Melissa Barrera was interviewed by the New York Post while promoting the already acclaimed film adaptation of In the Heights, poised to become the movie of the summer in the U.S.—a burst of music, joy, and representation arriving at the exact moment audiences needed it.

During the interview, Barrera also reflected on her experience in Scream (2022), admitting she quietly geeked out every time she shared a scene with Neve Campbell and, especially, Courteney Cox. A lifelong Friends fan, she couldn’t resist:

“I would be doing a scene with Courteney or Neve, and when the directors would cut, I’d whisper to them, ‘Take a picture, take a picture!’ I would act all casual, so they could get a shot of us.”

Barrera also revealed a meaningful detail about her character, Sam Carpenter:

“The role was written to be played by a white girl, and I feel like the studio was giving me a chance, and casting me and leaving the name as-is is a step in representation, and being open to giving the role to the best actor, not just casting an ethnicity.”

In the Heights, starring Melissa Barrera, arrives in U.S. theaters and on HBO Max on June 11th.