Barbie Ferreira: "I wouldn't play a character solely focused on the physical"

BarcelonaBarbie Ferreira (New York, 1996) became world famous as a result of the series Euphoria, in which she played Kat, a girl who lived with fatphobia and who freed her desires by writing erotic novels online. Now far from the series –will not participate in the third season that is being filmed–, Ferreira has visited the BCN Film Fest to present A 'like' from Bob Trevino, the story of a girl abandoned by her father who ends up establishing a friendship with a man who has the same name as her father.

In the film A 'like' from Bob TrevinoYour character, Lily, wants her neglectful father to change. Do you believe people can change?

— I believe people can change, but I've learned through my own family that you can't expect people to change just because you want them to. All you can do is set your boundaries with others and love them from afar or as closely as you want. It's bullshit. I've seen it with my family: they're not going to change, they're sixty years old, that's just how they are. It doesn't happen that someone will one day wake up and be the figure you expect. If one day they happen, great, but you can't expect it because then that's your problem. If a person doesn't want to change, they're not going to change—that's the harsh reality.

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Lily meets Bob Trevino, a man with the same name as her father, through Facebook, and they become friends. Do you think friendships between people of very different ages are possible?

— I have friends who are much older than me! A man in his fifties hangs out with a twenty-five-year-old girl. It's weird, but there are so many different kinds of people, and we're not all predators.

Does friendship play an important role in your life?

— Yes, a lot. I've had the same best friend since I was 16, and one of my new best friends I've known since I was 21, so we've been in a relationship for seven years. We're really close—when I'm in LA, we basically sleep over at each other's houses every day. I'll always be there for them, and they'll always be there for me. It's a non-transactional, loving, and caring relationship. It's really important to me because I don't have any siblings or cousins. I'm the youngest in my family, so I needed friendships to feel like I was close to people my own age.

Trials of a family primarily made up of women. How did you connect with the theme of the father figure that the film deals with? Is it always necessary to have a father figure?

— I grew up without a father, and I've never had a father figure. I didn't have a stepfather or anything like that. I grew up with my mom and my grandmother. And my aunts would come over every once in a while and be at home. One of my aunts is married to a woman, so we're always women. The only man is my mom's boyfriend, and he's new. I grew up surrounded by loud, charismatic Brazilian women, so when I started making this film, I realized that, like Barbie Ferreira, I didn't know what a father figure was. I learned that through film and having John [Leguizamo, who plays Bob Trevino] and French [Stewart, who plays the protagonist's father] around. They were there for me like the fathers I've never had. They're men who respect me and want the best for me. It was like life imitating art.

You're the lead actor and executive director of the film. Is production something you want to explore further in the future?

— Yes, I love producing the projects I act in, especially when they're independent films because I already have creative input depending on the director. There are directors who don't like it, and I respect that and know where I belong. But lately, I've been asked for my creative input, and that makes me feel like I have a say in my character.

You've made quite a bit of independent films. Are you open to more commercial work?

— I think a balance can be found. I connect a lot with independent cinema; I think it's the future. I think Indian films are what will help the industry survive whatever is happening to it now. You can make a beautiful film with a fraction of what a film normally costs, and without so many voices trying to change what you're making. I have a lot of respect for independent filmmakers who have a clear vision of what they want to do and don't bend, but I would also do a commercial project if it makes sense; I'm not against it.

With the series Euphoria You became a role model for many people, especially young women. Did you feel pressured by that responsibility?

— People tend to focus a lot on my image because I used to be a model. There are thousands of photographs of me in dresses from my high school prom. I get it. My work speaks for itself, and that's why I choose the projects I choose. I don't want to be someone who repeats the same things for a decade, like "love yourself." Words are as important to me as the films I choose.

Did you feel like the show pigeonholed you into a specific type of character?

— No. We were all very involved in our storylines. Kat is probably the character I've most closely resembled myself. We all brought a lot to our roles. Yes, I played a character who was very focused on her physicality, and it's something I probably wouldn't do again, but I don't think I would pigeonhole myself. I think it was the reality of what my life was like at the time.