Melissa Barrera On Playing A Spy In 'Copenhagen', Wanting To Direct A Romance Film, Her Love For Chappell Roan & More

Melissa Barrera has become one of the most recognizable scream queens in recent years, by portraying final girls in horror films such as 'Scream', 'Abigail' & 'Your Monster'. The way she stood unshaken in the face of intimidation proved she was just as strong and courageous in real life.

We were lucky to chat with Melissa Barrera about her career, Palestine solidarity, her upcoming Peacock thriller series, her love for artists who champion the same causes as Chappell Roan & Guy Pearce and more.

You recently starred in 'Your Monster' which started as a Sundance entry and later became a streaming hit on MAX. Did you expect an indie feature to achieve all that success?

I've learned now to not expect anything anymore because when movies come out, you never really know what's going to happen. There's just so many factors that come into play so I'm kind of just trying to focus on my experience of making a movie because that's my job, that's why I'm in this business, that's why I love doing what I do, getting to be on set, creating a character.

I've learned to just kind of let it go when it's out of my hands but it's always obviously very nice when people find it and can relate to it and share it and connect with the story and the characters. It's always nice when your work gets seen.

'Your Monster' was Caroline Lindy's directorial debut. Is it easy for you to trust first time directors?

I mean, I love working with first time directors. I've done it a few times now. I think there's something really special when you have an exciting new voice that is daring to do something different and there's obviously always a risk in, you know, doing a movie with a first-time director but I would argue that it's the same risk that they're taking by giving me the role.

We got to trust each other and when you have a writer/director, which was the case of Your Monster, and the vision is so specific on the page, then you know they're going to do a great job directing because it's their words, it's their story, it's their baby and it just makes sense for them to direct it so to me, it was a no brainer. I had seen some of Caroline's shorts and they were just all amazing, so I knew that she was very talented, and I was excited to be a part of her first film.

'Your Monster' sheds light on the way women can be mistreated in the theater industry. How similar was your experience to the main character, Laura Franco?

Similar enough that I've ran into people like Jacob before. That's part of the reason that I left Mexico. I was kind of tired of constantly being told that my name didn't have enough value to be the lead of something by myself so I was constantly being paired with someone famous to share a role in theater specifically so I would have to alternate roles with someone that had a bigger name because that's sometimes how the industry is. They need to sell tickets, and they think that a bigger name is going to do that.

And so, I was just tired of being made to feel like I wasn't worthy or good enough by myself for certain roles and I think that's kind of what Laura goes through in the movie. She develops this character and basically builds it with Jacob and then, in the end, hey give it to someone famous and they ask her to be the understudy. So yeah, it's a really real think that happens in both film, TV and theater.

I think the bigger message of the movie is this idea of women constantly being belittled and made to feel like their voices are too much that they should repress a lot of what they're feeling and keep it inside and be polite and be nice and be of service and not complain too much and all of these things that just society has imposed on women.

We're currently waiting for your upcoming Peacock spy thriller series 'Copenhagen'. What can we expect from your character 'Michelle'?

Honestly, I don't know what to say about this character. It's such an interesting role and she's very serious throughout the entire show. It was interesting because I wasn't given a lot to work with on the page, like I wasn't giving a lot of her story. I had to fill in a lot of the blanks myself and it was fun because she's a character unlike anyone I've ever played. I love spy shows and spy movies. I kind of grew obsessed with alias when I was a teenager.

So, I always wanted to play a spy like that. It's a very cool show; I think it's a very unique take on the spy genre. There's some cool action stuff that I got to do, a lot of hand-to-hand combat which was super fun and it's a really big ensemble cast with great actors. It's the kind of show that you need to pay attention to. There's a lot going on. 'Copenhagen' isn't even the title of the show. But yeah, it's a cool project I'm very grateful that I'm part of it.

You said you have to fill in a lot of the blanks of Michelle. I believe you did the same for Sam Carpenter in Scream 6. How was that like?

In the fifth movie, the first Scream that I did, it was after 11 years, and you have all the originals that you have to give space to their stories and then you have all these new characters that you have to give space to their stories. It just kind of amounts to less time to get to know anyone new and I really wanted to make sure that in the sixth movie, that we had more time with Sam and Tara, that we really got to know them so that we could solidify their relationship with the fans, so that fans were gonna be on board with their storyline and with them as characters in the franchise.

I really just wanted more to peel back layers to Sam so that audiences could connect. Because I felt like in the fifth movie, it was hard to connect with her because we didn't have the time. In the sixth movie, I had that concern, and they also shared that concern so we had a lot of conversations about how we can add little things in scenes.

Did you do your own stunts in Copenhagen?

Yeah, most of them, they don't let me do some of the dangerous stuff that I could get hurt, you know. Some of the big falls or getting thrown across the room, something like that, they don't let me do that. And I had an amazing stunt double, Anna, that's been doing that stuff. But I do most of it, I had a lot of time train with the amazing stunt team that we had in Toronto, and I learned a lot of technique and they were very patient with me because I'm very much a perfectionist and I like to know the proper way of doing things so that I can sell it.

I wanna be able to do most of it myself because I'm the kind of person that when I'm watching a show, I can always tell when it's not the actors, when it's the doubles. And I just think it's so much cooler and it's better for the camera if they can actually see your face. When it's the stunt double, they have to be careful not to shoot the face. It just makes it easier for everyone when the actors are doing it.

How has it been working with Simu Liu?

Simu is the greatest. He's so funny and such a nice guy. Yeah, he's such a good person. It was fun working with him.

Do you have any scenes with Kathleen Chalfant?

I don't. I don't have any scenes with her sadly, I was very bummed. She's such a queen. Like oh my god, she's so beautiful and such an amazing actor. There's so many great theater actors on that show.

There's a video from the wrap up party where you're singing Chappell Roan's Pink Pony Club. Do you consider yourself a fan of hers?

I don't know why that's out there. I think it just stressed me out cause, um yeah... there was Karaoke, there was lots of drinking too. Yeah, it's just funny that this snippet is there. I did not know that it was gonna end up anywhere on the internet but yeah, I'm a Chappell Roan fan and I was singing Chappell Roan when I was a few drinks in.

What's your favorite Chappell Roan song?

You know what? Um, I think it's California, right? I think that's what it's called. I love that song. I always kind of gravitate towards moving ballads for artists that usually my favorite song of an artist will be one of the more obscure ballads. Not the popular ones. And I really love that song, I think it's beautiful.

Who else is on your playlist?

Honestly, I just cancelled my Spotify membership. I have been listening to a lot more audiobooks that music lately. And I actually started listening to Chappel Roan because I like her as a human being, you know, I've seen some of the things she says and the way she acts, and I was like "I like that. I think I'm gonna listen to her stuff" and I loved it.

That's how I kinda get to listen to people. When I like who they are as people and I think they're admirable human beings, then I go and listen to their art and that's how I ended up listening to her and she's all that I've been listening to lately and just books.

I noticed Susan Sarandon was in attendance at the 'Your Monster' premiere. How is your friendship like?

She's Incredible. It was very gracious of her to go and support me because I know she doesn't normally do that and so I was so moved that she went. You know, we both kind of went through similar experiences and we connected through that, and I think she's such a bad ass and she's just such a role model for me of what it is to be an artist that practices what they preach.

Because I personally think artists have a responsibility to reflect the times and challenge the times and try to make the world a better place. And I think that Susan embodies that, I think she is such an incredible human being. So, I feel very privileged to know her personally.

Have you seen No Other Land?

Yes, I have. I went to the theater in Canada to see it. It was an incredible experience. All the people that were in the theater were crying at the end. We were all kind of just sitting there in shock. But like not really shocked because we've been seeing a version of that on our phones and social media for over a year.

I think what was really moving was seeing it up in theater and just knowing that anyone that has access to the theater that's playing it could go and see it. And the fact that it won the Oscar just gave me so much hope that at least in the anonymity of the ballot at the Academy, that a lot of people can see the truth and care about human rights, justice, ending oppression and a Free Palestine.

You're currently a fan favorite when it comes to fan-casting Wonder Woman, are you seeing that?

I had a friend that told me that. He's on twitter. I haven't been on twitter in a really long time, but he told me a year ago or something like that. I was like "oh interesting". I think it's nice because of what the character represents.

You haven't been contacted about it?

Of course not!

Well, I really do hope you get it because when people put your face on the character, you really look the part, and you act like a real-life Wonder Woman.

I think whoever gets the role, I just hope that they can embody the essence of the character because I think that those of movies, whether they're Marvel or DC, their reach is so big. And because those artists that get those roles will inevitably get a built-in fanbase and have the eyes and the ears of so many people, I think that it would be nice if they did something actually positive with the influence that they have to at least be a good example of the kind of human being that you wanna be in the world, instead of just using it for self-serving purposes.

There's a movie that the fans were very excited for and got really upset when we heard you were no longer part of it. What happened with 'The One'?

Well, listen. It just kind of disappeared. I was also very sad that that movie ended up dying because the script was really good, and I will never really know the real reason that happened. It happened during the whole 'Scream' thing, and it was at a time when I was losing lots of opportunities. But that happens with movies all the time. They get announced, something happens, someone drops out of the cast, and they can't figure out how to replace that person because of the value or whatever. There's so many technical things that happen that need to be right for investors to want to give money for a movie to get made.

It's honestly like, one of the worst things that I wish wasn't a thing in the industry. Projects fall apart all the time but because this happened in a very suspicious timeline, I'll never know what the reason for it was or who made that call.

Have you spoken with the director Jaki Bradley about it?

I mean yeah, once we knew that it was not going to happen, we messaged each other and it was very sad, and they were very sad obviously. It was going to be their first film. I'm sure they'll do amazing things because they're both very talented but it's just sad because it was a very cool movie.

How about God's Country? Are you still part of it as a producer?

No, I haven't been in a while. I dropped out of that project. I had creative differences with some people involved. Not the director, I loved him. In the end, the timing wasn't right for me. The energy wasn't right for me and so I dropped out and then they attached someone else. She was going to do it and then she went on to do other things.

The director also went on to do other things. Every project kinda has a life and sometimes, years later, they'll go back to it and maybe they'll reach back to me and maybe not. It's a cool movie so I hope they make it.

How about 'In the Cradle of Granite'?

I am very much attached to that. I'm very excited about that one. We're just waiting to see if we can get another actor attached and get going but that's a very exciting one. Like a Western but it talks about the violence of colonization and all of that so it's definitely a movie that I think needs to be made and I'm very passionate about that message.

How did director Ariel Escalante contact you about it?

Through a friend of mine. We both have a friend in common from my hometown. A producer friend, she put us in contact. I think he was already thinking about me for the role and so we met and we vibed. It was like we've known each other forever. Very similar mindsets. Our values align and we champion a lot of the same causes so it's always nice when you find people like that to work with and so I'm hopeful that we get to do that movie soon.

I heard you were writing a lesbian rom-com. Have you finished it?

I've written it. It's done. I'm in the process of ending it and making it better. I've sent it to a few people to read, I've got notes and now I just have to jump back in and incorporate some of those notes. It's not a romcom anymore. It's just a romance. I took the comedy away because I was just feeling very dramatic at the time that I was writing it, so I think it just came out of me as a romance. And I'm very excited about it and I want to direct it so hopefully I can do that.

There's a certain horror movie that not just are the fans wanting you to be in it, but it's also a no-brainer that you have to be in it. So, are you part of Ready or Not 2?

I don't think that's going to happen. I think they're shooting it now, aren't they?

No, they haven't started shooting yet but Radio Silence are directing it, and they got Samara Weaving and Kathryn Newton, so it just makes perfect sense for Melissa Barrera to be in it!

Maybe it doesn't make perfect sense, that's why I'm not going to be in it. I don't know what the script is. I don't know what characters are in there. I remember that the first movie was very white, it was all white people, so I don't know. I love those guys, I'm so happy that they're directing it because there was a point in time that they weren't going to direct it. I think all is right in the world that they're getting to make the sequel.

Why did you exit WME?

I think our relationship ran its course. I just didn't feel valued there anymore and sometimes it's all business, so you keep the people on your team that you feel are on your same path and on the same track. And then the people that are not, you kind of have to let go. I made that decision not lightly but I just kind of wanted to see if there's anything else out there that would be better for me personally.

Are you signed to a different agency right now?

No, right now, I don't have an agent, I just have my manager and my publicist and I'm meeting some people and seeing if there's anyone that feels like a right fit. I'm a very hard worker and my manager is also a hard worker, and we need people on that same level to add to the team. If it doesn't feel like anyone is gonna be a substantial addition, then there's no point. But I know that there's some people out there that could potentially be added to my team soon, so we'll see.

Are there any directors you'd love to work with in the future? do you have a Wishlist?

Yes, I do. I actually have a Wishlist on my phone of directors that I'd love to work with, that I actually just shared with my manager. I have a lot of European directors on there. Off the top of my head, I have Céline Sciamma on there, I have Lukas Dhont who did 'Close'. That movie killed me. They both speak French and I'm learning French right now because I wanna work with them so badly that I'm like "I need to speak French so I can be in their movies".

One of my favorite movies is 'Incendies' from Denis Villeneuve. The amazing Mexican director, Fernando Frías, he did 'I'm No Longer Here'. He's now a friend because, again, our views align and we champion the same causes, so we went to see 'No Other Land' together. He's very talented and cool and I hope that we can find something that we can do together.

How about Boots Riley?

Yes. Boots Riley is one of my favorites. I was actually supposed to be in his last movie, and it didn't work out scheduling wise, but I am sure that I'm going to work with him at some point. I will beg him to put me in another one of his movies.

We really tried to make it work but I was shooting 'Copenhagen' and it was just hard with scheduling and we couldn't make it work and it broke my heart because he was actually one of the first people to reach out to me and tell me that everything was gonna be okay and support me, so his support has meant a lot and I think he's brilliant. But everything happens for a reason, and I think we'll have something cool to do in the future together. I know it.

What was the first movie that made you cry?

The Green Mile. I remember that movie really destroyed me. I was 9 years old.

What's your favorite childhood movie?

Billy Madison. I loved that movie. I basically know it all. I watched it so many times.

Do you remember the first horror movie jump scare that actually had you jumping out of your seat?

I think it was Chucky/Child's Play. I remember being in my parents' bedroom and watching Chucky and not being able to sleep for a week.

You talk about Chucky a lot, I feel like it might have scarred you for life.

Definitely. And then when I was a little older, my sister had a Chucky doll that a boy in school gave her and then I would move it around the room to scare her and put it behind her pillow so that when she went to bed, it would be there. I have a love/hate relationship with that doll.

Who's your favorite horror director at the moment?

That's a good question. What's the last horror movie that I saw? What has come out this year that's horror?

The Monkey.

Oh, I haven't seen The Monkey. I need to see it. Tatiana Maslany is in it, right? Love her.

Its director is Oz Perkins, who did Longlegs.

Oh, I know Oz. I mean he's great. He might be it. Oz is amazing.

Who's an actor you'd love to work with?

Guy Pearce. Love him as a human and an actor.

How do you feel about separating the art from the artist?

I think people use it as an excuse to support art of very controversial/bad people. So, at this point in time, I don't agree with it. I think there's so many talented people out there that are good people too that it just makes sense to me, to champion good humans that are also talented, rather than champion shitty people because it inevitable gives them a spotlight that then translates into influence over others and so if you're a bad example as a person, we're just putting bad energy out into the world.

Are we ever gonna see 'The Collaboration'?

I don't know what's going on with that movie. Sometimes you don't know what's going on behind the scenes. You don't know if there's not enough money to finish it. I sometimes feel like 'Oh, I'm just a small part of the movie. It's none of my business. If they wanna release it at some point, they will, and if they don't, they won't. And I got paid for my participation and I did my job and then I don't know what's going on. I know that we finished it and that it's done but I don't know why it's taking so long.

Why did you feel it was important to post about the one-day boycott?

I think it's important for people in general to not give up their power to the governments, to their corporations and others. I think we're at a time where it's been such a long game that a lot of people forgot that there's more of us and that we have the power with where we decide to put our money and attention and so I think it's a moment of waking up.

I think it's important that everybody wakes up to that realization of like "Oh, I actually have power, and we have power in numbers". I use my social media as a loudspeaker.