Monica Maria Barbaro (; born June 17, 1990) is an American actress. She began training in

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

at an early age, and earned a

Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students pursuing a professional education in the visual arts, Fine art, or performing arts. In some instances, it is also called a Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA). Background ...

in dance from

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

. She began acting soon after college, taking on small roles in film and television in the 2010s, before her first major role in the second season of ''

Unreal Unreal may refer to: Books and TV * ''Unreal'' (short story collection), a 1985 book of short stories by Paul Jennings * ''Unreal'' (TV series), a 2015 television drama series on Lifetime Computing and games * ''Unreal'' (video game series), ...

'' (2016), followed by further television roles in '' Chicago P.D.'' (20162017), ''

Chicago Justice ''Chicago Justice'' is an American legal drama series created by Dick Wolf, the fourth series of the ''Chicago'' franchise. It stars Philip Winchester, Jon Seda, Joelle Carter, Monica Barbaro, and Carl Weathers. It aired on NBC from March 1 ...

'' (2017), '' The Good Cop'' (2018), and '' Splitting Up Together'' (20182019). Her feature film debut was in the

independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...

'' The Cathedral'' (2021). Barbaro's breakthrough came with a supporting role in the action film '' Top Gun: Maverick'' (2022), which she followed with starring roles in the

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

action comedy series ''

FUBAR Military slang is a colloquial language used by and associated with members of various military forces. This page lists slang words or phrases that originate with military forces, are used exclusively by military personnel or are strongly associa ...

'' (2023present) and as

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (, ; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing mo ...

in the biopic ''

A Complete Unknown ''A Complete Unknown'' is a 2024 American biographical musical drama film directed by James Mangold, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jay Cocks, about American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Loosely based on the 2015 book ''Dylan Goes Electric!' ...

'' (2024). For the latter, she was nominated for the

SAG Award Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...

and

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 9th Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performanc ...

Early life and education

Barbaro was born on June 17, 1990, to Heidi (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Wagner) and Nicholas Barbaro. She has a sister Eva and a brother, Michael. Barbaro's father is Italian American and her mother is of Mexican, German, and Nicaraguan descent. Her parents divorced when she was a child. Barbaro was born in San Francisco and grew up in

Mill Valley, California Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, United States, located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge and from Napa Valley. The population was 14,231 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Mill Valley is lo ...

, where she graduated from

Tamalpais High School Tamalpais High School (often abbreviated as Tam) is a public secondary school located in Mill Valley, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is named after nearby Mount Tamalpais, which rises almost above Mill Valley. Tamalpais High Scho ...

in 2007. Barbaro started dancing at an early age and went on to study ballet. While taking electives in acting, she completed a degree in dance at

Tisch School of the Arts The New York University Tisch School of the Arts (commonly referred to as Tisch) is the performing, cinematic, and media arts school of New York University. Founded on August 17, 1965, as the School of the Arts at New York University, Tisch ...

in New York City. After graduating in 2010, she decided to pursue acting and returned to San Francisco. There, she booked a commercial and a short film, connected with an agent, and attended the Beverly Hills Playhouse acting school.

Career

Barbaro gained attention in 2013 for her lead role in ''It's Not About the Nail'', a viral comedy short about communication in a marriage. Her first major television role was portraying the character of Yael on the second season of the Lifetime television series ''

UnREAL Unreal may refer to: Books and TV * ''Unreal'' (short story collection), a 1985 book of short stories by Paul Jennings * ''Unreal'' (TV series), a 2015 television drama series on Lifetime Computing and games * ''Unreal'' (video game series), ...

''. Following ''UnREAL'', Barbaro joined the cast of

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

legal drama ''

'', an entry in

Dick Wolf Richard Anthony Wolf (born December 20, 1946) is an American billionaire and television producer, best known for his ''Law & Order'' franchise. Since 1990, the franchise has included six police/courtroom dramas and four international spinoffs. ...

's ''Chicago'' franchise, in which she portrayed Anna Valdez. In 2018, Barbaro also played Cora Vasquez on Netflix's ''The Good Cop'', alongside

Josh Groban Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. His first four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum, and he was charted in 2007 as the number-one best selling artist in the United States, ...

and

Tony Danza Tony Danza (born Anthony Salvatore Iadanza; April 21, 1951) is an American actor and retired professional boxer. He is known for co-starring in the television series ''Taxi (TV series), Taxi'' (1978–1983) and ''Who's the Boss?'' (1984–1992 ...

. Between 2018 and 2019, Barbaro had a recurring part in the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

sitcom '' Splitting Up Together''. In the 2022 blockbuster '' Top Gun: Maverick'', Barbaro portrayed Lieutenant Natasha "Phoenix" Trace, a

naval aviator Naval aviation / Aeronaval is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. It often involves '' navalised aircraft'', specifically designed for naval use. Seaborne aviation encompas ...

. The following year, Barbaro starred in the romantic comedy '' At Midnight'' (2023). The film received mixed reviews for its story but Barbaro earned acclaim for her performance. ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. ...

'' declared "Barbaro...proves with seemingly effortless charm that she can carry a

rom-com Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Romantic comedy e ...

". Barbaro, a professional dancer, was able to lend her talents in a scene that involved the two leads dancing a combination of

salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (food), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: Arts and ent ...

and the

tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries from a combination of Arge ...

. In 2024, she played activist and folk singer

in the

James Mangold James Allen Mangold (born December 16, 1963) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Noted for his versatility in tackling a range of genres, Mangold made his debut as a film director with ''Heavy (film), Heavy'' (1995), and gai ...

-directed

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

biopic ''

'', starring

Timothée Chalamet Timothée Hal Chalamet ( ; born December 27, 1995) is an American and French actor. List of awards and nominations received by Timothée Chalamet, His accolades include a Screen Actors Guild Awards, Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to ...

. Barbaro took singing and guitar lessons to prepare for this role. For her performance, she received multiple accolades, including nominations for the

and the

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role The Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture is an award presented annually by the Screen Actors Guild. It has been presented since the 1st Screen Actors Guild Awards in 199 ...

. In April 2025, it was announced that Barbaro would be making her stage debut, acting in a West End revival of the French play ''

Les Liaisons dangereuses ''Les Liaisons dangereuses'' (; English: ''Dangerous Liaisons'') is a French epistolary novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, first published in four volumes by Durand Neveu on March 23, 1782. It is the story of the Marquise Isabelle de Merteu ...

'' at the National Theatre. She will be starring opposite

Lesley Manville Lesley Ann Manville (born 12 March 1956) is an English actress. She has received various accolades, including two Laurence Olivier Awards and nominations for an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, four British Academy Television ...

and

Aidan Turner Aidan Turner (born 19 June 1983) is an Irish actor. He began his career in the RTÉ medical drama '' The Clinic'' (2008–2009) and the BBC series ''Desperate Romantics'' (2009). He later gained attention for co-starring as one of the main lead ...

, with direction by

Marianne Elliott Marianne Phoebe Elliott (born 27 December 1966) is a British theatre director and producer who works on the West End and Broadway. She has received numerous accolades including two Laurence Olivier Awards and four Tony Awards. Initially de ...

Personal life

As of February 2025, Barbaro is dating actor

Andrew Garfield Andrew Russell Garfield (born 20 August 1983) is an English and American actor. After his breakout role in '' Boy A'' (2007), he came to international attention with the supporting role of Eduardo Saverin in the drama ''The Social Network'' ...

Acting credits

Film

Television

Theater

Video games

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Barbaro, Monica 1990 births 21st-century American actresses Actresses from San Francisco American film actresses American actresses of Mexican descent American people of Italian descent American people of German descent American people of Nicaraguan descent American television actresses Hispanic and Latino American actresses Living people People from Mill Valley, California Tamalpais High School alumni Tisch School of the Arts alumni