‘A Complete Unknown’ Star Monica Barbaro on Her Oscar Nom, Imposter Syndrome and Why She Had to Delete Her Social Media

Two years ago, Monica Barbaro attended the Academy Awards with the cast of “Top Gun: Maverick.” It was the actor’s first time at the ceremony. “I wanted to embrace every moment and enjoy it,” Barbaro recalls. “I remember looking around and going, ‘I may never be in this room again in my entire life. So savor it.’”  

Of course, the actor will return this year, but not as a mere observer. Barbaro is nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actress for her breakout turn as Joan Baez in “A Complete Unknown.” The biopic about Bob Dylan’s early years — specifically his choice to go electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival — skipped the festival circuit and hit theaters in December to a rapturous response, earning over $90 million (and counting) at the box office. The film then landed eight Oscar nominations, including nods for writer-director James Mangold and co-stars Timothée Chalamet as Dylan and Edward Norton as Pete Seeger. 

It feels like a meteoric rise for Barbaro, who was named one of Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch in October. Though she’s not new to acting — she was a cast member on the 2016 season of “Unreal” and made an impression in the aforementioned “Top Gun” sequel — the last few months have been a whirlwind for Barbaro, one she’s still figuring out how to navigate. “I’m truly so new to this,” she says at several points throughout this interview. “At the junket, I kept asking my publicist: ‘Did I do OK?’ And it’s not that I’m not being myself, I just don’t know how I fit into this space and these larger conversations. I’m just happy to be here.”

I told you last fall you’d be an Oscar nominee. What have the last few months been like?

Honestly, I couldn’t have fathomed this possibility. I feel Variety’s list was the first sort of rumblings of something like this even as a possibility. Obviously, the producers and Jim and Searchlight were so supportive and kind, and I felt that. But, as any actor would, I turned to my imposter syndrome and was like, “Oh, they have to say that.” 

Was it really so farfetched or was it more that you weren’t allowing yourself to think about it?

You just never know. I remember on “Top Gun,” they would tell us about how well the first movie did, and we’d say, “But there’s no guarantee this one is going to do well!” Actually, that’s a bad example, because it did. (Laughs.) But there’s possibility and then there’s things people say in this industry. I will say there were no points where I looked around and didn’t expect that it would be a great film. But nobody was operating off the assumption that it would come. 

You’re playing a legend, and the project was pretty high-profile. How did you turn off the noise when you were making the film?

I had to delete social media because there’d be a photo of Timmy and then this onslaught of people saying, “He’s going to win an Oscar for this!” And I had to tune it all out because we hadn’t even shot the film yet. My job was to do the work at the utmost level, so I deserved to have my name next to Timmy’s and Elle [Fanning] and Edward. I wanted to earn the seat I had to be able to volley with James Mangold. Also, Joan’s shoes to fill were so immense. So, I think I was far more concerned with messing that up and not doing her justice. And so the response — I honestly just feel like I’ve won the lottery.

You completely deleted social media?

I deleted it off my phone. It was an interesting time because Timmy and the film had so much buzz, there were people sneaking on to set and grabbing videos or crowds gathering on the street and you’d just see smartphones up. And all that was irrelevant to the time we were portraying; it wasn’t a part of their head space. What’s funny is I’ve deleted it again because I was overwhelmed by the lovely, positive feedback. I’ll be back, but I need to respond to the people who have sent me lovely emails and texts first.

Joan Baez saw the movie and has said wonderful things. When did you know she was seeing it?

I had no expectation of her to see it. We’d had some correspondence, and she told me she planned on watching it over the break with a group of friends, but I didn’t know the day; I would have had a panic attack. Then she left me a voicemail after she saw it and said lovely things. I don’t want to reveal too much, it’s up to her to express her review if she wants to. But she extended a wonderful kindness to me. I’m hoping to meet her in person at a concert soon. I’m going to try and not sob in front of her. 

You’ve said before that Joan is worthy of her own movie. Is it a role you would revisit?

I would consider anything but, as much as I have this connection to her, it’s also Jim’s version of Joan. And what audiences are receiving is through his lens and it would be interesting to hand that to an entirely different person. So mostly I would be interested if it were Jim looking at it.

You did so much research, I’m curious if there was something you came across in your prep that even if it didn’t make it into the film overtly, really informed your interpretation.

Well, I learned so much about her activism, which isn’t really a part of this story. You see how it inspires her and draws her to Bob in certain moments. Also, I hope you see a bit of her sense of humor. She can be quite goofy. The scene where I flip Bob off as I’m playing, someone who knows her said, “That’s so Joan.”

How has the success of the film and the nomination affected your career? Do you sense a difference?

For the first time in my career, I feel like I’m probably not going to get fired — at least right away. On “Top Gun,” I remember thinking they might fire me every day — not because of any reason except disbelief in my own success. But job security never really exists in this industry. But the coolest thing has just been hearing from other artists. At the Golden Globes, Glenn Close told me she liked my work, and it was the coolest thing ever. I’m learning that a lot of these awards gatherings are artists in awe of other artists in the room, and it’s surreal to be a part of it.

This film has really been embraced by all ages. I took my nephew and my mother to see it on Christmas Day.

I went with my mom on Christmas, too! The crazy thing is, I didn’t get tickets in advance and [my hometown] in Marin County was full. I had to tell her, “So great news and terrible news … my film is sold out.” We ended up going to the Metreon in San Francisco with some friends and their parents. It’s where I used to go for midnight “Harry Potter” screenings and such, so it was a real full circle moment.

You were at a packed theater for your own movie? Were you recognized?

No. Can I just say, I’m in such a sweet spot right now. I can go anywhere, and nobody recognizes me, as far as I can tell. It’s kind of amazing to be celebrated in the profession but not have to worry too much about my privacy. Or maybe I’m overthinking it and it was just because I wore a hat.