Bridgerton star Rege-Jean Page and Little Mermaid actress Halle Bailey discuss the importance of diverse representation and their on-set chemistry in new romantic comedy You, Me & Tuscany
You, Me & Tuscany arrives in cinemas on Friday, April 10(Image: Copyright remains with handout provider)
When audiences witness two Black leads on screen, fully developed, sharing laughter, experiencing romance, simply living their lives…it resonates deeply with viewers who rarely encounter such powerful and authentic portrayals of Black love in cinema.
Halle Bailey and Rege-Jean Page are both well-versed in taking on groundbreaking projects that have left significant cultural marks on popular culture and propelled their respective careers forward.
This experience is precisely why they eagerly seized the chance to star in You, Me & Tuscany – a fresh studio rom-com produced by Will Packer, the mind behind Girls Trip.
“This movie is such a great representation of what it means to love and be in love, because you see the messiness of it all. It’s realistic,” explains 26 year old Halle, The Little Mermaid actress, who portrays Anna, a twentysomething woman drifting through life after giving up on her culinary aspirations.
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“All of that, but also the fact that all of [what] happens in this [film] takes place in a boundary-less environment. The reason I came on to this movie was [because] I wanted to see Halle Bailey specifically go out into a world that had no limits, no boundaries,” the 38 year old Bridgerton star Rege elaborates.
“I wanted her to buy a plane ticket. Go to Tuscany, enjoy the sun, enjoy the food, meet the perfect guy, have a found family situation where everyone just falls in love with her, the way they do in real life.
“I wanted audiences to see that happen for a black couple, because we don’t always see ourselves in those environments, and I want the rest of the world to live that experience through Halle. I think that’s important.”
You, Me & Tuscany centres on Anna, who finds herself without a house-sitting position – and consequently homeless – before a serendipitous meeting with Matteo, a gorgeous Italian bloke who just happens to own an unoccupied villa in Tuscany.
This prompts her to spontaneously book a flight to Italy, ignoring her best mate Claire’s warnings, and spend one unauthorised night at Matteo’s property.
However, when Matteo’s mum, Gabriella, unexpectedly turns up at the residence in a state of distress, Anna lets her assume she’s Matteo’s fiancée.
This seemingly harmless fib spirals into a major complication when Matteo’s cousin Michael, a winemaker portrayed by Page, arrives, and Anna finds a romance that might completely change her world.
“Anna is all over the place, but I love that about her, because I can see myself as a young woman. Sometimes I wonder what’s going on some days. Do I have it together? Do I not? Where am I going?” remarks the six-time Grammy Award–nominated artist Halle, who’s also recognised for her performance in The Colour Purple.
“It’s really beautiful to see her go through these trials, errors, mistakes, and white lies, and then ultimately meet people who bring out the best in her and show her what she always had within herself. And watching her do that for Michael’s character, too, I feel like there are so many nuggets to take away.”
Collaborating with Halle made the whole shoot genuinely pleasurable for Rege, who praises her for the “intrinsically sympathetic” manner in which she tackled Anna’s character.
“We balanced each other out really well. Halle’s sense of wonder, adventure and whimsy is so important for actors in general, but also, the way that she brings it lightens a set. The crew have a better time because she’s there. I have a better time because she’s there. It’s so disarming and charming. I’m taking notes,” explains Rege.
“Rege is super-focused and prepared. When he shows up on set, he’s got it together. But I’m a little bit more all over the place. I fly, I drift, or la di da,” reveals Halle.
“I really think I will adopt that and take those characteristics and traits from Rege, and try to bring them into my next project. It’s really cool to watch him work up close. And it works for our on-screen chemistry, because we were opposites coming together.”
You, Me & Tuscany was shot on location in Italy, which, for Rege, helped anchor its romantic atmosphere in authentic architecture, operational vineyards and centuries-old town squares.
“It was a joy filming in Tuscany; the environment doesn’t look real, so getting out of bed was not difficult. It motivates you to come in,” he says.
“I used to go on early morning runs because I had to be in shape for this movie. The sun’s usually coming up, the hills are rolling into the distance, the sunrise is unbelievable, and the wheat is blowing in the wind. Tuscany is really the third character in this movie, that’s why it’s called Me, You & Tuscany.
“This couldn’t have been shot on a Hollywood backlot. You can’t fake being around Italian people, eating the food – and the food doesn’t happen without the people and without the environment, because everyone’s making their own olive oil.
“The way people cook food has a whole generational family history behind it, so you’re immersing yourself and trying to take in all of those feelings, images, the real vineyard, the real sun, and get it on screen, too bring it home to you guys in the cinema.”
You, Me & Tuscany arrives in cinemas on Friday, April 10
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