Did you know that the last black-led rom-com to hit the big screen was you, me and tuscany Was think like a Man Back in 2012? Fourteen years.
Let it sit for a second. And yet here we are in 2026 with a black-led rom-com produced by Will Packer, set in Tuscany, starring Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page, and playing its way into theaters across the United States. So yes, we showed up. And yes, we have ideas.
Because while the film offers romance and escapism, it also quietly addresses something Hollywood is still struggling with: Plus size representation in film.
However, before we get into that, context matters.
The film that had to punch above its weight
a few weeks ago you, me and tuscany opened, filmmaker Nina Lee shared something that made people stop mid-scroll.
She revealed that she met with a studio about her already finished rom-com and was told they would not buy it until they saw how it turned out. you, me and tuscany Exhibited. She met with another executive about a different script and heard the same thing. “A movie that has nothing to do with me could literally change my life,” he wrote.
1. I met with a studio about a romantic comedy I already shot and they won’t buy it until
They see how you, me and tuscany do2. I had an executive meet with me about a romance script until they bought it.
They see how you, me and tuscany do3. Go see this movie!
– Nina Lee (@NinaSerafina) 25 March 2026
The studios were waiting to see how this movie Other rom-coms were screened before decisions were made. Not those movies. Not connected projects.
Just…this one.
A film carries the weight of an entire genre.
Within 24 hours, his post took off and sparked a conversation that always felt like it was meant to be. Year First. Why does a Black-led rom-com have to prove feasibility to everyone else?
And yet, the message beneath it was clear.
come.
as Will Packer keep it“Hollywood watches and then they react. You vote with your dollars.”
The stakes were real, the conversation was necessary, and that whole “there’s room for everyone” energy? There’s still a lot on the table.
A Black-Led Rom-Com That Actually Delivered
As a black woman who has been learning Italian for 506 days and counting, spending those evenings doing Duolingo and daydreaming about the cobblestone streets in Florence, this film was already personal.
Nina Lee conversation? It added a little more intention to my solo theater date.
And I’m happy to report: it delivered.
you, me and tuscany Anna, played by Halle Bailey, is a young cook who arrives at a Tuscan villa and falls into an unexpected romance with Michael, played by Regé-Jean Page.
Chemistry is easy. The settings are exactly what you want. And Halle really nailed something beautiful about reaching for more when you’re not sure how to ask for it yet.
But let’s be real for a second.
The character that the entire theater reacted to?
Francisa.
Enter Stella Pecolo
by sport Stella PecoloFrancesca is Marcelo’s cousin. She appears in every scene dressed in the most joyful, anarchic, whimsical manner. She is loud in the best sense of the word. He’s funny without trying to be.
He immediately reminded me of my favorite cousin who doesn’t check if it’s the right moment before making you cry laughing. The audience around me also felt it. I could hear them.
So naturally, we had to talk to Stella.
TCF sits down with Stella Pekal
stella peclow Is an Italian actress and singer who has made a career in Italy, the UK and now the United States. She’s a body-positive advocate, author, and, as it turns out, a woman who, in about a four-minute conversation, makes you feel like you’ve known her forever.
From Italy, with pleasure
Stella Pecolo’s journey in entertainment started early.
“Singing was my first passion. I’ve probably been singing since I was born,” she told us with a laugh.
She started acting when she was around 15 or 16, and the two have been together ever since. He said, “I’ve done short films, theatre, plays, musical theater and then it became more serious. Movies, feature films, TV series, leading roles.”
He has worked primarily in Italy, spent years in the UK and has now made his mark on American audiences you, me and tuscany. And the response has been excellent.
She was a com in romcom. i love him https://t.co/S1yrpiUIoh
– Supernova Momma (@SupernovaMomma) 12 April 2026
And if there’s one thing she keeps coming back to, it’s this:
Pleasure.
“I’m getting a lot of messages from people. They tell me I make them laugh. And that’s what we need all the time and especially right now. Happiness.”
Say it louder, Stella.
How did Francesa find him?
This is where it gets good, because the story of how Stella got the role of Francesca is almost as delightful as the character herself.
Director Cat Coiro was deep in pre-production in Rome when she sat down with the film’s Oscar-nominated costume designer, Massimo Cantini Parrini. They were still looking to fill some roles when they pulled up Stella’s Instagram and said, essentially, what about her? “She said, ‘Oh my God, she looks perfect for this role. Let me audition her,'” Stella told us.
After sending two auditions for two different roles, she received a response within 24 hours. “When this thing happens, you just know it’s going to be magical.”
On their first Zoom call, Coiro said something that stuck. “He said to me, ‘I’m so glad you’re Italian, but you also understand the comedic timing of an American script.’ Because every country’s comedy timing is different, and I’ve become so used to watching American comedy that it’s probably ingrained in me by now.”
However, what set this collaboration apart was what happened next. Instead of handing Stella the final script and sending her on her way, Coiro opened up the stage.
“She immediately started a conversation where she wanted my feedback on the role, on all the Italian things in the film. She really wanted everything to be authentic.”
That kind of directorial generosity is not common. And what did Stella do with that invitation? This is where it gets really good.
Flipping the Script on Plus Size Representation in Film
This is where Stella Pecolo’s impact goes beyond performance to directly changing the conversation around plus size representation in film.
Stella Pecolo is a body positive advocate and activist, and she brought that part of herself straight into the room when she sat down with Coiro to discuss Francesca’s story. An early draft of the script featured Francesca’s husband potentially cheating on her. Stella didn’t like it.
“I don’t like the idea of playing a woman who has that kind of journey, especially with my body type,” she said. “And she was like, ‘You know what, I completely agree with you.'”
He wrote it again. Together. From the beginning. The plumber subplot that audiences enjoyed? That wasn’t in the original script. “The director and I built it from the ground up because she was listening to me and gave me the opportunity to express my concerns regarding the representation of my role as a woman and as a plus-size woman.”
For anyone who has seen plus-size women in film become the butt of jokes, the heartbroken best friend, or the character whose weight is the focal point of the entire story, this makes sense.
vice president As noted in an article on plus size rom-com representation, we’re still waiting for Hollywood to consistently get this right. Francesca is proof that it’s possible.
“The movie never mentioned anything about my size, my body,” Stella shared. “My character enjoys food, she enjoys passion, she enjoys life, she’s full of life, bubbly… and that’s it. She’s just a woman living her life.”
A woman living her life.
not a joke.
No lesson.
not change.
Just…surviving.
We love watching it.
clothes make cousins
You can’t talk about Francesa without talking about the wardrobe. Massimo Cantini Parrini designed every look, and the result is an on-screen wardrobe that’s an entire mood. Whenever Francesca comes into the room, the colors are doing something. The patterns are saying something. Energy is not negotiable.
Stella’s personal favorite? The yellow floral dress Francesca wears for the first time when she meets Hayley’s character in the kitchen. “It’s short. It has a nice V-neck. And it’s comfortable, too, which helps because you film for hours and hours in those clothes.”
But what really made the wardrobe worthwhile was how much of it Stella already owned outside of the set. “I spent years hiding myself in black clothes, with no colors, with no patterns, so I could look thin,” she said. “I’m going to do the opposite now. And Francesca, same. Enjoying colors and patterns and joy.”
there is. Francesca was not just a character. That was an announcement.
“Io sono bella”: the book that started it all
Stella Pecolo’s work in this field did not begin here you, me and tuscany.
Away from the screen, Stella has been doing this work for years. In 2020, he published a memoir in Italy named io sono bellaWhich translates to “I am beautiful.” The book covers her journey toward self-acceptance, love, food, relationships, and the eating disorder she encountered along the way.
Bring it! The editor of a publishing house read an interview with Vanity Fair Italy that he had given during the filming of an Italian TV series. His pitch? Your story deserves to be told. Stella’s reaction? it is already. She was preparing a one-woman show on the same subjects, and had the material there, ready to go.
She is now working towards bringing this book to an English-speaking audience. And his argument about why it’s needed now is a hit. “They’re trying to sell us all these new products to help us lose weight,” she said. “And yes, this is a discussion we still need to have.”
She also clarified that this book is not just for plus size women. “Every person has some kind of insecurities about their body and they need to understand that that’s okay. We’re not perfect. No one is perfect.”
No one is perfect. this is a song. But this is also absolutely true.
what’s coming next
There are projects in the works that Stella has yet to name, but she shared that she is currently writing two screenplays inspired by io sono bellaCollaborating with writers in both Italy and the United States. “It’s also a challenge to write in a language that is not my native language,” he said. “So it’s very exciting, very exciting.”
And yes. He’s heard calls for a sequel you, me and tuscany. We’ve all heard them. On threads, on TikTok, in group chats. People are already planning a trilogy.
“Fingers crossed,” Stella said.
Fingers crossed indeed.
will
When asked what she wanted to leave behind, Stella didn’t hesitate.
It didn’t take long for Stella to reply.
“The main legacy I want to leave is for people, especially women, to really love themselves deeply before anything else. When I see a woman becoming the best version of herself, not because she’s on a diet, but because she’s started loving herself, to me, that’s the most beautiful thing in life.”
If Francesca is any measure of what Stella Pecolo brings to every room she walks into, the world is lucky she decided to bring herself into this room.
you, me and tuscany In theaters now. Go check it out. Go watch it again. And while you’re at it, follow Stella Pecolo on Instagram and keep your eye on everything she does.
