Scott Foley is officially embracing his romance era. The Scandal alum shared that it’s been over two decades since he starred in a true rom-com, but that changes with Netflix’s upcoming Valentine’s Day film La Dolce Villa.
In the movie, Foley plays Eric Field, a former chef turned businessman who travels to Italy to stop his daughter Olivia (Maia Reficco) from renovating a run-down villa. Along the way, sparks may fly with the town’s mayor, Francesca, portrayed by Violante Placido.
“It’s been since, I don’t know, maybe A.U.S.A. [in 2003]?” Foley, 52, tells. “It’s so strange because I feel like I fit the genre perfectly, and for whatever reason, I’m never that guy. And this was so fun to be that guy for a minute.”
In the exclusive trailer, Eric frets over Olivia’s renovation plans while having several charming and humorous interactions with Francesca, all set against the backdrop of beautiful Italian landscapes.
“We filmed basically all of March and April of 2024 for about five weeks in and around Rome, and then we filmed for two and a half, three weeks in these little villages in Tuscany,” Foley recalls.
“I’d been to Rome once while shooting Whiskey Cavalier [in Prague], but to spend so much time there… was really special. I’d get off work and walk for hours just soaking it all in.”
In the trailer, Eric attempts to speak some Italian, and three local women poke fun at him. Foley admits he doesn’t speak the language fluently, though he made an effort when out and about.
“I’d try to use it when I was on the streets of Rome, ordering pizza or getting gelato,” he says. “I thought I was doing better than I actually was. I can do my best ‘buongiorno’ and try to roll the R’s, but they’d just look at me like, ‘Yeah, what do you want?'”
Foley had a great Italian scene partner to help him through it in Placido.
“I know one of the key aspects of the film was that my love interest had to be Italian, someone who could embody that energy, and man, she had it in spades,” he says.
“She has this presence that just feels quintessentially Italian. And she was so much fun to work with.”
The Felicity star was also excited to work alongside Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin actress Reficco, especially after his daughter gave her the seal of approval.
“When they told me who she was, I was literally looking her up, and I must’ve said her name out loud. My 15-year-old daughter immediately said, ‘Oh yeah, I know her.'”
But it wasn’t just his daughter’s approval that impressed Foley. “She was great. She went above and beyond,” he says. “She’s incredibly talented, kind, professional, and so young.”
The two have stayed in touch, and Foley and La Dolce Villa director Mark Waters even went to see Reficco perform in Hadestown on Broadway, where they were both blown away. “She’s so talented, truly,” Foley adds.
Another prominent character in the film is the villa itself, which Olivia buys for just one Euro, with the promise to restore it.
This “1-Euro home” initiative is a real program aimed at economic redevelopment in rural Italian towns with an aging population. Foley, who is an avid woodworker, is drawn to the concept.
“I’m all over it,” he says. “The only reason I didn’t buy one is because my wife was like, ‘I will kill you.’ But I love the idea.”
For now, though, Foley is thoroughly enjoying his “dreamy” Italian movie moment. “This was fun, light, and set in Italy,” he says. “I was so thrilled to get to do it.” La Dolce Villa will be available to stream on Netflix starting February 13.
