You’ve probably seen her face everywhere lately, but you might not have put the name to the face until recently. Monica Barbaro is having a massive "moment," though calling it a moment feels like an understatement. It’s more like a total takeover. From flying fighter jets with Tom Cruise to playing folk legends and CIA operatives, her filmography has become one of the most interesting puzzles in Hollywood.
Honestly, it's rare to see an actress jump from high-octane blockbusters to Oscar-caliber biopics without losing a beat. But here we are. If you’re trying to track the monica barbaro movies and tv shows that actually matter, or you're just wondering why she's suddenly the industry’s favorite new lead, there is a lot to catch up on.
The Breakthrough: From "Phoenix" to Household Name
Most people really "met" Monica in 2022. Before Top Gun: Maverick, she was a working actress with some solid TV credits, but Lieutenant Natasha "Phoenix" Trace changed everything. She wasn't just "the girl in the cockpit." She was the cool, calm, and collected heart of the new recruits.
It’s funny because Barbaro actually has a background in ballet. You can see it in how she carries herself—there’s this specific discipline there. She went to NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and then spent years in the "Chicago" franchise (more on that in a second). But Maverick was the jet fuel. She reportedly did her own G-force training, which is basically code for "throwing up in a cockpit until you get the shot." It paid off. She became the face of the next generation of action stars.
The Streaming Giant: FUBAR and the Arnold Connection
Right after the world saw her as a pilot, she pivoted to Netflix. In FUBAR, she plays Emma Brunner, a CIA agent who discovers her dad (played by some guy named Arnold Schwarzenegger) is also a spy. It’s a weird, fun, chaotic show that basically asks: "What if James Bond had a really awkward relationship with his daughter?"
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The show was a massive hit for Netflix, though it actually got canceled after its second season in late 2025. Still, it proved something vital. Monica can do comedy. Working alongside a legend like Schwarzenegger requires a specific kind of timing, and she held her own without being overshadowed by the literal Terminator.
The Prestige Pivot: A Complete Unknown
If you missed her as Joan Baez in the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, you missed her best performance to date. Full stop.
Playing a real-life icon like Baez is a death trap for most actors. You either do a bad impression or you get lost in the wig. Barbaro did neither. She actually learned to play the guitar and performed seven songs for the soundtrack. She wasn't just lip-syncing; she was becoming the voice of a generation.
The industry noticed. She pulled in an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 2025, which is basically the gold seal of approval that says "I’m not just an action star."
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A Walk Through the TV Archives
Before the big movies, Monica was a staple on your DVR. If you’re a fan of the Dick Wolf universe, you know her as ASA Anna Valdez.
- Chicago P.D. & Chicago Justice: This was her home for a while. She played a sharp-witted prosecutor. It’s the kind of role that requires you to rattle off legal jargon while looking like you’ve been doing it for twenty years.
- UnREAL: This is a cult favorite. She played Yael (often called "Hot Rachel") in season two. It was a cynical, biting look at reality TV, and she played the "villain" role with a lot of nuance.
- The Good Cop: A short-lived but charming Netflix dramedy where she played Cora Vasquez.
She also popped up in Stumptown and Splitting Up Together. She’s been working the grind for a long time, which is probably why she seems so grounded now that the spotlight is blinding.
What’s Coming Next in 2026?
The momentum isn't slowing down. If anything, the monica barbaro movies and tv shows lineup for 2026 is even weirder and more ambitious.
First, there’s Crime 101. This is a heavy-hitter crime thriller based on a Don Winslow novella. She’s starring alongside Chris Hemsworth and Pedro Pascal. That is a lot of "internet boyfriends" in one movie, and she’s right in the middle of it.
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Then you have One Night Only. This one sounds wild. It’s directed by Will Gluck (the guy who did Anyone But You) and it's a dystopian romance-comedy. The premise? Two strangers (Barbaro and Callum Turner) try to find a connection on the one night of the year when premarital sex is actually legal. It's being described as a mix between The Purge and a raunchy rom-com. It’s scheduled for an August 2026 release, and given Gluck’s track rate, it’ll probably be a sleeper hit.
Oh, and she's playing Mira Murati, the former CTO of OpenAI, in a movie called Artificial. Talk about range. Going from a 1960s folk singer to a Silicon Valley tech mogul is a wild swing, but it's exactly why people are paying attention.
Where to start your binge
If you're new to the fan club, don't just start with the random guest spots. Hit the "Big Three" first to see the full spectrum of what she can do:
- Top Gun: Maverick – For the charisma and the "cool" factor.
- A Complete Unknown – For the raw talent and the singing.
- FUBAR – For the banter and the action.
Basically, Monica Barbaro has moved past the "rising star" label. She's arrived. Whether she's on a West End stage (she's actually making her debut in Les Liaisons Dangereuses this year) or on a 50-foot IMAX screen, she’s become the actor that other actors want to work with.
To stay ahead of her 2026 releases, keep an eye on the Universal Pictures summer slate for One Night Only. If you want to see her earlier work, UnREAL is currently the best deep-dive for seeing her play a character you love to hate. And for the music fans, the A Complete Unknown soundtrack is genuinely worth a listen on Spotify just to hear her vocals.