How Exactly The White Lotus Changed Sabrina Impacciatore's Life

Sabrina Impacciatore has checked in to her best life.

The White Lotus star is sharing how being cast as hotel manager Valentina in the HBO series drastically transformed her life and career.

"I've often been in California, [but] after the first episode aired, everyone recognized me," she said in a December interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "I've become part of a real cultural phenomenon that is followed very passionately."

However, Impacciatore almost didn't play the dedicated Valentina, as she initially rejected the audition.

"I have to confess: I hadn't seen the first season [when I was cast]," she recalled. "In general, I don't really watch TV series. I simply don't have time. I was called by my agent who said: ‘This is an important audition; they've been looking for an actress for four months now, and they can't find her.' I was already shooting a different film at the time, so initially, I said no."

Thankfully, Impacciatore eventually agreed to the audition—after binge watching season one—and rest, as they say, was history.

"It was all beyond my expectations, but it definitely lived up to my dreams," she continued. "Being part of this project was a big, enormous chance for me. Because I was finally able to truly see things that, here in Italy, [otherwise] just wouldn't be possible."

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In Italy, Impacciatore gained notoriety in films like Paolo Virzì's Napoleon and Me and Gabriele Muccino's There's No Place Like Home. She made her debut to U.S. audiences as Seraphia in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ.

As for what's next for Impacciatore? "I'm keeping my feet on the ground," she noted, "|but] I've overcome countless challenges and faced many closed doors, I've suffered through many disappointments. Now that I have this chance, I want to make the best of it. And I intend to enjoy it."

Seasons one and two of The White Lotus are now streaming on HBO Max.

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