Monica Barbaro: The dancer who quietly became a Hollywood star

Success may have taken its time, but Monica Barbaro has firmly established herself as one of Hollywood’s most promising talents. After years of searching for her breakthrough, the 36-year-old Californian first drew widespread attention as a fighter pilot in 'Top Gun: Maverick' before winning over the industry with her portrayal of Joan Baez in 'A Complete Unknown,' a performance that earned her an Academy Award nomination. Now, with high-profile projects on the horizon such as the much-anticipated 'Artificial,' a romance with fellow actor Andrew Garfield, and a personal style that balances sophistication with effortless ease, Barbaro has become one of the names worth watching, both on and off the screen.Jeff Spicer (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

Acting was not part of Monica Barbaro’s earliest ambitions. Her mother, a professional dancer, enrolled all three of her children in ballet classes. Although she discovered through small school theater productions that acting was her true passion, her family’s encouragement led her to focus exclusively on ballet. She enrolled in the dance program at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, one of the most prestigious performing arts schools in the United States, and initially approached acting only through elective courses.JB Lacroix (WireImage)

Today, with the dream she first nurtured as a teenager finally fulfilled, Monica Barbaro is grateful for what dance brought to her craft as an actress. “Dance gave me a completely different way into character. People reveal themselves through their body language,” she said. In the photograph, taken in 2018, the actress wears a floral dress by Brock Collection.ANGELA WEISS (AFP via Getty Images)

Monica Barbaro logged more than 40 hours of flight time to portray a military pilot in 'Top Gun: Maverick,' her first major role in a big-budget Hollywood production. During filming, she even shot some scenes aboard a two-seat F/A-18, enduring forces of up to eight Gs, and went so far as to earn her pilot’s license. All in pursuit of meeting the exacting standards set by Tom Cruise, who, she says, has become one of her most important mentors in Hollywood. "He'll see a person, see their potential and just bring out the best in them," she said of Cruise.Steve Granitz (FilmMagic)

The role that definitively established Monica Barbaro as one of Hollywood’s most exciting breakthrough talents was her portrayal of Joan Baez in 'A Complete Unknown,' the Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet. Barbaro sings and plays guitar herself in the film, despite not knowing a single chord when she landed the part. After months of intensive preparation, her portrayal of Baez emerged as one of the film’s standout performances, earning her first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Chalamet later explained that the filmmakers were looking for an actress with gravity and quiet power, someone capable of holding her own opposite his Dylan and even intimidating him slightly. Although the Oscar ultimately went to Zoe Saldaña for 'Emilia Pérez,' the nomination confirmed that Barbaro had moved beyond the status of rising star to become one of the defining talents of a new generation of actors.Gilbert Flores (Penske Media via Getty Images)

Parallel to her professional breakthrough, which unfolded amid the awards ceremonies and industry parties surrounding the Oscars, the California-born actress embarked on her first high-profile public relationship. In January 2025, entertainment media began reporting rumors of a romance with actor Andrew Garfield, best known for films such as 'The Social Network.' Those rumors have gradually been borne out by the couple’s repeated public appearances together. Although both have been notably protective of their privacy, Garfield has spoken warmly about Barbaro, calling her a “supremely talented” actress. “I think she is truly incredible,” he said. “I could wax lyrical more, but I'll leave it there.”Jerritt Clark (Getty Images for W Magazine)

In July 2025, the couple made their first official public appearance together at the Wimbledon Championships in London. They embraced the tournament’s traditional aesthetic with coordinated all-white looks, and Barbaro opted for an outfit by Ralph Lauren. Neil Mockford (GC Images)

Fate would have it that their romance also blossomed on a film set, as both are part of the cast of 'Artificial,' the highly anticipated new film from Luca Guadagnino, the director of 'Call Me by Your Name.' Widely seen as a potential awards-season contender, the film is based on the story of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, and the turbulent days surrounding the brief dismissal and subsequent reinstatement of its controversial chief executive, Sam Altman, who is played by Andrew Garfield. Monica Barbaro, meanwhile, portrays Mira Murati, the company’s former chief technology officer and one of the most influential figures in the artificial intelligence industry, widely regarded as a pioneering leader in the field.Aeon (GC Images)

“[Andrew Garfield] is one of the best actors of his generation, our generation,” the actress has said of her co-star. “I just learned a lot from his approach to the material and to developing character, and I felt very fortunate to get to witness that in real time.” Barbaro has also said that working alongside him pushed her to raise her own game. She said she thought: “Oh shit, I really have to step up my game and make sure I'm a proper, legitimate scene partner.”Neil Mockford (GC Images)

For years, Monica Barbaro struggled to find her place in an industry that seemed unsure how to categorize her. The daughter of an Italian American father and a mother of Mexican, English and German descent, she has spoken about being repeatedly encouraged to lean into her Latina heritage in ways that felt inauthentic to her. At the same time, she feared the opposite risk: “neutralizing of myself to not offend anybody.” As a child, she endured racist taunts; as an actress, she sometimes lost out on roles because she was deemed not “ethnic enough.” Rather than choosing between labels, Barbaro has embraced the space in between. "I don't belong in either" — as in either side of her parentage — "but I do belong in this mixed territory."Neil P. Mockford (WireImage)

The actress describes herself as “a romantic and a workaholic.” “I’ve never given my life over to it, which, as a woman, I’m quite proud of. But there’s also the other side of that coin, which is: You can get to a point in your life where you wake up and you look around and you’re sort of like, Oh, have I been self-protecting by [adopting] so much autonomy and independence? I’m definitely shifting some of that perspective now,” she told 'InStyle.'Kevin Mazur (Getty Images)

After graduating from university, with neither steady work nor savings to fall back on, Monica Barbaro moved back across the country to her hometown of San Francisco. There, she spent nearly a decade juggling minor television roles and commercial work, far from the sudden, youthful breakthroughs enjoyed by some rising stars. She had to wait until 2022, when Tom Cruise came calling and changed the course of her career. That same year, her rising profile earned her an invitation to Vanity Fair’s Oscars after-party, where she attended wearing a design by Elie Saab.Daniele Venturelli (WireImage)

Monica Barbaro has spoken openly about why she is uncomfortable using her appearance as a selling point on screen or showing more skin than a story genuinely requires. “One of the very first things I did was a project that I lost the job because I wouldn’t be topless in it,” she told the U.S. edition of InStyle. At the time, she was a background performer with a small, non-speaking role and could not see any narrative reason for the nudity. In the end, she was rehired on her own terms, with her shirt buttoned up. “I’ve not gotten naked in anything I’ve done because I haven’t worked on something where that would be a necessity to the story,” she added.Gilbert Flores (WWD via Getty Images)

Her style evolution over the past few years has been striking. Her fashion résumé now includes a series of looks that feel both contemporary and effortless, among them the oversized white suit she paired with a Jacquemus handbag when she was photographed strolling through New York last winter.TheStewartofNY (GC Images)

Ralph Lauren designed the look Monica Barbaro wore to the 2024 Academy Museum Gala.Gilbert Flores (WWD via Getty Images)

Last year, Monica Barbaro attended the Met Gala for the first time, further cementing her rising status within the industry. For the occasion, the actress once again turned to Dior, embracing the glamour of the 1950s and the New Look silhouette with the maison’s iconic Bar jacket, leather gloves and a boater hat. She seemed to belong to another era, while proving herself perfectly in tune with the event’s dress code.Cindy Ord/MG25 (Getty Images for The Met Museum/)

Although she says her everyday uniform tends to be simple and classic, built around Levi’s jeans, loafers and T-shirts, Monica Barbaro knows how to command the attention of the fashion press when promotional duties call. One of her most recent and most daring looks was this ensemble by designer Sandy Liang, which she wore in New York while promoting 'One Night Only.'TheStewartofNY (Getty Images)

Monica Barbaro attends the premiere of 'A Complete Unknown' at the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome on January 17, 2025.Ernesto S. Ruscio (Getty Images for Disney)

On the red carpet, Monica Barbaro frequently gravitates toward red. In the image, she is wearing a plunging red gown by Christian Dior.Emma McIntyre (WireImage)

“I love to play dress up. I take red carpets as an opportunity to play, in whatever way feels fitting for the project I'm promoting,” she told the U.S. edition of 'Vogue.' In the image, Monica Barbaro wears a striking white gown from Jonathan Anderson’s new era at Dior.Emma McIntyre/Oscars (Getty Images for Academy Museum)

Precisamente en el rodaje de la cinta fue fotografiada luciendo un atrevido minivestido de lentejuelas color esmeralda de Alex Perry con muchas papeletas para convertirse en uno de los más icónicos de su trabajo en pantalla. BG048/Bauer-Griffin (GC Images)

This Armani Privé gown, which Monica Barbaro wore to the 2025 BAFTA Film Awards, earned her a place among the best-dressed stars of the evening.Justin Goff Photos (Justin Goff Photos/Getty Images)

The actress has developed a close relationship with Dior, one of her preferred labels for red carpets and high-profile events. Naturally, she is also a regular guest at the fashion house’s runway shows. For the brand’s Autumn/Winter 2024-25 presentation, she chose this striking white dress, a look that neatly encapsulates her style duality: sensual and romantic in equal measure.Kirstin Sinclair (Getty Images)