Barbaro's stage debut: oscar buzz meets 'terrible actor' fears
Monica Barbaro, fresh off an Oscar nomination for her transformative turn as Joan Baez, is grappling with a familiar foe: impostor syndrome. As she prepares to make her highly anticipated stage debut in London’s National Theatre’s revival of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, the actress admits to battling crippling self-doubt, a sentiment she confessed feeling acutely after recent rehearsals.
From dylan biopic to dangerous liaisons: a new chapter
Barbaro’s portrayal of Baez in James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown earned her critical acclaim and an Academy Award nod, a testament to her dedication and meticulous preparation. She spent months absorbing Baez’s music, voice, and even sporting prosthetic teeth to embody the iconic folk singer. But the intensity of the project took its toll. “It was really intense,” she revealed, “It took a long time for me to land afterwards and feel more like myself again.” Now, she’s channeling that same intensity into the role of Madame de Tourvel, a character steeped in literary history and demanding of its performers.
The challenge isn't just the prestige of the role—previous actresses to embody Tourvel include luminaries like Juliet Stevenson and Michelle Pfeiffer—but the sheer scale of the National Theatre stage. “Speaking aloud in a theatre for this big of an audience is new for me,” Barbaro confessed, a visible apprehension in her voice. She’s currently navigating the complexities of an English accent alongside her American one, a constant linguistic shift she finds both fascinating and disorienting.
A shared identity, a deeper connection to baez
Beyond the technical challenges of acting, Barbaro’s connection to Baez runs deeper than mere performance. The actress credits her growing admiration for the activist and musician with sparking a desire to understand the full breadth of Baez’s impact. “I’m just like: ‘Then she marched with Martin Luther King, are we clear on that? Do people know that?’,” she stated, reflecting on the widespread intrigue surrounding Baez following the film's release. A shared mixed heritage—Barbaro is a quarter Mexican, while Baez is half Mexican—further solidified their bond, resonating with Barbaro’s own experiences navigating identity in a demanding industry.
Their eventual meeting in San Francisco last year was, in Barbaro’s words, “so trippy.” Hearing Baez’s voice in person, after months of immersive study, was a moment of “complete awe.” Now, with the intensity of the film’s release subsided, Barbaro hopes for a more relaxed conversation with her idol, “to sit down with her for an afternoon and just talk.”
Beyond the stage: power, manipulation, and a modern resonance
Christopher Hampton’s adaptation of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ 1782 novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses, a story initially denounced as “diabolical” and even secretly read by Marie Antoinette, explores themes of manipulation, power, and the corrupting influence of aristocracy. Marianne Elliott's direction, in collaboration with Hampton, emphasizes the roles of women within this complex power dynamic. Barbaro, drawn to the play’s darkness rather than its overt sexuality, notes, “It’s a proper epic, like a Greek tragedy. The seduction is really just the means of manipulation. What it’s about is power—systemic abuse, corruption, and cruelty.”
The play's insights into a corrupt elite wielding impunity feel remarkably prescient today, particularly in light of recent revelations like the Epstein files. “It was about the corruption of a certain class who could operate with impunity, and fuck over anyone they wanted,” Barbaro observed, drawing a chilling parallel to contemporary events. Ultimately, the play serves as a stark reminder that patterns of abuse, though dressed in different costumes, continue to repeat themselves.
Barbaro, who grew up in Mill Valley, California, initially trained as a dancer before finding her calling in acting. Her performance as naval aviator Phoenix in Top Gun: Maverick catapulted her to wider recognition, and she’s currently filming Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial alongside Andrew Garfield. As she prepares to face the London stage, she embraces the vulnerability inherent in the process, a necessary step in confronting the