December 5, 2022
Meet Stefano Gianino – the Sicilian Hunk Who Bares it All on 'The White Lotus'
READ TIME: 2 MIN.
On the penultimate episode of the second season of HBO's "The White Lotus," there was a full frontal moment that rivaled that of Theo James's in the show's first episode. That happened when Harper (Aubrey Plaza) catches James's character Cameron changing his bathing suit in a bathroom mirror and gets a view she didn't expect. Some fans say that he's been upstaged by Stefano Gianino, an Italian actor who becomes Jennifer Coolidge's boytoy at a lavish Sicilian party in the latest episode of the Mike White show.
Spoiler alert: Gianino plays Niccoló, a charming drug dealer and possible mafia member that Quentin (Tom Hollander) invites to entertain Tanya (Coolidge) at the party being held in her honor at Quentin's Palermo villa. After many lines of cocaine, Niccoló sneaks Tanya into a sumptuous, Baroque bedroom and appears in the doorway naked. But while waiting for him to strip down, Tanya discovers a photo of Quentin and her absent husband Greg (Jon Cries), that gives her pause before succumbing to Niccoló's advances. But Tanya's discovery raises questions about Quentin's motives in befriending her, especially after his "nephew" Jack (Leo Woodall), seen by Tanya having sex with Quentin at the end of episode six, alluded to Tanya's assistant Portia (Haley Lu Richardson ) that Quentin is virtually broke and is working on a scheme to be rich again. Does that involve Quentin and Greg swindling her? The answer to that will need to wait until the final episode.
But who is Stefano Gianino? According to the website My Imperfect Life, he is "a Sicilian actor who has been in the 2022 Rodney Ferrer film 'Bobby Mortal,' the Italian thriller series 'Monterossi - La series and a 2021 short film called 'Cuore di strega.' He trained in acting at The Acting Studio New York and Teatro Azione in his native Italy. Given that he only has a few credits on his IMDb page, going back until just 2020, Gianino's a newcomer on the Hollywood scene."
Little else is known about the handsome Gianino. He has 1,300 followers on Instagram (which will likely balloon after his appearance on the show). On IG, he is seen in behind-the-scenes of various projects, playing the guitar and shirtless at the beach. As for his personal life, Gianino "has seemingly been in a long-term relationship since at least 2018 if Instagram is anything to go by," according to My Imperfect Life.
His resume, Decider reports, "confirms a lot of information about the performer. He is, like his 'White Lotus' character, Sicilian and boasts such skills as salsa dancing, kick boxing, and showjumping. Intriguingly, he's better at showjumping than horseback riding. Under the field for "nudity," Gianino's resumé simply says 'Yes, completely' which jives with what we saw in 'The White Lotus.'"
Check out these pics from Gianino's Instagram:
