Monica Barbaro is one of Hollywood’s most in-demand actors of the moment, thanks to her breakout roles in A Complete Unknown (which earned her a best supporting actress Oscar nod last year) and Top Gun: Maverick. And now, her star is only continuing to rise. This summer, Barbaro enters her rom-com era, starring in One Night Only opposite Callum Turner—and she also begins shooting the Ocean’s prequel alongside Margot Robbie and Bradley Cooper. Barbaro? More like Booked and busy.
In One Night Only, releasing this Friday, Barbaro and Turner deliver an interesting twist on the classic rom-com tale: In the film, the two stars portray New Yorkers in search of love on the one night of the year when premarital is legal. “Honestly, my first thought when I heard the premise was that it was absurd,” Barbaro tells Vogue. “But then I read the script, and it was so funny, and made me immediately curious about the world they were going to build.”
It’s certainly not your classic romance tale. For Barbaro, she was drawn to the film’s subversive take on modern dating realities. “Of course the stakes are heightened, because it’s all packed into one night, but it’s essentially what people go through dating all the time,” says Barbaro. “When they are looking for connection, and feeling the pressure of opening their heart to someone, being vulnerable, the pain and frustration when that doesn’t work out, and then having to pick themselves up and try again.” (In real life, however, Barbaro does not need to worry about such trials and tribulations: She is currently dating Andrew Garfield.)
One of her favorite elements of working on the project, naturally, was finding that on-screen chemistry with Turner—a must for any two rom-com stars. “I had such a great time working with Callum,” says Barbaro. “He has a nice ease about him, but also really cares about the work. It was so fun watching him take risks on this movie—he has a willingness to try things without knowing how they’re going to turn out, which is a wonderful quality in an acting partner.” This included everything from making pizza together to having impromptu dance parties. “One of my favorite days was when we were filming at the Little Red Lighthouse,” Barbaro says. “We were up on the top, with the George Washington Bridge above us, just dancing and being so silly.”
