Since appearing in Top Gun: Maverick three years ago, Monica Barbaro has only risen in popularity – most recently earning acclaim for her Oscar-nominated role in A Complete Unknown, the Timothée Chalamet-led Bob Dylan biopic. The film has received widespread praise and numerous award nominations, and the internet is abuzz about Barbaro’s stellar performance as Joan Baez. Yet the At Midnight actress has seen none of it, having once again deleted social media.
Completely separating yourself from the online world is not something that’s very easy to do. Yet this is not the first time Barbaro has deleted all social media presence. The Top Gun: Maverick recently actress told Variety she started her social media detox just before filming A Complete Unknown, and post-premiere she picked it back up, but her reasoning for deleting it again makes a lot of sense. She explained,
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.
This is one example of method acting I can get behind. I can’t imagine the constant chatter and press online when you’re famous and set to star alongside Timothée Chalamet – especially considering how the internet was not very kind to her with unsolicited opinions about her appearance. I would want a break from all that as well. Even if it is well-deserved positive commentary about her acting performance, so much public attention can still impact one’s mental health. Besides, who better to prioritize than the people who care for you most?
Included on that list are her fellow Top Gun co-stars, who all have a group chat together. Barbaro told People the chat blew up with messages upon her Oscar nomination. Clearly the Top Gun cast is still very close, even years after the premiere of their wildly successful blockbuster sequel.
Even though he is absent from the message thread, Tom Cruise still takes any opportunity to support his Top Gun family, showing up to the Twisters premiere for Glen Powell. The Mission Impossible star even reached out to director James Mangold to vouch for Barbaro in the development of the Bob Dylan biopic, and it’s a good thing Mangold listened. It’s no secret “Phoenix” impressed everyone on the Top Gun 2 set, although somehow, singing and playing guitar on stage in A Complete Unknown was a more difficult challenge for her than flying fighter jets.
Monica Barbaro is clearly a rising star, and I can’t wait to see what she does next – although, as a Top Gun fan, I secretly hope it’s a third installment of the Tom Cruise naval franchise. Be sure to check out Monica Barbaro in A Complete Unknown, and tune into the Oscars on the 2025 TV Schedule to see if she takes home the award for Best Actress In A Supporting Role.