Don’t miss everything Melissa Barrera told me, from what it was like to rise to fame, to which horror movie has scared her the most in her life.

Melissa Barrera ‘s artistic career continues to be enriched thanks to her undeniable talent. The artist, originally from Monterrey, Nuevo León, is currently considered one of the most internationally recognized Mexican actresses thanks to her participation in projects such as Keep Breathing , Club de Cuervos , Siempre tuya Acapulco , Scream 5 , Scream 6 and more. On the other hand, Your Monster, one of her most recent films, even took it to the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and they had to add new features because the film was a success and they achieved an epic sellout .

Despite having many accumulated achievements, Melissa Barrera still has big dreams to fulfill and is doing everything possible to achieve them, because in her own words, she is a “hard-working and dreamy” woman.

Don’t miss everything the actress told me, from what it was like to rise to fame, to which horror movie has scared her the most in her life.

Melissa Barrera: everything about the new star of the horror genre

What were the beginnings of your career like and with which project do you think you took the big leap to become one of the most recognized Latin actresses of the moment?

I started my career in theater, in Monterrey. It was when I did Romeo and Juliet , my first professional work, that I got paid. It was at that moment when I said ‘maybe I can do this for the rest of my life’, I thought maybe it was a viable way to live. From there I started doing a lot of theater. I don’t know what the big leap was, I think I have had many things in my life that I have felt are important advances and I think that is how it must always feel, so I don’t have a moment to tell you ‘that’s it’, because I don’t I have had no phenomenon. When I entered La Academia in Mexico in 2011 I felt that this was an important event because many opportunities came from there. Then when I wrote my first novel as a protagonist, which was ‘Siempre tuya Acapulco’, I also felt that it was a great opportunity and that maybe my life was going to change. And I don’t think it changed, but what does is that every thing that happens I think gives me more confidence in myself to continue fighting for more. Then when they gave me my first job in Los Angeles on the series ‘Vida’ I also said ‘I’ve already crossed the border, so from here onwards’. Then, ‘In The Heights’ was my first big studio movie with Warner Brothers in a major role, which was also a dream come true because it was also one of my favorite musicals. All of this is like when you are playing a video game and behind a door you find a key, that’s how I felt, it’s like leveling up at every opportunity.

Abigail , your new film, has just been released . How is this project different from the others you have participated in?

It is a very unique film in its genre, it is a very special mix of comedy and horror that makes it a very funny film for many people, not only for horror fans, but also for people who maybe don’t like it. a lot of horror but they laugh so much that they say ‘yes it’s the type of movie I like’. So in that sense the experience was very cool, and I think it is also an ensemble film, it is a project that has very few characters and they are all important. It was my first experience making a film like this and working with actors that I already admired from other projects, such as Angus Cloud, Kathryn Newton, Dan Stevens and Giancarlo Esposito.

You have become more and more involved in horror films, but as a viewer, do you enjoy watching films of this genre?

I really like horror movies, but there are certain things that I don’t like to watch, for example religious films, films about demonic possession and exorcisms. That’s what scares me the most, I think that because I grew up very Catholic, these are issues that I have a lot of respect for and I prefer not to see because I know I’m not going to sleep.

From classics to current films, what movie has scared you the most?

Saw . This movie made me avoid the horror genre for a long time. It was too graphic, the foot cut stuck in my mind, I did say ‘too much, this is not for me’. And I haven’t seen any of the other movies in this franchise, but I’m back to horror movies.

Let’s talk about Your Monster , how does this film, which was added to the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, renew typical love stories?

First of all, it is a love story with a monster, which is something that is not common, I mean we have Beauty and the Beast but the story of Your Monster is much deeper because it is a metaphor for self-love and falling in love with everything. what you are, from every part of your being. It is a film that mixes genres, romantic comedy, comedy and touches of horror, but as an independent film that it is, with a director who is a visionary, it is a film that cannot be easily classified into a single genre, but we have had a very good response . We were at Sundance in January and we even had to add screenings because they were all full and we were sold out.

What has been the role you have enjoyed playing the most throughout your career?

Just yesterday I was auditioning for another new project and I realized that usually the characters I enjoy playing are the ones that since I read the script I feel a connection with them and like I don’t even have to learn the lines. Like there is something that my body understands about the character and it makes my job much easier as an actress. That happened to me, it happened to me with Laura in ‘Your Monster’, with Liv in ‘Keep Breathing’ and with Chama in ‘All The World Is Sleeping’.

How do you define yourself not only as an actress, but as a woman? What are you like off screen?

I am a calm and very homely woman. I always prefer to stay at home with my dogs and my husband rather than go out to a party. I am very connected to my voice, that is, I always say what I think and raise my voice for myself, for the people I love, for the cause that matters to me. I have always been like that and throughout my life that has gotten me into trouble, but in the end it has always connected me with people who have become very good friends and very good opportunities have presented themselves to me. I am very defensive, I have a Robin Hood complex, I always like to defend people.

The exposure that celebrities have on social media is sometimes a double-edged sword, how do you use your fame to raise awareness and express yourself on topics that are relevant to you?

It is true that it is a double-edged sword for society, but I think it should not be like that, but only the fact that you can express your position, whether political or social, should be respected. There is this prejudice in society that you should not talk about politics and religion, and that has created a lot of fear and has caused many people who have power to believe they have the right to silence the voices of others. For me, if I’m not aligned with my values ​​and my perception of what is fair or unfair, and if I don’t externalize that, I don’t understand what the point is of having a platform of people following you. It has always been very important to me to use my platform to talk about the things that matter to me, because to be at peace with myself, I am going to speak out and raise my voice for the injustices I see in the world.

What is your general opinion on fame?

I think fame can also be a double-edged sword because it gives someone power and many times people don’t know what to do with that power, and when that happens that’s when it can become something negative. I think that you have to use the power that fame gives you not only for yourself, but also to help others. I am a very faithful believer that the more you give, the more you receive, so that is why I believe that there are celebrities who suffer a lot, who do not know what to do with their fame or who even fall into addictions. I feel that fame is energy, that if you don’t share it and if you don’t use it to do good, it eats away at you.

What is your biggest dream professionally?

Do a show on Broadway. Since I started acting and musical theater, that was like my biggest dream and it still is. I want to go back to the theater, I want to rehearse for something, I want to be in New York.

Which actor or actress is your biggest inspiration and why?

I really like actors and actresses who do something good with their platform, so I have always really liked how Angelina Jolie led her career, because now she also directs, but she has always been an ambassador of the United Nations and has been very conscious of the world’s inequalities and has used its global image to bring about a change for the better. That inspires me a lot. I also really like Meryl Streep, not only because of her talent as an actress, but also because she has never needed to be in the public eye, she does her job and lives her life in private and that is something that I love.

How do you define yourself in three words?

Hardworking, dreamy and fun.