Pop star Olivia Rodrigo has expressed her desire to have actress Monica Barbaro portray her in a potential biographical film. During a recent conversation with filmmaker Cameron Crowe at the Grammy Museum, Rodrigo explained her choice, noting that she sometimes mistakes photographs of Barbaro for images of herself. She praised Barbaro’s talent and suggested the actress would be well-suited for the role.
Barbaro’s casting would draw on her recent success in musical biopics. The actress earned recognition for her portrayal of folk singer Joan Baez in the 2024 film “A Complete Unknown,” where she starred opposite Timothée Chalamet’s Bob Dylan. Baez herself commended Barbaro’s performance, highlighting her physical resemblance and ability to capture authentic details of the musician’s mannerisms and style.
For the Baez role, Barbaro undertook extensive preparation, working with vocal coaches and guitar instructors despite having no prior musical training. She invested significant effort in mastering Baez’s distinctive fingerpicking technique to authentically represent the folk icon’s musical abilities.
During her Grammy Museum appearance, Rodrigo performed several songs and shared creative details about her songwriting process. She revealed that her track “Stupid Song” was inspired by a chance encounter with a stranger while walking through New York City early in the morning, an experience she described as unexpectedly uplifting.
Originally reported by Rollingstone →
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