‘La Dolce Villa’ Movie Cast And Character Guide

Directed by Mark Waters, La Dolce Villa, the 2025 Netflix rom-com, is the story of a father who turns up in Italy in pursuit of his young daughter, who wants to buy a house. With a close-knit cast, La Dolce Villa moves like a Tuscany romance, replete with vintage villas, charming medieval streets, wine and gelato, and a grand fresco. A new addition to the array of Valentine’s Day rom-coms, La Dolce Villa is surely going to make your heats a lot more merry.

Scott Foley as Eric

As the well-meaning but anxious father in La Dolce Villa, we get to see American actor and director Scott Foley. Foley has been a part of the slasher franchise Scream as Roman Bridger. He has also starred in multiple TV shows like Felicity, Scandal, and Scrubs. The 2014 American black comedy, Let’s Kill Ward’s Wife, is the sole directorial venture of Foley. As a misfit, business-minded American in a laid-back Italian village, Scott Foley manages to make his character look confused. The film starts with his disdain for his impromptu trip to Italy in search of his daughter. Following his wife’s death, he has grown distant from his young daughter, but it is clear that the two care for each other. Eric rekindles his romantic life as he grows close to Francesca, the local mayor. It is the progression of their romance that lies at the heart of the story of La Dolce Villa. We see Eric trying to play it cool but also messing it up and then giving up midway. 

Violante Placido as Francesca

Did you know Violante Piacido co-starred in a Hindi film, Barah Ana (2009), with Naseeruddin Shah and Vijay Raaz? Piacido is an accomplished actor and singer. She has acted in several Italian films, like Jack Frusciante Left the Band, Soul Mate, and Now or Never, to name a few from her early years. With George Clooney, she appeared in an action thriller film, The American. In La Dolce Villa, Violante plays the role of the ‘micromanaging’ mayor of Montezara, a quaint, sleepy town in Italy. After her husband passed away, Francesca stepped in as the mayor in an effort to rebuild Motezara. She is the one who encourages Olivia to commit to the ‘One-Euro Villa.’ Initially, Eric and Francesca do not really get along as the former feels that the mayor has been trying to dupe his daughter. Slowly, as they both drop their guard, they find out that they have more in common than they would like to believe. Francesca is just as confused about her newfound romance as Eric is about starting a new life in an unfamiliar land.

Maia Reficco as Olivia

With her role as Kally Ponce in the Nickelodeon original Kally’s Mashup, Maia Reficco has established her name as an emerging Gen Z star. To this, one might add her other accomplishments, which include Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin and the Netflix original Do Revenge, starring Maya Hawke. In La Dolce Villa, Maria brings the same youthful energy in a story about her father’s new shot at romance. In fact, Olivia has a budding relationship with a local chef, Giovanni, too, but that is not as important in the narrative. After her mother’s sudden demise, Maria takes off to Italy without any prior notice. She wants to build her life in the country, a country that reminds her of her mother. Olivia is ambitious and unafraid, rarely displaying any sign of exhaustion in the face of the chaos of owning and renovating an old villa. As Olivia acknowledges her mother’s presence acting as a bridge between the father and the daughter, she also wonders if the disconnect is solely her father’s fault. She has an innate sense of maturity, which becomes clear as she traverses the changing dynamics of her bond with her father. 

Nunzia Schiano, Luisa De Santis, and Lucia Ricalzone as the ‘Nonna-influencers’

The comic stock figures are the three old women seated around the fountain of the town square. They have all the latest gossip up their sleeves and know the town like the back of their hands. Initially, they are hostile towards the new American, but we also see them encourage Eric to pursue Francesca. However, by the end of the film, Eric develops an easy bonhomie with the three women when he invites them over to teach at his cooking school. He assures them that their food will make them popular and help gain them the status of ‘grandinfluencers’ or ‘Nonna-influencers,’ ‘nonna’ being the Italian for grandmother. 

In the final act, with the help of the three, Francesca manages to get the major conflict resolved and stops Eric from leaving Italy. In addition to these characters, the film also features Giuseppe Futia as Giovanni, the local chef, and Olivia’s love interest. Tommaso Basili plays the role of Bernardo, a plotting property surveyor who is in love with Francesca. We see Simone Luglio in the role of Nino. As Eric’s business partner, Zola, Giselle LeBleu Gant makes brief appearances.