Barbie Ferreira Talks Broadway Debut and Healing Inner Child In Bob Trevino Likes It
Lily Trevino’s life take an unexpected turn when she befriends an online stranger who shares her father's name. Through this surprising connection, she finds healing and connection in a new father figure. Kristen Maldonado sat down with Barbie Ferreira for Pop Culture Planet to discuss her deep connection to her new film Bob Trevino Likes It.
Bob Trevino Likes It will break your heart and put it back together again. In the film, Lily blames herself as an adult for things that she didn’t have control over as a child and puts herself last in every situation. She particularly struggles when it comes to her relationship with her father, which was something Ferreira could connect with. “When I read the script, I was really moved by it. I have a single mom who raised me and I've always had my issues with the idea of having a father figure,” she told me. “I never really had one growing up, so, for me, it just felt like fate that I got this script that resonated so hard with me.”
The film was inspired by director Tracie Laymon’s own real life experience on Facebook bonding with a man who shared her father’s name. There was a lot of healing that went on for both the cast and crew while filming Bob Trevino Likes It. “It was a completely different situation than what Tracie's was, but the heart of it and the journey we had to heal was very similar. It really impacted me and it brought up a lot of stuff that I've put deep down. My inner child was very present in this movie. I wanted Lily's inner child to be really driving the boat of where she was going because that's part of the healing,” shared Ferreira. “Taking care of that little version of yourself that never got to get their wounds healed. The script and doing the film has really connected with me in a lot of ways.”
From Lily Trevino in Bob Trevino Likes It to Euphoria’s Kat Hernandez to Unpregnant’s Bailey Butler, Ferreira shines in roles about complex women. “I look for characters that are complicated, that are not necessarily very likable, but can be. For me, as an actor, what's fun is the challenge. That's why I did Broadway. I've never done professional theater in my life. It's why I did Bob Trevino, where it was so close to my own heart,” she explained. “I definitely look for complex characters. I look for characters that explore parts of me that I haven't explored yet in my career and I will continue to do so. I mean, no one wants to play a boring one-dimensional character.”
Alongside Bob Trevino, Ferreira recently made her Broadway debut in Cult of Love with Zachary Quinto and Shailene Woodley. “It was such a wonderful experience. I got to work with such cool people. I created this family. It's very different doing a live show. You got to be there every day. You got to see each other every day as a family, as our own little ‘cult.’ It was so wonderful and I learned so much about theater and also about giving myself grace,” she gushed. “It's not about perfection. When you're doing a live show, you don't have to watch yourself back or have to see the thing. You're just living in the moment, so I mean it changed my world. I miss it so much.”
Bob Trevino Likes It hits theaters on March 21.
