Grace Van Patten Manifested Her Latest Role As Amanda Knox

Grace Van Patten’s latest role as Amanda Knox has been a long time coming. In 2016, early in her acting career, Van Patten watched the Netflix documentary on Knox’s case. She immediately felt a connection to the story. “I remember so vividly calling my agents at the time and asking if they were making anything about Amanda Knox because I’d be so interested in being part of it,” the 28-year-old says. “Then I forgot about it for almost 10 years.”

As luck would have it, the opportunity came back around when Van Patten was older and more well-established. Having starred in shows like Tell Me Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers, the New York City native had made a name for herself in Hollywood, so when she put her name in the running last fall to play Knox in the scripted series The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, the story’s real-life subject took notice. “The first time I realized there was interest in me was when I saw Amanda Knox was following me on Instagram,” Van Patten says. “I was like, ‘What’s going on? What’s happening?’” Within two months, she’d booked the part and flown out to Italy to shoot in Rome and Perugia.

The eight-episode series, which airs its finale Oct. 1 on Hulu, is executive produced by Knox and Monica Lewinsky, and tells the story of Knox’s 2007 arrest, subsequent incarceration, and acquittal through its protagonist’s own lens. Knox’s involvement is what sealed the deal for Van Patten wanting to get involved. “I could not believe that this young woman, who was so scrutinized in the media, was not given the opportunity to be in charge of her own story,” she says. “So when this show came around, I was like, ‘Yes. This is the type of thing people should be making.’”

After being cast, Van Patten spent extended time with Knox and Lewinsky, which she says was “incredible” and changed how she views being in the public eye. “The fact that these two women were able to get through the most public scrutiny I could ever imagine really puts things into perspective for me,” she says. “People will always say things about you, no matter who you are, but it’s important not to let it completely defeat you or define you. I learned a lot from them and how they walk through life.”

She also learned Italian in preparation for the role, since much of the series was scripted in the language of the country it took place in. “I did an Italian language boot camp and tried to learn as many words as I could in a day,” she says. “We were shooting in Rome the first two months, and most of the crew were Italian. I tried to immerse myself as much as possible, and that really helped.”

It’s just as chaotic, if not more.

Once filming wrapped in the spring, Van Patten had a quick three-week break before getting back on set to shoot Season 3 of the college drama Tell Me Lies. While she can’t share specifics, she says the next installment (which hasn’t set a premiere date) is messier than ever. “It’s just as chaotic, if not more. Everyone is going through it this season, and there’s a real insight into everyone’s trauma and bad decisions. This web is at its most tangled right now,” she says.

Though she wishes her character Lucy would “take some time alone” and go to therapy, Van Patten can appreciate the appeal of watching Lucy and Stephen’s toxic relationship play out as a viewer. “It’s like a car wreck. You can’t look away,” she says. “But I think this relationship is really limiting her growth. And the longer you wait in those types of relationships, the harder it is to regain yourself back.”

As she takes a much-needed break after filming back-to-back projects — “I’m shedding Lucy off right now” — Van Patten dishes below on her current reality-TV obsession and a future project she’d love to tackle (since her manifestation powers clearly work well).

Elite Daily: What’s the latest show you marathon-watched?

Grace Van Patten: Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. It’s unbelievable. I dragged Jackson [White] to watch it with me, and he’s just as into it. To go through that with somebody else is really quite special.

ED: Do you have a favorite word in Italian?

GVP: There’s this phrase that they say, “sticazzi,” which basically means “I don’t give a f*ck.”

Sarah: Do you have a dream co-star?

Grace: Sam Rockwell.

Sarah: Who’s the coolest person you’ve met through work?

Grace: Honestly, it happened in this job — Monica Lewinsky and Amanda Knox.

ED: Do you have a Tell Me Lies cast group chat?

GVP: We do have one. It’s called “Telling Lies and Sh*t.”

ED: What’s the last thing someone texted in there?

GVP: It was a week ago when we wrapped, and everyone was like, “Bye, see you soon.” But we all hang out constantly in real life, so it didn’t really feel like a goodbye.

ED: Who is a messy couple you love to hate?

GVP: I have a reality version and a fictional version. My reality version would be Jax and Stassi from Vanderpump Rules, and my fictional one would be Debra Winger and John Travolta in Urban Cowboy. It’s one of my favorite movies, and I watched it so much to prep for Tell Me Lies because that relationship really reminds me of Lucy and Stephen.

ED: What’s something you’re manifesting right now?

GVP: A really epic action movie, like Angelina Jolie in the early 2000s. I miss good action movies. I would love to do that.

ED: Whenever I see you get cast in one, I’m going to be like, “She wished for this!”

GVP: Said it here first.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity