The lack of Latino representation in movies today is disappointing when you consider that Latinos made up 29% of the U.S. movie audience in 2020. And here’s a fun fact you might not know : Latinos also represent 26% of horror movie audiences, compared to 20% for other genres, according to a recent survey. However, there is still a distinct shortage of Latin actors playing leading roles in horror films. But Melissa Barrera’s career is challenging that. The queen of horror and suspense has starred in several films within the genre in just the past few years, including “Scream,” “Scream IV,” “Bed Rest” and “Your Monster.”
Her latest role is as Joey in Abigail, a bloody vampire movie released April 19 about a group of criminals tasked with kidnapping the 12-year-old daughter of a crooked millionaire. Like many of Barrera’s roles, Joey is not your typical Latina character. She is a veteran with a dream of reuniting with her son; She is a character that could be played by any actor regardless of race, ethnicity or gender but Barrera beautifully makes her his own.
“I always think that movies should accurately reflect what the world looks like, and so I think as a community, we We seem to have missed that issue.” . “We’re kind of pushed aside and relegated to smaller roles in every genre, especially the horror genre… So it’s great that I as a Mexican woman can get roles are not like that.” I don’t necessarily write for people like me, but they believed in me enough to give me a chance. Honestly, that’s my favorite type of expression.”
Before diving into suspense, drama, and horror films, and after his early career in Mexican soap operas, Barrera starred in widely marketed films and shows. widely in the form of Latine projects, such as the role of Lyn in the Starz television series “Vida”, created by Tanya Saracho, and Vanessa in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights”.
But she said, those films are very difficult to succeed. “Movies with all Latino leads don’t necessarily always do well at the box office. That’s always a tough question: what do we have to figure out?” she speaks. “When something is marketed as a Latino thing that people should watch and support, it does two things, in my opinion: It makes a lot of people feel uncomfortable. Because like You don’t tell me what to do. You don’t say tell me what to watch or support. And then representing the entire community also puts a lot of pressure on the project – which is impossible to do Okay.”
It wasn’t until Barrera started taking on roles in films and series that weren’t marketed as Latine projects that she really started to see her career take off. We’re starting to see more and more Latin stars taking on roles in horror films, like Jenna Ortega in Netflix’s “Wednesday,” Justina Machado in “The Horror of Dolores Roach” and Jaden Michael in “Harlan Coben’s Shelter ” and “Vampires vs. Bronx.” However, Barrera’s characters are different because she often ends up being the sole survivor.
“I think the audience really appreciates that kind of performance. It’s an honor for me to do that and fight for those kinds of roles,” she said. “I’m often drawn to and attracted to roles that don’t have the word ‘Latina’ in parentheses.”
A perfect example of this is Barrera’s role in “Scream” and “Scream IV,” where she played Sam Carpenter, a character who was not originally Latina but was re-imagined that way when she log in.
“My character’s father is white. But they are, why not? She could have a white father. Her mother could be Latina. Why can’t she be Latina? And so I appreciate creatives who have vision and can look beyond and outside the box,” she said. “I think that’s lacking in the industry, but luckily there are people like Matt [Bettinelli-Olpin] and Tyler [Gillett] brings opportunities to people like me. I feel very lucky, I feel very honored and I’m happy to be represented. And I will continue to fight for more space for us and bring everyone with me.”
Unfortunately, the Scream franchise fired Barrera last year after she made headlines for calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, which has so far killed more than 33,000 Palestinians and 1,139 Israelis.
But the proud Mexican actress refused to let circumstances hinder her focus or her desire to support others. Since being fired, Barrera has not only stood firm in speaking out against what is happening in Gaza, but has also committed to her craft, taking on leading roles and creating the type of representation that she herself always wanted to see it on film and television.
“Even though Joey wasn’t written as a Latina, I’m glad I got to play her and I’m glad I got to play a veteran, because there are a lot of Latinos in the Army, and so it’s important to illustrate that reality,” she said. “I feel very lucky to play these roles and create more space for more people like us, because that’s my goal . There are roles that will be written for Latinos, but if we just stick to the roles that someone has decided are the only roles for us, things will never change. “
Johanna Ferreira is the content director of POPSUGAR Juntos. With over 10 years of experience, Johanna focuses on how intersectional identities are a central part of Latinx culture. Previously, she spent nearly three years as deputy editor at HipLatina and freelanced for multiple outlets including Refinery29, O Magazine, Allure, InStyle and Well+Good. She has also moderated and spoken on numerous panels on Latine identity.
