watch.
After stealing scenes (and hearts) in HBO’s The White Lotus Season 2, Grannò returns with a hauntingly beautiful performance in Daniela Forever, a mind-bending sci-fi romance directed by Nacho Vigalondo. Starring opposite Henry Golding, Grannò plays the title character—a woman who exists only in the lucid dreams of a grieving man. It’s a role that calls for both emotional depth and ethereal presence, and Grannò walks that line with precision. “I do enjoy playing someone who is not fully real,” she explains. “I think that’s fun, there’s so much freedom in that, but also I think in this film she is very restrained because she belongs to his mind, so it was like finding a balance between that freedom of being an emotional ghost but also playing someone who is trapped.”
It’s the kind of cerebral, emotionally complex role that signals a turning point for any actor. For Grannò, it marks her English-language film debut and her ability to carry a film as both muse and mystery. Working with Golding, she says, was a joy. “Henry Golding is a very generous actor and person. He is very open, and I honestly had a great time — he’s so funny. He laughs constantly and is such a joyful person.” That joyful energy was likely needed on a set dealing with themes of loss, memory, and what it means to love someone who no longer exists. Vigalondo’s signature style, melding grounded emotion with sci-fi surrealism, creates a world where Grannò’s performance becomes the emotional anchor.
It’s a far cry from the Sicilian coastline and chaotic charm of Mia, her breakout role in The White Lotus. But Grannò credits that project for giving her the confidence and visibility to take bigger creative risks. “I still can’t believe that happened,” she says of the hit HBO series. “When I got the audition, I just felt that I could be a perfect fit for the character, and sometimes in this job it’s really about that.”
With Daniela Forever, that instinct paid off again. The film solidifies Beatrice Grannò not just as a scene-stealer but a leading woman with global range. And with her growing presence in the fashion world and her ability to navigate languages, genres, and personas, real or dreamlike, she’s just getting started.
Daniela Forever is now showing in select theaters.
