Eloise Mumford Reveals the Taylor Swift Tip She Used While Filming New Rom-Com

When in Rome…follow Taylor Swift’s lead! Actress Eloise Mumford says she tapped into a little wisdom from the jet-setting superstar when she spent five weeks in Italy filming Hallmark Channel’s “Villa Amore,” premiering on June 21, 2025.

“I once heard Taylor Swift say jet lag is a choice, and so that’s my new mantra,” Mumford told The Happy Place blog. “That and getting sun on the back of my knees during the day, and forcing myself to sleep only at night. It helped, too, that Italy is the espresso capital of the world!”

Co-starring with “When Calls The Heart” leading man Kevin McGarry, Mumford’s “Villa Amore” is the first movie produced by Joanna Garcia Swisher’s company, The Happy Place. To celebrate, they published an interview with Mumford on June 19 about what it was like making the movie in Rome.

Eloise Mumford Says Working in Rome Was an ‘Absolute Dream’

According to Hallmark’s synopsis of the new movie, Mumford’s character, Liara, “goes to Italy and impulsively buys the villa where her parents met. She soon learns she is in way over her head and must ask a lawyer-turned-handyman to help her renovate.”

Mumford, whose Hallmark credits include 2021’s “The Baker’s Son” and 2023’s “Sweeter Than Chocolate,” told The Happy Place that the last time she’d been in Rome was as a teenager and getting to return for five weeks was “an absolute dream.”

“One of the best things about being an actor is getting to pretend you’re a local while filming, and getting to do that in Rome was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” she said.

To take Swift’s advice to heart and not succumb to jet lag, Mumford told The Happy Place that among her must-have travel items were “slippers to make anywhere feel like home” and “a playlist that gets me in the local mood.” She also visited “lots of vintage stores and cafes” and would had tips from other travelers “pre-saved on a map” with “a reminder to myself that smiling and kindness crosses any language barrier.”

Mumford’s mom tagged along for much of the shoot, she said, and “would go to the local butcher and little markets while I was at work and so I would come home at night, exhausted, to the most delightful home cooked meals of whatever local ingredients she gathered. They were not just delicious, but so, so full of love.”

Eloise Mumford & Kevin McGarry Loved the Team They Worked With in Italy

Mumford also told The Happy Place blog that she felt fortunate while filming “Villa Amore” that the team of producers and actors we were with swiftly became friends, which meant that I got to be there with a group of people I really love.”

In addition to hitting it off with McGarry, she told The Happy Place that she signed on as soon as she found out the director was Clare Niederpruem, whom she worked with on the 2021 Hallmark movie “One December Night.” Niederpruem has lots of experience directing many Hallmark movies filmed in Europe, too, including “Savoring Paris,” “A Pinch of Portugal,” and “As Luck Would Have It,” which starred Swisher.

Mumford said, “The second I saw she was directing this, I knew I was very lucky to get to work with her again.”

Swisher echoed Mumford’s sentiments on The Happy Place’s Instagram account on June 19, writing, “We shot this project in the heart of Italy with an incredible team (and yes, it was just as dreamy as it sounds). I couldn’t be prouder of the story we’ve told—or the people who helped bring it to life.”

Meanwhile, in early May, McGarry said on the Suspenders Unbuttoned podcast that Mumford was “fantastic” and that “the team was really great.” He couldn’t say much at the time about the movie, but did note that although his character still looks “very Hallmark-y in the plaid,” all of his wardrobe was authentically Italian-made clothing.

“Villa Amore” premieres on Hallmark Channel on June 21 at 8 p.m. Eastern time and will be available to stream on Hallmark+ the next day.