TOO late, ladies - Moulin Rouge star Richard Roxburgh has announced his engagement to Italian stunner Silvia Colloca. YOU could call it love at first bite for the pair who just last year met in Prague on the set of horror flick Van Helsing, in which Roxburgh plays Count Dracula and Colloca is one Dracula's bloodthirsty brides.

While the NIDA graduate has been fliming Stealth in Sydney with his cocky co-star Jamie Foxx over the past few months, he chose a New York press conference for Van Helsing - which also stars Aussies Hugh Jackman as a monster hunter and David Wenham as his odd sidekick - to announce the happy news.

"It is true," Roxburgh shyly confirmed when quizzed by reporters about the romance rumours.

"There is a wedding coming up in September in Tuscany."

Colloca has been flashing a huge diamond ring on her left hand during a publicity tour in the US ahead of a worldwide release early next month.

"Only one got the engagement ring," Colloca giggled at media.

Van Helsing is Colloca's breakthrough international performance, although her mezzo-soprano voice has made her well-known in Italy for her musicals.

Roxburgh, who until two years ago was dating fellow NIDA graduate Miranda Otto, is best known for playing the villainous duke in Moulin Rouge.

After the wedding, the pair will divide their time between Sydney, Rome and London, Roxburgh said.

While Colloca said Italy will always be home, she scores brownie points for her view of Australia: "Australia . . . is the best place in the world," she said. "I loved Australia. And I'm picking up a bit of an Aussie accent."