Melissa Barrera Says She’s Happy With How ‘Scream 6’ Left Sam’s Arc

At the end of Scream VI, half-sisters Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) walk away from yet another night of murderous madness after a trio of killers in Ghostface masks attempt to kill them. During her two-film arc, audiences watched as Sam grappled with the knowledge that she was the daughter of Scream’s (1996) original killer, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), with the storyline picking apart a sort of genetic stance on whether this connection meant that Sam was predisposed to have a thirst for blood. As Demi Lovato’s “Still Alive” begins to play, audiences witness Sam toss her father’s mask onto the concrete below, signifying that — even if others questioned it — she knew who she was.

Late last year, it was announced that Spyglass Media would be cutting ties with Barreradue to her pro-Palestinian stance, meaning that she wouldn’t be part of the already in-the-works Scream 7. The news came as a devastating blow to fans who had gotten to know and cherish Barrera’s character during the last two films. During an interview with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff for an installment of Nemiroff’s Ladies Night, she asked Barrera if the actress felt like Sam’s storyline was properly wrapped up and whether she carries a sense of closure now that her run with the franchise has come to an end.

Melissa Barrera Feels That Sam Received Her Proper Send-Off

During her chat with Nemiroff, Barrera confirmed that she’s feeling good about how things came to a close (albeit prematurely) with her character. “I feel like I’ve gotten closure,” the In the Heights star said, adding, “My head is clear.” She went on to share the justice she felt was done by Sam thanks to directorial duo Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin as well as the sixth installment’s co-writers, James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick.

“I feel like the ending of [
Scream VI
] was a very good ending, and so I don’t feel like “Ugh, I got left in the middle.” No, I think people, the fans, were wanting a third movie to continue that arc, and

apparently, the plan was a trilogy, even though I was only contracted for two movies

. So, I did my two movies, and I’m fine. I’m good with that. I got two – that’s more than most people get. When you’re on a TV show, and it gets canceled, you can’t harp on things, you gotta move on. That’s the nature of this industry too,

I get excited for the next job, I get excited for the next skin I get to put on.

It’s exciting to create a different character. So yeah, I feel good. I did what I set out to do. It was always meant to be two movies for me, ’cause that was my contract, and so everything is perfect.”

Melissa Barrera Has A Great Support System In Her Corner

Barrera also shared that she has a wonderful team backing her with a group of publicists who are both “respectful and polite,” with the actress explaining,

“I have always been very careful of having people on my team that are good human beings that everybody likes, that are good people, and that are also really good at their jobs. And that we are on the same page in a lot of things. I feel very, very lucky and fortunate that I have a great team all around.
My publicists have been incredible in the last six months of my life
, and it’s just been amazing to have that support, because it’s important.
It can be make-or-break for your mental health
to feel that your team has your back, or that you’re alone, [it] can be terrible.”

In addition to her publicity crew, Barrera says that she often repeats a saying that her mother taught her when faced with difficult times,

“I have this mantra that my mom always taught me and this is how I’ve lived my life.
“Everything is perfect.” Even if it feels like something very dramatic or like something that didn’t go as you wanted it,
everything is perfect and everything happens for a reason. I’m already on the next chapter, you know?”

Barrera’s next chapter will be in Abigail, which sees her reunite with Scream (2022) and Scream VI directors, Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin, also known as Radio Silence. The Universal monster flick arrives in cinemas on April 19, and you can learn more about it here. Keep an eye out for Nemiroff’s full Ladies Night chat with Barrera.

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