Scene 2 Seen Podcast: Melissa Barrera Talks ‘Abigail’, Collaborative Relationships In Hollywood & Staying True To Herself

Valerie Complex
·3 min read
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Hello, and welcome to the Scene 2 Seen Podcast!

I am Valerie Complex, an associate editor and film writer at Deadline. You may be wondering why this is publishing on a Tuesday, instead of Friday? Well, the good news is this is the first of a special two-part episode series taking place this month. Don’t worry, though! The show will be back for its third season officially on Fridays soon!

Today, I’m chatting with actress, singer and dancer Melissa Barrera, a dynamic, multifaceted talent who has captured the attention of audiences through her versatile and charismatic performances. Barrera can currently be seen starring in the Universal Studios horror film Abigail.

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The film follows a group of criminals who have been hired to kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure. All they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom is watch the girl overnight. In an isolated mansion, the captors start to dwindle, one by one, and they discover, to their mounting horror, that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl. The blood-thirsty vampire flick reunites Barrera with the hit Radio Silence directing team of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.

Barrera will later be seen in the horror romance Your Monster, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by Vertical Entertainment. Written and directed by Caroline Lindy, the film follows an aspiring actress (Barrera) whose life falls apart after a cancer diagnosis and devastating breakup. She finds her voice again when she meets a terrifying yet weirdly charming Monster (Tommy Dewey) living in her closet.

Also upcoming, Barrera will star in The Collaboration, a film about one of the most defining moments in the modern art world. Written by Anthony McCarten (Bohemian Rhapsody), the film, based on an acclaimed play, follows Andy Warhol (Paul Bettany) and Jean-Michel Basquiat (Jeremy Pope) as they begin a successful collaboration that will transform modern art.

Those projects follow the box office success of the latest Scream film, in which Barrera reprised her leading role. She previously starred in Warner Bros’ movie adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway musical In the Heights.

Barrera began her career starring in telenovelas in her native Mexico including La mujer de Judas and La otra cara del alma as well as Siempre tuya Acapulco and Tanto amor. She starred in Starz’s Vida and in Netflix’s Club de Cuervos. As a singer, she’s been in musicals such as Spring Awakening, Young Frankenstein and the Spanish pop-rock musical Hoy no me puedo levantar at the Teatro Aldama in Mexico City.

Off-screen, Barrera is an advocate for change, setting an example and motivating others to use their voice. She has collaborated with Bold Futures, a nonprofit that leads policy change, research, place-based organizing and culture shifts by and for women and people of color in New Mexico.

On this episode of Scene 2 Seen, Barrera and I discuss Abigail, forming collaborative relationships in Hollywood, and how to remain true to yourself as a performer and as an individual.

**If you like what you hear, be sure to review, like, and subscribe to the Scene to Seen Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and iHeart Radio**

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