Halle Bailey Talks Importance of Diversity In Rom-Coms

Halle Bailey is dishing on her new movie You, Me & Tuscany!

The 25-year-old singer and actress stars in the upcoming romantic comedy alongside Regé-Jean Page, and in a new interview to promote the film, she opened up about the importance of diversity in rom-coms with producer Will Packer.

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“I think for me it’s essential. This is not a movie for one particular audience. It’s a movie for every audience. And because the leads happen to be Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page, that doesn’t mean it’s not for everybody. That’s what’s important. And so the fact that you had these two beautiful brown people in, you know, the Tuscan hillsides in a backdrop you don’t always see people that look like Halle and like Regé in those environments. That’s why I had to do it. That’s why I wanted to do it,” Will said on SiriusXM Sway in the Morning LA Studio Session.

“It’s a universal story. It is a story that a lot of people can relate to. And romantic comedies, they are great. Usually they’re universally themed. They’re things that anybody can relate to. And so it felt, it was very important for me to have these people to bring us into a world that perhaps you haven’t been to, haven’t seen before, but they’re our POV into the world because that’s what tells people,” he said. “Imagery is so important. It’s one of the reasons I’m a filmmaker. It tells people how you should feel when you meet people, how you should judge people, how you should not judge people, not prejudge people. So, these were just two humans who, like a lot of humans, hopefully will fall in love and have an incredible journey. And why not have somebody that looks like our two leads? That was what was important to me, saying it without saying it without saying it.”

Halle added, “Absolutely. Yeah. I couldn’t agree more. And it’s a big part of what I feel like I choose to do now in my career. I just, I want to be a part of projects where I see myself. Like, it’s so important for us to see ourselves especially as beautiful Black people. Like, we need to know that I can do that. I can be there. I can pursue this and I’m welcome here and I’m here to stay, you know.”

“And I think it was a part of, maybe it started from [The Little] Mermaid where it’s like this spark of like, ‘Okay, even if you necessarily don’t think I’m supposed to be in this position or this role, like, I am supposed to be here and I’m going to show you.’ And we are important and I don’t know, it like heals something in the little girl in me,” the actress continued. “And also it’s fun to watch us experience love and joy and be happy and not suffering and like just fun. So that’s why I was grateful to be a part of it and it’s definitely a big part of what I choose to do now, especially because I realize the impact that it has on us, especially children. Like, it’s really cool.”

If you missed it, Halle and Regé hit the red carpet at the movie’s premiere in London this week.

You, Me & Tuscany is scheduled to hit theaters on April 10th. Watch the trailer here!