Ep 85: Melissa Barrera

Melissa Barrera already has one incredible CV with starring roles in the ‘Scream’ franchise, ‘In The Heights’ and Netlfix’s ‘Keep Breathing’ but she’s only just getting started.  Today Melissa joins us from LA to talk about her latest starring role in the reimagination of ‘Carmen’. In this movie adaptation, Melissa takes the lead role of Carmen, who escapes her homeland of Mexico after her mother is brutally murdered, and after a stand-off at the border, runs away with a marine played by Paul Mescal. It’s a tough job but someone has got to do it, right?  The movie is a singing, dancing and acting extravaganza but at its heart it humanises the immigrant experience, which Melissa tells me was very important to her as a Mexican actress.  Melissa also tells me about her career in telenovelas, which started after she competed on the Big Brother/Pop Idol-esque singing competition, La Academia, leaving Mexico, and the discrimination she had to overcome to win the roles she deserved.  From winning her role inLin Manuel Miranda’s ‘In The Heights’ movie, after auditioning repeatedly for the Broadway production with no luck, to overcoming the self doubt in her own head, Melissa is a role model for determination and self belief, so I hope this episode really inspires you to reframe success and turn any no into a yes!  If you love this episode, get in touch. I LOVE to chat - if you couldn’t tell that already - and I especially love chatting with you. I’m @JoshSmithHosts on socials. And don’t forget you can catch some of the video highlights from this episode over on my YouTube channel, just search Reign with Josh Smith.  Josh xx P.S As someone who is always thirsty and loves to hydrate, I am so excited that this episode is brought to you in partnership with Air Up. Air Up is a water bottle that flavours ordinary water with scent. You just put plain water into the Air Up bottle, slot your chosen ‘flavour pod’ around the straw at the top of the bottle and as you sip through the straw, the smell of the pod tricks your brain into thinking it’s flavoured. There’s no sugar, no sweeteners, no nothing, just plain water and the power of scent!The flavour pods trick your brain into thinking the water is flavoured without any sugar, sweeteners or additives involved - it’s just plain water and scent!  There are so many flavour pods to choose from too, my current fave is Wild Berry but there’s something for everyone from Cola to Mango & Passionfruit and Watermelon. The bottles are super cute, too and come in a range of styles, colours and sizes, You can check out the full range of bottles, pods and accessories at air-up.co.uk and you get 10% off full priced items using my code REIGN at the checkout. Hydration just got more EXCITING babes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices