Melissa Barrera is having quite the year. In April, she made her Broadway debut, landing a dream role as ‘Rose’ in the musical parody Titanique. She’s also an executive producer on the award-winning documentary film Traces of Home, which is set to have its theatrical release this fall. And she’s launching her very own production company to support more storytelling that aligns with her values. But getting here was a journey. 

After being dropped from the seventh installment of the Scream franchise for speaking out about the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Melissa says she felt blacklisted. The experience pushed her to take more control of her life and career. In this episode, she talks about why she’s decided to become a Hollywood executive and how her new Broadway show has become a safe haven for her and audiences alike, at a time when things in the world feel bleak.

Host: Maria Hinojosa

Producer: Nour Saudi 

Editor: Alana Casanova-Burgess

Fact Checker: Roxana Aguirre

Social Media: Essam Aljahmi

Engineer: JJ Querubin

Managing Editor: Fernanda Echavarri

Executive Producers: Peniley Ramírez and Maria Hinojosa