Alumni Spotlight: Grace Barlow, Class of 2015

From BL to the Big Screen

After graduating from Ben Lippen in 2015, Grace Barlow pursued her studies at the University of South Carolina, majoring in Public Relations and minoring in Dance. It was during her time at USC that Grace’s journey took an exciting turn as she began pursuing acting and modeling. Signing with Deabreu Agency in Columbia, SC, and Slamm Management in Atlanta, GA, Grace experienced a variety of opportunities that eventually led her to MMG in New York City and even a transformative study abroad experience in Milan.

Grace’s professional path after USC graduation in 2019 included joining her mother in the art and design company, Interi. As the company’s business and PR manager, Grace promoted and organized exhibitions across Italy, sharing her mother’s work. Together, they preserved and transformed 17th and 18th-century Italian ecclesiastical artifacts into contemporary masterpieces, including recent exhibitions in Florence and with the Museo de’ Medici. “It’s been an incredible privilege being able to work alongside my mom, work professionally in the art world, and as a creative, being able to still pursue my other passions,” Grace reflects.

In 2021, as productions resumed post-COVID, Grace returned to modeling and acting, seizing modeling opportunities in New York Fashion Week, Good Day New York, Elegantees, and Coca-Cola and Restoration Hardware campaigns. Her acting journey took her often to Atlanta, where, despite challenges, Grace embraced each role and self-taped audition. The path wasn’t easy, but her passion for creativity and the support of her mother kept her going. “Sometimes,” Grace recalls, “it takes trials to test our faith and ambition. Our passions are a joint pursuit between us and God, and I believe He loves when we work to fulfill the desires of our hearts.”

Grace’s journey recently led to two remarkable acting experiences with directors Francis Ford Coppola in Megalopolis and Jason Reitman in Saturday Night. In Saturday Night, she portrayed Edie Baskin, the real-life photographer for Saturday Night Live for over 25 years, even having the privilege of meeting Baskin herself. Reflecting on these achievements, Grace shared, “This opportunity meant a lot to me as an actress, and I am so thankful I got to work alongside some incredible cast and crew. I will forever be grateful to Jason Reitman, who gave me this opportunity, and to God for helping my dreams come to life. He helps us accomplish more than we could ever ask or imagine and I can’t wait to see what’s to come!”

We look forward to seeing what Grace accomplishes next!