Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner Sang On Screen and Ran Around NYC for One Night Only
The two stars talk building chemistry and the joy of returning to the movies on the latest episode of the Seen on the Screen Podcast.
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If there’s a hard road, chances are actress Monica Barbaro is going to take it. “I was told a story about myself as a child; my family, we were going on a hike and for some reason, every time there was a boulder, I would walk over it as opposed to going around it,” Barbaro tells Seen on the Screen host Jacqueline Coley. “It sounds really stupid, but it is a very good way of describing how I tackle life.”
Case in point: In her upcoming movie, One Night Only, Barbaro chose to do all her own stunts, so to speak — which, in the case of her character Allie, meant actually singing, playing the piano, and, in one particular scene, serenading onlookers in a crowd. “It’s a very scary thing,” Barbaro says of the scene.
For fans of the Top Gun: Maverick star, who most recently played folk singer Joan Baez in the 2024 movie A Complete Unknown, the actress’s vocal chops won’t come as much of a surprise, and the same can be said for her co-star, Callum Turner. “She’s so committed to that part; and she’s got a beautiful voice,” Turner adds.
In One Night Only, Barbaro and Turner play Allie and Owen, two singles in the seemingly near future who meet on the one night of the year that pre-marital sex is legal. It’s a fresh take on the epidemic of single people, and an unexpected premise from romantic comedy director Will Gluck, the mind behind 2010’s Easy A, 2023’s Anyone But You, and 2011’s Friends with Benefits.
Integral to Gluck’s story and the film is the chemistry between Barbaro and Turner, whose characters spend much of the movie in opposition. “They’re not after each other, so there’s a freedom,” Turner says. “They’re not looking at each other thinking,‘This is the person.’ They’re actually on different quests. And when they find each other, they’re not interested in the other person, and that allows you the freedom to expose who you really are to the other person.”
For Turner, the key to this chemistry on screen was the bonding the actors did off, spending two weeks together rehearsing. “We also just inherently trusted each other as actors,” Barbaro adds, “so knew we were showing up with a certain level of safety, and then knowing Will understands comedy so well.”
And it’s this chemistry that will draw viewers — both fans and non-fans of rom-coms alike — to the theater. Which is what both Turner and Barbaro are hoping for. Speaking to a recent Fandango survey that showed younger generations, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, are driving theatrical momentum, Turner noted how beautiful this shift is. “It’s so funny how, not that [cinema] lost its way, but it’s found a new audience through not wanting to be on the phones or an escape from that, a space that’s safe for them to concentrate on one thing,” Turner says, “rather than the whole constant barrage of attack on your senses.”
It’s a feeling the actors themselves can relate to, just how special it is to see a movie in theaters. “I remember seeing Wedding Crashers in theaters,” Barbaro says. “I remember seeing all kinds of comedies and having that really land and feeling buzzy, going home like, ‘That was a really fun time.’”
Meaning moviegoers should see One Night Only the way it was truly meant to be — on the big screen. “For One Night Only, you will only have the experience of sitting in the room, surrounded by people, witnessing it for the first time,” Barbaro adds. Just don’t expect Turner to sing.
Check out the full Seen on the Screen podcast episode above to hear Barbaro and Turner talk about filming One Night Only, watching their movies with audiences, and their favorite rom-coms. One Night Only lands in theaters on August 7. Buy tickets now on Fandango.
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Seen on the Screen is a Universal Entertainment and Fandango podcast series hosted by Jacqueline Coley, Awards Editor at Rotten Tomatoes.
Claim your ticket to witness the personal narratives happening behind the scenes of film and entertainment! Each episode invites you into intimate conversations with filmmakers, actors, and industry insiders. Blending sharp cinematic trivia with thoughtfully crafted interview questions, Jacqueline leads each guest through a rich, reflective journey into their lifelong relationship with entertainment. From the formative movie‑going experiences that shaped their artistic worldview to their career‑defining moves — asking them to reflect on the films that have rocked their world, scared the daylights out of them, and changed them forever.
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