“Sometimes when I see my perfectionism at play, I get frustrated. I related to Joan Baez in A Complete Unknown in that way— if someone said the exact thing I was most afraid of representing in my artwork. Especially when you hear Joan talk about her interest in imperfection and throwing things in a pool and wanting to be free, calling her work overly-beautified was the exact thing Bob Dylan knew he could say to fuck her up.”
-Monica Barbaro, episode 405 of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
In celebration of Oscar Sunday, our conversation with actor Monica Barbaro. Her portrayal of Joan Baez in the Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
At the top, we discuss how director James Mangold drew inspiration from Miloš Forman’s Amadeus (6:00), the vocal lessons Monica received in preparation for the role of Baez (9:00), and her affecting rendition of House of the Rising Sun (13:00). Then, we dive into Monica’s California upbringing (18:00), her pivot from dancing to professional acting (24:00), and the winding journey that led her to A Complete Unknown (29:00).
On the back-half, we talk about her breakout role in Top Gun: Maverick (36:00), her evolving relationship to perfectionism (40:00), the deep, autobiographical research she did to portray Joan Baez (43:00), and what she hopes for in the years to come (50:00).
Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at [email protected].
Show-notes:
- See Monica’s performance in A Complete Unknown.
- Watch more of her work in FUBAR and Top Gun: Maverick.
- Follow Monica on Instagram.
- For more talks, hear our conversations with Edward Norton, Mikey Madison, and Jesse Eisenberg.
- Order your Talk Easy mug in cream and navy or our vinyl record with Fran Lebowitz.
Illustrations by Krishna Shenoi. Reference photograph by Celeste Sloman.
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