Melissa Barrera facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melissa Barrera
Barrera in 2023
Born	Melissa Barrera Martínez (1990-07-04) 4 July 1990 (age 35) Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2011–Present
Spouse(s)	Paco Zazueta ​ (m. 2019)​

Melissa Barrera Martínez (born on July 4, 1990) is a talented Mexican actress. She started her career in Mexican TV shows called telenovelas. These included Siempre tuya Acapulco (2013) and Tanto amor (2015). Later, she appeared in the series Club de Cuervos (2017).

In 2018, Melissa moved to Hollywood. She became well-known for her role in the series Vida (2018–2020). She also starred in the musical movie In the Heights (2021). Melissa is also famous for playing Sam Carpenter in the horror films Scream (2022) and Scream VI (2023). She has also led other horror-comedies like Abigail and Your Monster (both 2024). Because of these roles, she is sometimes called a "scream queen."

Early Life and Education

Melissa Barrera was born and grew up in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. She loved performing from a young age. She decided to study musical theater in college. She attended the New York University Tisch School of the Arts.

Melissa's Acting Journey

Starting Out in Mexico (2011–2017)

Barrera in 2013

Melissa first appeared on TV in 2011. This was on a Mexican reality show called La Academia. On the show, she showed off her singing skills. In 2013, she formed a singing group called Melissa y Sebastian. They released their first album. Their first song, "Mamma Maria," was a hit on the radio. It was a cover of a popular 1980s song.

In 2015, Melissa sang the theme song for her telenovela Tanto amor. The song was called "Volver a caer." She sang it with Mexican singer Kalimba.

While still in college in 2010, she acted in the film L for Leisure. In 2012, she was in two telenovelas: La mujer de Judas and La otra cara del alma. In 2014, she got her first main role in the telenovela Always yours Acapulco. In 2015, she starred in So Much Love. This was the last telenovela made by TV Azteca.

Becoming a Star (2018–Present)

In 2018, Melissa Barrera got a main role. She played Lyn in the Starz drama series Vida. In 2019, she joined a big acting agency called WME. This happened after she was cast in lead roles for In the Heights and Carmen.

In 2021, the movie In the Heights came out. Melissa was one of the main stars. The film was a musical directed by Jon M. Chu. It was based on Lin-Manuel Miranda's stage musical. Critics really liked the movie. Many praised Melissa's performance. One critic said her song "It Won't Be Long Now" was an amazing showcase for her talents.

In 2022, Melissa starred as Sam Carpenter in the fifth Scream movie. It was directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. The movie was released on January 14, 2022. It was a huge success at the box office. It helped bring the Scream film series back to life.

Later in 2022, she starred in Keep Breathing. This was a six-episode survival drama on Netflix. The film musical Carmen also came out that year. Melissa starred alongside Paul Mescal. The movie was directed by Benjamin Millepied. It first showed at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. She also starred in Bed Rest. This movie was released on Tubi in December 2022.

In early 2023, Melissa played Sam Carpenter again in Scream 6. This movie had the biggest opening weekend for the Scream series.

In November 2023, it was reported that Melissa would not be in the next movie, Scream 7. This decision was made after she shared some posts on social media. Melissa later released a statement. She said that she was against hate towards any group of people. She also said that criticizing a government is different from attacking its people. Melissa shared that this time made her think about her value. She realized she is more than just an actress. She is also a great sister, daughter, and friend. She knows she can find success in other things if she wants to.

In 2024, Melissa starred in the vampire movie Abigail. She worked again with the Scream directors, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett. She also starred in the independent film Your Monster. Some critics said this was her best performance yet. She left her acting agency, WME, in late 2024.

Melissa Barrera will next star with Simu Liu in a new TV series. It is called The Copenhagen Test. This show is produced by James Wan.

Personal Life

Melissa Barrera met musical artist Francisco Xavier Zazueta in 2011. They met while on the set of La Academia. They sang a song together on the show. They started dating in September 2011. In June 2017, they announced they were engaged on Instagram. Melissa and Francisco got married in February 2019.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Music Videos

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Melissa Barrera para niños