Monica Barbaro at the 2024 LACMA Art+Film Gala© Steve Granitz

Monica Barbaro reveals the 'weirdest' advice she's ever received; 'Crazy'

The 'Top Gun' actress discussed some of the worst advice she's ever received at an Entertainment Weekly panel.


Senior Writer
NOVEMBER 6, 2024 7:29 PM EST

Monica Barbaro has lived through some weird experiences in Hollywood. She recently opened up about some of the worst advice she's received in her career, mentioning an instance when her eyelashes were questioned.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Monica Barbaro at the premiere of 'FUBAR'© Axelle/Bauer-Griffin
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Monica Barbaro at the premiere of 'FUBAR'

Barbaro is one of the most exciting rising talents in Hollywood, working with Tom Cruise and Arnold Schwarzenegger in the past couple of years. 

She was one of the speakers at Entertainment Weekly's Breaking Big panel, where she opened up about her career and some of the experiences she's lived through while working in Hollywood. 

When discussing bad advice, she said,  "There's definitely a lot of that." 

"There's just a lot of opinions and you just kind of have to filter through what works for you and not.. I remembered this the other day, the weirdest advice I ever got was the very first commercial thing I ever shot."

"There was a woman doing my makeup, and she told me I had really long eyelashes, and I should probably trim them. I didn't take it like that. I mean, I was just like, 'Oh, okay,'" she explained.

Barbaro revealed that she instantly knew she wouldn't be following the advice. "And then in my mind I was like, 'I'm not going to do that.' And sometimes I just think it's like when you hear advice that you're just not sure of and you're like, I don't know, just trust that instinct," she said. 

"You could be told to do crazy s--- like cut all your eyelashes off."

© Cindy Ord
Monica Barbaro at the 27th SCAD Savannah Film Festival

Barbaro discussed various topics in the panel

Aside from sharing some of her strangest experiences while working in entertainment, Barbaro also opened up about some of the toughest working conditions she's faced as an actress. "Worst audition experiences were definitely for commercials...which I don't tell someone to not do it. I think it's maybe a rite of passage and also it's a great way to earn money," she said. 

While commercials were a great way for her to make money, Barbaro revealed that they were very challenging. "I mean, it kept me afloat while I was trying to do an actual TV show," she said. 

"I don't think I realized how rough they were until I started working in film and TV and then I went back to one and I was like, 'Oh, this is brutal.'" 

Barbaro was joined by a roster of exciting stars who have been featured in some of the most popular projects over the past couple of years, including Nicholas Alexander Chavez, Austin Abrams, Ethan Herisse, and more.

© Axelle/Bauer-Griffin
Monica Barbaro at the 2024 LACMA Art+Film Gala