Page 14 - aruba-today-20220729

a14 people & arts
Friday 29 July 2022
Q&A: Melissa Barrera survives, on screen and in Hollywood

By SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS I look out the window and
Associated Press there's another plane that's
NEW YORK (AP) — Since her coming straight towards us,
breakthrough role as Van- and right before they're go-
essa in the film adaptation ing to crash into us, I wake
of "In The Heights," Melissa up, every time. It's terrify-
Barrera has been working ing. I don't know, you just
non-stop on the big and channel some other fear.
small screen. Only this year, I channel the idea of dy-
she appeared in "Scream 5" ing and not getting to see
and is filming a sequel, and my family ever again, and
stars in the upcoming Ben- my loved ones. That's usu-
jamin Millepied's reimagin- ally what I go to. And also
ing of the opera "Carmen" it helped that they built this
and Lori Evans Taylor's "Bed incredible rig, and they put
Rest," which she also pro- a plane on it. It was like a
duced. Disneyland ride. The plane
Starting Thursday, the Mexi- would move and shake,
can actress can be seen in and that helps also.
"Keep Breathing," a Netflix AP: It looks like a very de-
miniseries about the lone manding role, both physi-
survivor of a plane crash in cally and emotionally. Was
the middle of the Canadi- This image provided by Netflix shows Melissa Barrera as Liv in an episode of the television series it as hard as it seems?
an wilderness. "Keep Breathing." BARRERA: It was harder.
Barrera — along with Ana Associated Press (Laughs.) I knew going into
de Armas — is among the it, because of the nature
few Hispanic actresses giv- don't fight to come to the to battle an unforgiving in planes. Literally, do not of the show — you're out-
en a wide variety of roles, center lanes, they're going wilderness and past per- have a care in the world. side, I'm alone most of the
far beyond the characters to keep us on the sidelines sonal traumas to survive. It I have never had bad tur- time, it's very physical and
Latinas have been allowed the entire time." was a very demanding role bulence. I've never had an also the emotional arc is so
to play, while the discussion "I crave the kind of repre- that got her to the point air pocket where the plane intense. I feel like it's actu-
about the lack of repre- sentation where my identi- of exhaustion fast, but the drops. I've never had an ex- ally a survival show about
sentation continues in Hol- ty is not the center and the actress says she pushed perience where the plane surviving your mind, surviv-
lywood. most important part about through and used that in like touches and goes ing your insecurities, your
"It's so easy for the indus- the story that we're telling," her performance, which back, you know, like those childhood traumas. It's all
try to just keep us in the she added. "I know it's nec- she also fueled with traits of kinds of things that would about mental survival, and
corner and keep us on a essary, and we do need her younger self. make your stomach drop. I knew that it was going to
side lane and just give us the Latino and Latina sto- Answers have been edited Never had that! So, I'm not be hard, so I prepared my-
these certain opportuni- ries to be getting told, and for brevity and clarity. scared of planes at all. self emotionally, mentally.
ties that they have desig- I want to do that. But I also ___ AP: How did you handle That normally works in ev-
nated are for us," Barrera just want to tell stories." AP: The series starts with the that scene then? ery single thing that I do:
said in a recent interview In "Keep Breathing," Bar- plane crash. Have you ever BARRERA: I mean, I've had I don't get tired, I can do
with The Associated Press rera, 32, plays New York had a nerve-racking expe- dreams of plane crashes. I the whole shoot and then,
from Montreal, where she is lawyer Liv, a cold, work- rience in the air? have this recurring dream at the end, I need to be in
shooting "Scream 6." "If we oriented woman who has BARRERA: I'm pretty chill where I'm on a plane and bed for a week. q

Anthony Fauci’s life, work during COVID are PBS film’s focus

By LYNN ELBER It will show “a rarely seen He’s led research in HIV/
AP Television Writer side of the scientist, hus- AIDS, respiratory infections,
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dr. band, father and public Ebola, Zika and the coro-
Anthony Fauci and his tu- servant,” Paula Kerger, PBS navirus.
multuous experience dur- president and CEO, told a The film follows Fauci “at
ing the COVID-19 pandem- TV critics’ meeting. home, in his office and in
ic are the focus of a PBS Fauci, 81, the government’s the corridors of power as
“American Masters” docu- top infectious disease ex- he battles the ongoing CO-
mentary. pert, said recently that he VID-19 pandemic and the
The film follows Fauci at plans to retire by the end political onslaught that up-
home and at work during of Biden’s term in January ends his life and calls into
a 14-month period starting 2025. He has served as di- question” his long career as
from President Joe Biden’s rector of the National Insti- the nation’s leading public
inauguration in Janu- tute of Allergy and Infec- health advocate, accord-
ary 2021, PBS announced tious Diseases since 1984 ing to the announcement.
Wednesday. and advised seven presi- Mark Mannucci, who di-
“Tony – A Year in the Life of dents. rected the 2019 “American
Dr. Anthony Fauci” is set to The pandemic represented Masters” documentary on
debut on the PBS “Ameri- an unprecedented chal- the Nobel Prize-winning
can Masters” showcase lenge for Fauci, his work scientist James Watson, di- Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy
in spring 2023, following a and his reputation despite rected and is a producer and Infectious Diseases, speaks during the daily briefing at the
White House in Washington, Dec. 1, 2021.
planned release in movie his years of widely respect- for the Fauci film.q Associated Press
theaters. ed public health service.