'It's an exhausting experience': Hollywood star's dating advice and the green flags to look out for

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar nominee Monica Barbaro might be happily coupled up with actor Andrew Garfield but she's all too aware of the "exhausting experience" dating can be for some people.

It's something that she explores in her new movie, Crime 101, opposite Chris Hemsworth as they have a very cringeworthy start to their first date.

Hemsworth's character Davis is doing his best to impress but it backfires completely, with Barbaro telling nine.com.au there's a lesson in it – especially ahead of Valentine's Day.

"I think authenticity is number one," she says in London.

"I think if you're shrouding parts of your personality behind trying to project some sort of perfectionistic image of yourself, you're gonna find yourself disappointed in that relationship.

"Because I think people who can't be their authentic selves, ultimately, it's an exhausting experience to try to pretend you're somebody else for so long. So yeah, I think show up."

Barbaro says she admires the "strength" her character Maya has and the way she handles that particular situation.

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"I really admire the way Maya navigates their first date," Barbaro tells nine.com.au.

"Because she's sort of like, 'I don't want to waste anyone's time. This doesn't feel really right, it's not my thing - it might be your thing, that's fine, but I'm gonna go' and I love that."

"I love that she has the strength to do that. So, take a note from Maya, I guess."

Barbaro - who skyrocketed to fame in Top Gun: Maverick before earning her Oscar nomination for A Complete Unknown - began dating Garfield in early 2025.

Since then, they've largely kept their relationship under wraps.

They were first spotted together at a LA party in January before being photographed attending a London play together in February.

However, they only made their first public appearance together in July, attending Wimbledon.

Garfield is notoriously private and previously said in an interview with Esquire magazine that he "won't ever, speak about or confirm or deny anything about my personal life with anyone, ever".

However, the woman he was last linked to – spiritual advisor Dr Kate Tomas – confirmed the end of their relationship in October 2024 in an Instagram post, saying "we broke up months ago".

The Spiderman star's also previously been linked to Rita Ora, Emma Stone and Phoebe Dynevor.

Prior to dating Garfield, Barbaro was linked to American actor Connor Tillman.

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