Melissa Barrera, from Scream, on Latinos in Hollywood: ‘Most opportunities are to play immigrants’

interpreter of Sam Carpenter in Scream 5 (2022) and Scream 6 (2023), Melissa Barrera commented on difficulties and certain prejudices that Latin actors and actresses suffer in hollywoodmainly in offers of roles in films and series.

At the beginning of the career, barrier made the decision to run away from stereotypes faced by Latino characters, whether in themes just about immigration or violence. However, she starred in the musical drama carmen (2022) with Paul Mescal.

In the plot, the title character survives a horrific and dangerous illegal border crossing into the US, only to be confronted by a lawless volunteer border guard, who kills in cold blood two other immigrants in her group. In profile made by NMEthe Mexican actress explained the decision to accept the role of carmen: “I knew it would be really cool with a unique and creative vision.”

“When I moved from Los Angeles to Mexico in 2017, I told my team that I didn’t want to feed the narrative of ‘this is all we are,'” he said. Melissa Barrera to the website. “In hollywoodmost of the opportunities you have, as a Latino, is to play some version of an immigration story – which is always very dramatic, violent, sad and depressing…”

They’re like traumatic pornography that makes you want to crawl under the covers of your bed and cry.

Right away, barrier talked more about carmen and how the film is complex and doesn’t fall prey to the stereotype of Latinos: “It’s beautiful, hopeful and doesn’t quite hit the nail on the head. I thought this was a way to reach an audience that would normally reject watching immigration stories. Maybe, after this film, they think, ‘My God, carmen was an immigrant.'”

The catalyst for the whole adventure story was because this woman needed to flee danger and cross a border in search of a better life. It was a dreamlike version of a narrative we’ve seen so much of – told in an artistic way that will connect in a more emotional way through the use of movement and dance. There’s another level to it.