The industry told Jessica Marchi her accent was a problem. She made it the whole brand.
After years of being told that being Italian would limit her opportunities, she created @theitalianceo and did the exact opposite of everything she’d been advised. More Italian. Louder accent. Zero apology. The account now has 2.3 million followers and hundreds of millions of views, she just shot her first leading role in a romantic comedy in Italy, and she’s developing a web series, a sitcom, and an action-comedy feature — all of her own making.
She moved from Italy to Australia at 15. She moved from Australia to Los Angeles in 2024. She has been moving ever since.
How did your creator journey begin?
I had been told by people in the industry that because I was Italian, I wouldn’t be able to get certain opportunities and certain roles. So I created the account — and I’m going to do the opposite of what they told me to do. They told me not to act Italian; I’m going to be more Italian. They told me I shouldn’t have an accent; I will put it on even more. That’s kind of how that happened.
What was your first viral moment?
Teaching people how to speak Italian properly. How to say bruschetta. How to say gnocchi. That was initially when I started to pop off. There was also a video with a friend where he plays my boyfriend and I teach him how to say Italian words. That one did well too.
What advice would you give yourself when you were just getting started?
Keep going. Just keep going. Don’t stop. It’s gonna happen. No one’s going to believe in you more than you believe in yourself, and no one’s gonna work for you harder than you’re gonna work for yourself. Keep going. Keep grinding. Keep hustling.
Watch her full episode here.