Barbie Ferreira on ‘Bob Trevino Likes It,’ SXSW, and Her Breakout 12 months

Barbie Ferreira is formally in her leading-girl period. The previous “Euphoria” actress made her movie competition debut at SXSW because the star of “Bob Trevino Likes It” — and the movie went on to win the narrative characteristic competitors.

“I used to be very nervous, as a result of I’m all the time nervous to see my face,” says Ferreira the day after the movie’s premiere. It was her first time watching a closing minimize of the movie, which was written and directed by first-time characteristic filmmaker Tracie Laymon. However as soon as the screening received underway, “my anxiousness type of went away, and I received swept into it,” she provides. “My household was there, individuals who labored on the film, strangers who purchased tickets — and everybody was laughing and crying. It was so cool to see 400 individuals reacting, and having these emotional reactions. All of us hoped that will occur, however you by no means know.”

The 27-year-old actress attended the premiere together with her Brazilian mom and grandmother, who was significantly moved by the group’s response to the bittersweet movie. “Afterwards to me she goes, ‘I noticed grown males crying.’ Like, probably the most shocked she’s ever been,” says Ferreira. “And I used to be like, ‘yeah, grandma — it’s a tragic film. Grown males are allowed to cry.’”

The movie was well-received by critics, who lauded Ferreira’s advanced efficiency. Ferreira stars within the movie as Lily Trevino, a lonely younger girl who befriends a person on Fb with the identical title as her estranged organic father. The pair strike up an internet friendship that continues to develop offline, evolving right into a surrogate father-daughter relationship anchored by trauma. Laymon, who grew up in Houston, wrote the script primarily based on an actual private expertise.

“Lily Trevino isn’t Tracie, however the soul and every thing is there,” says Ferreira. “So it was cool discovering the place the character lands, and making it true to Tracie and the story itself, and retaining it actual and grounded and discovering these humorous moments — as a result of every thing that’s unhappy is type of humorous too. I all the time use humor to recover from ache.”

Ferreira, who was the primary actor to signal on to the movie, additionally linked with the story on a private stage.

“I didn’t develop up with my father. Having this movie, I didn’t actually know the way a lot it was going to resonate with me. And the way a lot, even on set, even after studying and after engaged on it and being in it, how a lot it might have an effect on me,” she says, describing the expertise as emotionally cathartic. “This film is such a automobile for therapeutic and being extra weak to the world.”

John Leguizamo portrays her chosen father determine within the movie. The costars bonded over their New York connection — Ferreira grew up within the metropolis, and Leguizamo nonetheless lives there — and shared a simple dynamic that they introduced onscreen.

“It was so nice to watch and be taught [from Leguizamo], as a result of I didn’t go to any classical formal coaching,” says Ferreira. “I’m pretty new [to the industry] — about six years — and each time I hop on a set it’s a studying expertise for me, and I unlock one thing.”

The actress, who broke out portraying fan-favorite Kat in “Euphoria,” introduced her departure from the collection final yr. However in terms of display time, Ferreira isn’t going wherever. Along with “Bob Trevino,” she stars in two upcoming horror movies: “Home of Spoils,” an Amazon and Blumhouse coproduction, and “Faces of Dying,” a remake of a controversial 1978 cult movie.

“I really like a enjoyable, well-made horror film,” Ferreira says. “I did ‘Faces of Dying’ after which ‘Bob Trevino’ a couple of month later. I used to be like, this stuff are very taxing in numerous methods,” she provides. “I’m not terrified of my feelings. I really like going through them head on.”

What’s subsequent? “Possibly I’ll do some comedy,” says Ferreira, who’s additionally aligned herself with manufacturers like YSL Magnificence and Levi’s, showing in a marketing campaign final fall. “I additionally wish to do one thing like a interval piece, for enjoyable. I’m open to something. So long as it’s good writing and a director I actually join with, I’m so down.”