Melissa Barrera on ‘giving up’ control over the role of the ‘Copenhagen Test’

SPOILERS: This article contains details on The Copenhagen testSeason 1

As The Copenhagen test hits Peacock, viewers will no doubt develop trust issues with Melissa Barrera’s spy character, Michelle.

With season 1 now available on the streamer, the actress told Deadline that it was one of her favorite aspects of playing the femme fatale in Thomas Brandon’s sci-fi thriller, which also stars Simu Liu as intelligence agent Alexander Hale, whose mind is hacked by a mysterious enemy using the intel to bring down his agency.

“It was an interesting challenge, and unlike anything I’ve ever done, where I have to give in a little bit and trust that the preparation that I’m doing and the levels of these versions of the character that I’m portraying are going to come through, even if I don’t know where they’re going,” Barrera explained.

Barrera’s Michelle plays a thrilling game of manipulation with Alexander, infiltrating his life to assess whether or not he poses a threat. The couple then maintains the facade of a blossoming romance, with both seeming to develop real feelings, even if they do not fully trust the other.

As Michelle, Barrera remained almost as in the dark as the audience about the character’s mysterious history, which is never quite revealed amid multiple layers of lies and deception.

“So for me, I’m a very controlling and planning person as an actor,” she added. “I kind of had to let go and be like, ‘You know what? I’m not going to know, because they’re still writing and I don’t know where they’re going to take it.’ And it was exciting in one way and nerve-wracking in another way. But I think ultimately it helped unravel the mystery of it all.

Alongside Liu, Barrera had “a lot of fun” during their fight scene, which she describes as “very Mr. and Mrs. Smith vibe.” Meanwhile, the Shang-Chi star praised her as “a spectacular action star in the making.”

Two years after Barrera was unceremoniously fired from Shout franchise, the actress is grateful to fans who continue to support her work and “in their own way, kind of lift me up,” following a recent Scream 7 boycott in his honor.

Keep reading about Melissa Barrera’s complex The Copenhagen test character, his hopes for season 2 and his reaction to Scream 7 boycott.

DEADLINE: One thing I like Copenhagen test is there some sort of romantic comedy element to the spy thriller. Was that a fun line to walk?

MÉLISSA BARRERA: I’m always drawn to romance. That’s what I prefer. Regardless of the genre, I always look for the love story. And so, I thought it was so cool that there was this element to this show, in particular, and that I could be a part of it, because I would have had FOMO if my character wasn’t involved. But I love the performance within the performance within the performance of that dynamic and the fact that you don’t really know how much of that connection is real and how much of it is a performance on either side. And so, I think as an audience member, those who are attracted to the relationship will always kind of root for them, for it to be real. But you won’t really know what it’s about because that’s the thing about the show, every episode you kind of get a new piece of information and it pulls the rug out from under you.

DEADLINE: Yeah, I actually gasped a few times watching it.

BARRERA: I love it. I love to hear.

DEADLINE: And what was it like playing Michelle, who obviously has such a complicated past? It’s so funny to see her seem so sincere one moment and then the next…

BARRERA: I mean, I’m an actor, right, so that seemed like a big part of his job. And that’s why I like this beat where we go back to the first episode and you can see it from her point of view, where she’s getting ready to go out and pretend to be this damsel in distress. And she asks questions about who is she, who is her scene partner, because she’s basically an actress in a different setting. She has to prepare in the same way that we would for making films and television, and really commit to a character for much longer than someone who is just acting on set would. But I found it quite easy to think of it that way. So I wasn’t stressed about all the information I didn’t have, because we started shooting the show, and I didn’t have all the scripts, so I didn’t know where they were going to take it. And it was an interesting challenge, and unlike anything I’ve ever done, where I have to give in a little bit and trust that the preparation that I’m doing and the levels of these versions of the character that I’m portraying will pay off, even if I don’t know where they’re going. So for me, I’m a very controlling and planning person as an actor. I kind of had to let go and be like, “You know what? I’m not going to know, because they’re still writing and I don’t know where they’re going to take it.” And it was exciting in one way and nerve-wracking in another way. But I think ultimately it contributed to the mystery of it all. And sometimes I was like, “I’m going to play this in different ways and you’re going to use the take that you think is going to be the best for the next part, because I don’t know where you’re taking me.” So it was quite an interesting experience.

DEADLINE: And I really liked how we never really find out what happened in Michelle’s past, and then at the end, Parker burns the file. So, I’m wondering if you and Thomas have discussed his story, or if it’s something you’ve kind of filled in your head.

BARRERA: I filled it out in my head. I had an idea of ​​what I needed to be able to play that moment of relief, and what she’s running from, because for her to accept this mission where she knows that if she becomes visible and recognizable to the enemy, that means she can’t work anymore. The enemy will know who she is and she decides to embark on the mission anyway. So, I wonder, what could motivate a person to undertake this mission? What happened? So I had to complete that storyline, but I’m hoping to have a season 2, so we can learn more about her and see more of what her life is like and what she ran or ran away from. He’s an exciting character for me, in a very different way from the other characters. Like when I did LifeI was excited to come back to a character because I loved playing her and I had fun, but here I’m excited to come back to Michelle when we get a season 2 because I was always surprised by where they took her, and so, it’s exciting to play something like this.

DEADLINE: Well, I really hope there’s a season 2, especially after that little teaser at the end where she’s a “loose end”, but I also love the dynamic between Michelle and Parker. I felt like it’s just girls bonding over gaslighting boys, and that’s my favorite.

BARRERA: Yes, there is a level of innocence and unexpectedness in this friendship. And I love this couple because it’s very high school. It feels like, even though they’re in such a high-stakes situation, girls are girls, women are women, and as if the existential crises we go through are still the same since we were teenagers. And I think it’s really sweet that Michelle becomes Parker’s friend. The way I played those scenes with Parker, I tried to always keep it truthful, obviously, but keep it ambiguous enough that you could believe that she’s being honest and letting herself be vulnerable and letting Parker in, like it was actually a real relationship. But if tomorrow the writers decide that in season 2 everything was fake and she never did it, it wouldn’t surprise me if she played Parker too. This might work too. So it was about finding that fine line in performance, it could go either way. And if you watch it later with new information, you will believe it. That was the challenge.

DEADLINE: There are quite a few fight scenes in here, and I just have to say, you’re really badass, looking at you. What was your favorite fight scene to film, or do you have a most memorable fight moment?

BARRERA: The most fun I had on set was the physical fights. I think I was looking forward to that final fight with Simu, just us in his apartment, because it was very Mr. and Mrs. Smith vibrations, and I would have loved it if it was five times longer. I could have kept going, because he’s such a fun scene partner to have, not only in the acting scenes, but also in the physical scenes. He’s so good. Obviously she’s an action star, right? So he figured it out, and I had to do a lot of training and a lot of practice, a lot of rehearsals to get to the point where I didn’t have to think about the fights and what was coming next, and I could concentrate on the storytelling. And we had an incredible stunt team who were very patient with me. I requested a million extra sessions on my days off, and they would still be available to me. I just wanted Michelle to really look like she’s been in this life for a while, and that she knows what she’s doing, and there’s a reason why she keeps joining in on these big missions where she’s trusted to protect this person or take them down, and I like physical things. I loved it. And so, it was a fun day on set because we got to move around the whole apartment. I would have loved for us to destroy all that, but you know, I think we still had scenes to shoot in a different order, so we couldn’t really do that. I suggested it, but maybe next season.

DEADLINE: Separately, the trailer for Scream 7 was released recently and many people even started a boycott. How does it feel to have these loyal fans after the last two years?

BARRERA: Obviously having support is always a good feeling, and I’m very grateful for the love that I’ve been shown, and for the support and the new people that have come into my life, and who are now supporting the other things that I’m doing and trying to, I think, in their own way, uplift me in some way. So, honestly, it’s really nice.