Melissa Barrera is a Mexican actress and singer. Her career began with roles in the telenovelas Siempre tuya Acapulco (2013), Tanto amor (2015), and Club de Cuervos (2017). She gained further recognition for her lead role in the Starz drama series Vida (2018–2020). Barrera earned praise starring as Vanessa in the critically acclaimed musical drama film In the Heights (2021) based on the Lin-Manuel Miranda Tony Award winning stage musical. She is also set to appear in the upcoming slasher horror film Scream (2022) and to star in the title role of the musical film Carmen alongside Paul Mescal.
Melissa Barrera is from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. She studied musical theater at New York University Tisch School of the Arts.
She attended the American School Foundation of Monterrey where she appeared in the school's musical productions including MUN's Voices, Grease, Aida and Footloose. Her television debut was on the Mexican reality show La Academia in 2011, where she showed off her talent for singing. In 2013 she was part of the duet "Melissa y Sebastian" with whom she recorded her first album and had her first top ten radio hit with their first single "Mamma Maria," a cover of the Ricchi e Poveri song from the 1980s. In 2015, she recorded the theme song "Volver a caer" alongside the Mexican singer Kalimba. for her telenovela "Tanto Amor."
In 2012 she participated in two telenovelas, La mujer de Judas and La otra cara del alma. In 2010 while still in college (New York University) she participated in the film L for Leisure. In 2014 she obtained her first starring role in the telenovela, Siempre tuya Acapulco with the Venezuelan actor Daniel Elbittar. In 2015, she starred in the last telenovela produced by TV Azteca, Tantor amor. Barrera was cast in the lead role of Lyn on the Starz drama series Vida in 2018.
In 2021, Barrera starred as Vanessa, an aspiring fashion designer and love interest of the narrator, Usnavi, in the Jon M. Chu directed musical film In the Heights, an adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony Award-winning stage musical. The film earned widespread critical acclaim with The Hollywood Reporter film critic David Rooney writing, "The movie glows with an abundance of love for its characters, their milieu and the pride with which they defend their cultural footprint against the encroaching forces of New York development that continually shove the marginalized further into the margins. The resilience with which the characters claim their place in the fabric of city life is exhilarating." Monica Castillo of The Wrap praised Barrera's performance writing, "Vanessa’s upbeat salsa anthem, “It Won’t Be Long Now,” is perhaps one of the more underrated sequences: It’s an impressive showcase for Barrera’s talents, giving her a wide range of emotions to move through in one number and one of the few moments in the musical to belt out"
Melissa Barrera is a Mexican actress and singer. Her career began with roles in the telenovelas Siempre tuya Acapulco (2013), Tanto amor (2015), and Club de Cuervos (2017). She gained further recognition for her lead role in the Starz drama series Vida (2018–2020). Barrera earned praise starring as Vanessa in the critically acclaimed musical drama film In the Heights (2021) based on the Lin-Manuel Miranda Tony Award winning stage musical. She is also set to appear in the upcoming slasher horror film Scream (2022) and to star in the title role of the musical film Carmen alongside Paul Mescal.
Melissa Barrera is from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. She studied musical theater at New York University Tisch School of the Arts.
She attended the American School Foundation of Monterrey where she appeared in the school's musical productions including MUN's Voices, Grease, Aida and Footloose. Her television debut was on the Mexican reality show La Academia in 2011, where she showed off her talent for singing. In 2013 she was part of the duet "Melissa y Sebastian" with whom she recorded her first album and had her first top ten radio hit with their first single "Mamma Maria," a cover of the Ricchi e Poveri song from the 1980s. In 2015, she recorded the theme song "Volver a caer" alongside the Mexican singer Kalimba. for her telenovela "Tanto Amor."
In 2012 she participated in two telenovelas, La mujer de Judas and La otra cara del alma. In 2010 while still in college (New York University) she participated in the film L for Leisure. In 2014 she obtained her first starring role in the telenovela, Siempre tuya Acapulco with the Venezuelan actor Daniel Elbittar. In 2015, she starred in the last telenovela produced by TV Azteca, Tantor amor. Barrera was cast in the lead role of Lyn on the Starz drama series Vida in 2018.
In 2021, Barrera starred as Vanessa, an aspiring fashion designer and love interest of the narrator, Usnavi, in the Jon M. Chu directed musical film In the Heights, an adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony Award-winning stage musical. The film earned widespread critical acclaim with The Hollywood Reporter film critic David Rooney writing, "The movie glows with an abundance of love for its characters, their milieu and the pride with which they defend their cultural footprint against the encroaching forces of New York development that continually shove the marginalized further into the margins. The resilience with which the characters claim their place in the fabric of city life is exhilarating." Monica Castillo of The Wrap praised Barrera's performance writing, "Vanessa’s upbeat salsa anthem, “It Won’t Be Long Now,” is perhaps one of the more underrated sequences: It’s an impressive showcase for Barrera’s talents, giving her a wide range of emotions to move through in one number and one of the few moments in the musical to belt out"
