When A Complete Unknown premiered in 2024, much of the spotlight was on Timothée Chalamet’s impressive portrayal of Bob Dylan. While Chalamet delivered a commendable performance as the legendary singer-songwriter, the film showcased other remarkable talents as well. Edward Norton brought charm to the role of Pete Seeger, and Boyd Holbrook was perfectly cast as Johnny Cash. But perhaps the standout was Monica Barbaro.
The San Francisco native faced the challenging role of Joan Baez—an incredible musician and Bob Dylan’s on-again, off-again partner. Barbaro excelled, grounding the sometimes erratic Dylan with her nuanced performance. Her rendition of Baez’s song “Silver Dagger” was particularly striking, earning praise even from Baez herself.
Before her critically acclaimed performance as the folk icon, Barbaro had made waves in several high-profile projects. She starred in FUBAR, Netflix’s action-comedy featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger, and appeared in TV series like Hawaii Five-O, Chicago Justice, and The Good Cop. However, her breakthrough moment came in 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick.
Released 36 years after the original, Top Gun: Maverick follows Captain Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, played by Tom Cruise, as he returns to flight school to train a new generation of pilots, including Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw, the son of his late friend Goose. Barbaro portrayed Natasha ‘Phoenix’ Trace, the lone female pilot in a cast of talented young men.
For Barbaro, stepping into Phoenix’s shoes was a deeply reflective experience. In an interview with Air Mail, she shared that she only watched the original Top Gun in 2009 while studying at drama school. She had spent years hearing about it from friends, who were shocked she had missed it during its initial release. “I remember thinking it would be so cool to be a part of something like that,” she recalled, often imagining herself in scenes from the film while auditioning for roles. “It’s like a time capsule for a generation. I just never thought I’d be playing a pilot!”
Fortunately for Barbaro, Maverick lived up to all the hype, breaking box office records as the first Cruise-led film to gross over $1 billion. Critics were equally enthusiastic, showering it with accolades and even nominating it for Best Picture at the Oscars, though some claims that it ‘saved cinema’ post-pandemic might be exaggerated.
After over a decade of waiting for her moment, Barbaro demonstrated she truly belongs in the skies, and her career continues to soar thanks to her success in this iconic role.
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