It took three seasons and nine episodes, but in the final weeks of The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3, the teen romance series introduced a love interest for Belly (Lola Tung) that wasn't a Fisher brother (or Cam Cameron). After Belly called off her wedding to Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) and made a spur-of-the-moment move to Paris, she made a group of friends that included Benito. Or, as Taylor (Rain Spencer) nicknamed him, "sexy Latino Chalamet."
Portrayed by rising actor/filmmaker Fernando Cattori, Benito is just the kind, hot, Neruda-quoting fling that Belly needs during her Parisian year of self-discovery. Though she ultimately chose Conrad Fisher (Christopher Briney) ahead of the upcoming The Summer I Turned Pretty finale movie, the TSITP fandom isn't likely to forget Benito soon, thanks in large part to Cattori's charming performance in his first-ever English-speaking role. Below, read on to meet Fernando Cattori and learn more about the Mexican breakout star, including his sweet friendship with Lola Tung.
Belly (Lola Tung) and Benito (Fernando Cattori) in her Paris apartment.
Fernando Cattori is a 29-year-old actor and filmmaker born in Mexico.
Cattori, 29, is an actor, director, and photographer who grew up in Cancun, Mexico, "amongst toucans, exotic fishes, teenage pregnancy and a Costco," per his website bio. His primary passion is photography, but he also dabbles in acrylic and oil painting. "He once won a state prize for a painting of neo-Baroque Paris—inspired by the Rugrats’in Paris movie—when he was 8. Still believes he should’ve been a painter," the bio reads.
At a young age, Cattori started making "irreverent and funky movies" when he was nine, directing, editing, and occasionally starring in them. "Eventually as a young closeted gay man he considered a career in acting -auditioned for college—didn’t get in. Thankfully. He wasn’t good," he wrote. "Though having some acting training has helped him understand narrative and performance better and eventually landed him two lead film roles."
Fernando Cattori is a music video director who was nominated for a Latin Grammy.
As a "semi-adult," Cattori attended Universidad Iberoamericana (IBERO) in Mexico City and studied Communication and Advertising. Through his creative collective, he collaborated with brands including Nike, Staud, Sofitel, Coke, Forever 21, Dolce & Gabbana, Puma LATAM, and GQ. His work has also appeared in ELLE México, Vogue México, and Mexico City's Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC).
In addition to directing commercials, he also helmed music videos for artists including Rubio, Elsa y Elmar, Porter, Vera Pedro, Los Retros, and Sofía Campos. In 2024, he was nominated for a Latin Grammy for Best Long Form Music Video for directing Rubio's "Nacimos Llorando."
"Nacimos Llorando was born partly out of my own anxieties and partly out of a desire to experiment with friends—to write something, work with actors, and watch words come alive," he told Schön Magazine. "For me, the best part of making art is starting something, finishing it, and then sharing it with the world—because that’s the only way you really see your own deficiencies tete-a-tete and get clarity on where you want to take your work and your voice...I’m still figuring out my voice and my style, and this film was just a photograph of that journey."
Benito (Fernando Cattori) and Belly (Lola Tung).
Cattori says that 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' was his most challenging role yet.
On the acting front, Cattori has starred in the Mexican films Untamed Royals, With You in the Future, and the yet-to-be-released Ceremonia. He's also set to appear in the upcoming Netflix Mexico film The Follies.
Of all his roles so far, Cattori told Schön that playing Benito on the romance series was his most challenging. "It was my first time acting in English, and while I speak it fluently, my brain still defaults to Spanish. Playing a character who thought and felt in another language was a huge shift," he said.
"On top of that, I knew the show was big, and I definitely put extra pressure on myself. Then there was the pace—I had only done films before…Television moves fast," he added. "You have to hit the spot, make decisions quickly, and trust them. That experience taught me precision and confidence—to stop overthinking and simply commit. Lola, for instance, is a brutal powerhouse of a performer; she’s just on point and never misses anything. She’s a lovely human being as well—love Lola."
Belly (Lola Tung, center) with her Paris friends, from left: Max (Jahz Armando), Gemma (Corinna Brown), Celine (Isaline Prévost Radeff), and Benito (Fernando Cattori).
Fernando Cattori and Lola Tung bonded over indie music and Addison Rae.
According to Cattori, he and Lola Tung became fast friends in Paris, bonding over music. "She’s a truly amazing human being, and she’s going to be huge, not just because of her talent but because of who she is," he told Schön.
"When we first met during the callback on Zoom, Lola was immediately the kindest presence....When I got to Paris, we bonded almost instantly over music—I’m obsessed with indie female singer-songwriters, and she is as well. We even bonded over Addison Rae—and were constantly doing the 'Diet Pepsi 'TikTok dance by this guy," he recalled. "From then on, we were basically singing and dancing whenever we had the chance. I’m sure it was a little annoying for the rest of the cast and crew, but it was so much fun…she really brought out the repressed musical-theatre kid in me."