What is Melissa Barrera's Net Worth?
Melissa Barrera is an actress and singer who has a net worth of $2 million. Melissa Barrera began her career in telenovelas in her native Mexico, most notably in "Siempre Tuya Acapulco" and "Tanto amor." She later came to Hollywood and starred in the musical film "In the Heights" and the slasher films "Scream" and "Scream VI." Among her other credits, Barrera starred in the Starz television series "Vida" and the Netflix limited series "Keep Breathing."
Early Life and Education
Melissa Barrera Martínez was born on July 4, 1990 in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. She attended the American School Foundation of Monterrey, where she performed in school productions of such musicals as "Grease" and "Footloose." For her higher education, Barrera studied musical theater at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts.
(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)
Television Career
Barrera first appeared on television in 2011 as a contestant on the Mexican reality musical talent show "La Academia." The following year, she began recurring roles in the telenovelas "La mujer de Judas" and "La otra cara del alma." Barrera landed her first main role in 2014, starring as Olvido Pérez in the telenovela "Siempre Tuya Acapulco." She had another main role in 2015 as Mía González in the telenovela "Tanto amor." Subsequently, from 2016 to 2017, Barrera had a recurring role in the first season of "Perseguidos." In the latter year, she had a recurring role in the third season of the Netflix series "Club de Cuervos," the first Spanish-language original series by the streamer.
From 2018 to 2020, Barrera starred as the free-spirited vegan Lyn Hernandez in the Starz series "Vida." She appeared alongside Mishel Prada, who played her sister Emma. Later, in 2022, Barrera returned to Netflix as the star of the survival drama limited series "Keep Breathing." She played Liv, a shrewd attorney forced to battle the elements after her small plane crashes in the middle of the Canadian wilderness. Other actors in the series include Jeff Wilbusch, Florencia Lozano, Juan Pablo Espinosa, and Austin Stowell.
Film Career
Barrera began her film career in such Spanish-language titles as "Manual de principiantes para ser presidente," "El Hotel," and "Dos Veces Tú." She eventually came to Hollywood and had her big-screen breakthrough in the 2021 musical film "In the Heights," an adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's stage show. Barrera played Vanessa, a fledgling fashion designer and the love interest of the protagonist Usnavi, played by Anthony Ramos. She earned acclaim for her performance, including for her rendition of the number "It Won't Be Long Now." Later in 2021, Barrera starred in the drama film "All the World is Sleeping," which had its premiere at the New York Latino Film Festival.
Barrera had a major year on the big screen in 2022. Early in the year, she starred as Sam Carpenter in the slasher film "Scream," the fifth installment in the "Scream" film series. Barrera next starred as the titular character in the musical drama "Carmen," costarring Paul Mescal. She finished the year starring in the supernatural horror film "Bed Rest." In 2023, Barrera reprised her role as Sam Carpenter in "Scream VI." Her subsequent credits include the biographical drama "The Collaboration," based on Anthony McCarten's stage play about artists Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat; and Caroline Lindy's romantic horror comedy "Your Monster," based on her 2019 short film.
(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/WireImage)
Melissa y Sebastian
In 2013, Barrera performed as one half of the musical duo Melissa y Sebastian. The pair recorded an album and had a radio hit with the single "Mamma Maria," a cover of the song by the Italian pop group Ricchi e Poveri.
Israel-Hamas War Comments
In late 2023, in the midst of the Israel-Hamas war, Barrera generated controversy when she made posts on social media supporting Palestine and describing Israel's actions as "genocide and ethnic cleansing." Her comments were seen as antisemitic by some, including those in the film industry, and she was consequently fired from her lead role in the upcoming sequel film "Scream VII."
Personal Life
Barrera married musician Francisco Xavier Zazueta in early 2019. The two first met while competing on the television talent show "La Academia" in 2011, and began dating shortly after that.
