14
TheKeep Breathingstar recalls her favorite soundtracks and more from her teen years.
When Melissa Barrera was 14, she was trying to get out of having a quinceanera.
It was just an unnecessary party, Barrera tells Bustle over Zoom.
But my grandma really wanted us to have one.
It didnt help that the color was what she describes as beige-y with green beading.
It was the most boring color that I could have chosen.
I don’t know why I did that.
Still to this day, I regret it.
Quinceaneras and fashion faux pas aside, 14 was a life-changing age for the actor.
These people are amazing.
I love being on stage.
I want to do this for the rest of my life.
I am that character, she toldThe Cut.
Take me back to 2004, when you were 14.
How were you feeling about your life then?
I was in eighth grade, and I was starting to get the courage to audition for musical theater.
And I did my first show, which wasThe Wizard of Oz, in school.
It was a big year for me, actually, because my love for musical theater started.
Who did you play inThe Wizard of Oz?
I played Tree #3.
I was in the ensemble; I played a munchkin as well as a guard of the witch.
What were your biggest hopes and worries at the time?
My biggest hopes and worries were being liked back by the boy that I liked.
The drama of the moment was like, Oooh, boys, and that was it.
It is very nice to think that was my biggest worry.
14 can also be a delicate time for a girl.
Do you remember how you were feeling about your body at 14?
Did you feel comfortable in your own skin?
Sometimes yes, but sometimes no.
Everyone was getting their first periods at that time.
You don’t even want your friends to know.
And everyone’s learning about pads and no one was using tampons yet.
I was like, Why is this necessary?
Can I just have a trip?
Can you give me the money and can I buy myself something?
Then my sisters all had their own quinceaneras.
What was your relationship with your sisters like at the time?
We would pull each other’s hair out.
I feel like that happens when there are four girls in a household.
It was drama all the time, but we also had a lot of fun.
When we would go on trips by ourselves, we would laugh so much.
What were you getting in trouble for at 14?
At 14, I wasn’t getting in trouble for anything.
I remember, even when I started drinking at 17-18, I could get away with everything.
I was never going out to clubs or anything like that.
I was a homebody, and I liked hanging out with my friends at home or at the park.
I was also very active.
I always had activities going on, so I didn’t have time to be a rebel.
Keep Breathingis all about survival.
What would be in your 14-year-old selfs survival kit?
What couldn’t you live without?
I would have a Bath and Body Works hand sanitizing cream, which was huge at the time.
Everyone had one; all the smells in the classrooms weresostrong.
Yeah, a notebook and a pen.
Which musical soundtracks were on repeat for you?
I hadLes MisandBeauty and the Beaston repeat.Rent.
Those are the three that were on cycle in my car.
Did you have any big celebrity crushes at the time?
I loved boy bands.
Who was your favorite boy band?
Did you ever get to see them in concert?
I just saw them in their Las Vegas residency.
During my honeymoon, my husband and I were in Vegas for a few days, and we went.
It was the best concert of our lives because he’s also a fan.
We’re on our feet the entire time singing every song.
They were doing playback for most of it, but it didn’t matter because the production was incredible.
What do you think your 14-year-old self would think of you now?
I would hope that she thinks I’m really cool and that we have a great life.
I would hope that she’s surprised but also satisfied.
She’d be like, You’re doing movies in Hollywood.
You got to work with Courteney Cox!
I was obsessed withFriends, so she would be proud.
Don’t be afraid to take more risks.
When I was a kid, I was super bold and unafraid.
And then slowly, I started losing that.
And 14, 15, 16 was probably the peak time when I was super insecure.
And so I would say to trust yourself.
Don’t be afraid to go for the things that you want.
This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.
