Ahead of the release of Bob Trevino Likes It, writer-director Tracie Laymon and actors John Leguizamo and Barbie Ferreira stopped by NeueHouse for an early screening and panel conversation. In a quick-fire interview with NeueJournal, they share insights into making the film, their creative inspirations, and the best advice they’ve ever received.
NEUEJOURNAL: What drew you to this film and to your role?
JOHN: I love indie filmmaking. It’s where all the experimentation has always happened. Without indies, Hollywood get stagnant and stale. This is where the risks are taken and the expansion of the medium happens. I was looking for a standout piece of writing, and Tracie Laymon’s script was so original and authentic that I fell in love with it. The Bob Trevino character was also something I had been looking to play: just a regular guy, and make him as three-dimensional as possible. I love the message of the movie, about these two broken individuals who aren’t exceptional in any way but they are for each other and their meeting, like the comets flying above them in the park, was just kismet at its best.
BARBIE: When I read the script, I was immediately moved by the character of Lily. I had similar issues with my own father so it felt like someone had read my diary. Turns out, Tracie and I were deeply connected in that way. It was meant to be. This film is special in the way that it is so subtle without falling into storytelling traps.
NEUEJOURNAL: Tracie, what was the process of casting John and Barbie like? Did you see something in them that resonated with your own story?
TRACIE: From the moment I sat down with Barbie for our first creative breakfast at Hugo’s in LA and the moment I sat down with John at a Morandi in New York and it was like meeting an old friend. Everything just felt aligned. And it has stayed along that the whole time. I really didn’t feel like I was casting “actors” in a way. I feel like I was casting hearts. I’ve heard people say you never get your top picks for actors, especially for your first feature, but these were the two actors my artistic soul truly craved for the roles and somehow it all just worked out. I have a lot of people to thank for that including all the talent reps, my friend Tracy Lilienfield and our film’s casting director Kate Gellar.
NEUEJOURNAL: Was there a particular moment on set that stands out to you—something unexpected, funny, or especially meaningful?
BARBIE: In true indie film fashion, everything fell apart and we somehow still managed to finish our days! One particular day there was a storm and we all had to hide out inside one of the locations, and the crew and I were just holding onto each other. Even though the lightning was unfortunate, we shared so many laughs and got to know each other especially in moments like that.
JOHN: The puppy scene was so fun to shoot (with a real pet adoption center that helps abandoned puppies). Barbie was so brilliant in the scene that it broke my heart. Here is this guy, doing one simple kind act, and it becomes contagious and is a turning point for Lily. She’s healed forever.
TRACIE: One moment that really stands out is how we all came together to make up for the lost day after the actors’ strike. Once we received the SAG waiver—because we were truly independent—it was incredible to see everyone rally and make it work.
Another unforgettable moment was the day we shot what is now the opening shot of Barbie. Originally scripted as Scene 3, I immediately knew it had to be our opening image. Barbie was absolutely amazing, and it perfectly captured the journey of the film—from tears of rejection and isolation to tears of joy, acceptance, and chosen family.
NEUEJOURNAL: What do you hope audiences take away from this film?
BARBIE: I want people to feel joy, discomfort, pain, healing…all of it. But, ultimately, this story is one of hope.
JOHN: I hope audiences feel that being good to others is a superpower and heals the world. Just one kind deed amplifies and spreads. You will be laugh your ass off in this movie and cry your heart out, I promise you. You’ll walk out of the theater feeling so healed and positive that you will hug every stranger you meet.
TRACIE: We are told we are divided and made to feel powerless but that isn’t true. Look at how small acts of kindness changed my life. If a stranger hadn’t chosen to be kind to me on the internet we wouldn’t be here today and the movie wouldn’t be impacting others and helping some people truly heal old wounds. The ripple effect of kindness is real and powerful. You can change someone’s life, just by being kind. I’m living proof.
NEUEJOURNAL: What’s something this project taught you, either personally or professionally?
BARBIE: Everything. This project felt like a confrontational therapy session that I couldn’t avoid anymore. It helped me learn about the parts of myself that I bury deep inside.
JOHN: Kindness and respect are as manly as being a fighter and a warrior. It takes more courage to be kind and nurturing than anything.
The House Questionnaire ft. Barbie Ferreira
Name:
Barbie Ferreira
Profession:
Actor/ Producer
Hometown:
New York / New Jersey
Current City:
Los Angeles
I never leave the house without:
Lipliner
What is a metaphor for your creative process?
Nature’s water cycle (always moving, precipitating, purifying and renewing).
Current read or listen:
The Dispossessed by Ursula K LeGuin
Current obsession:
Knitting while watching The Pitt
I tend to get my best ideas by:
Sitting outside and yapping with my best friends.
What artist or creative work has been a source of inspiration for you?
Cate Blanchett, Isabella Rossellini, Tilda Swinton…they are the actors who make their life an art.
Best advice you’ve received:
They will hate you and they will love you—so who cares.
Favorite life hack:
Putting herbs in ice water to perk them up if they are sad-looking makes them green and fresh again.
The House Questionnaire ft. John Leguizamo
Name: John Leguizamo
Profession: actor/writer/director
Hometown: Queens, New York City
Current City: Village, New York City
I never leave the house without: I just never leave the house, haha. I’m a shut-in. No for real, my Knicks or Mets hat, my hoodie and my shades.
What guides your creative process? I try to protect my instincts instead of following trends or others… I try always try to be an innovator not an imitator.
Current read or listen: The Dawn of Everything (incredible book, one of my favorites) by David Graeber and David Wengrow.
Current obsession: The history of resistance. I’m obsessed with studying boycotting, protesting and freedom of speech.
I tend to get my best ideas by: Walking is my greatest inspiration. It just opens me up to the universal tap of ideas floating in the ether. If I can be quiet in my head I can hear all these ideas speaking to me.
What artist or creative work has been a source of inspiration for you? Peter Brooks was a great inspiration, The group theater and Stanislavski. They were great scientists and experimenters in the field of creativity. I’ve learned more from them than most other educators.
Best advice you’ve received: Follow your star not anybody else’s. Your path is unique to you so stop looking around and be sure you are going the right way.
Favorite life hack: If people show me they can’t be trusted once I take it as a sure sign that it will happen again and I will no longer trust as full heartedly as I once did. It has spared me a lot of pain and heartache.
The House Questionnaire ft. Tracie Laymon
Name: Tracie Laymon
Profession: Writer/Director/Producer
Hometown: Houston and Austin, Texas
Current City: Burbank/Toluca Lake, CA (LA)
I never leave the house without: Not applicable because I leave my house without things constantly! I get really in my head. I have to have systems to make sure I don’t forget things.
How do you approach your creative process? Prep hard and then let go and get loose enough to find magic on the day.
Current read or listen: I’m just starting IT’S NOT YOU by Dr Ramani Durvasula (who loves this film, btw) – she says it’s the most accurate depiction of a narcissist she has ever seen. I also got to go to a Jelly Roll concert recently and have become a fan. He’s a light for a lot of people who need it. I’m really into second chances when people earn them.
Current obsession: Promoting this film.
I tend to get my best ideas by: Being quiet and listening to things that are bigger than me.
What artist or creative work has been a source of inspiration for you? Viktor Frankl’s MAN’S SEARCH FOR MEANING, Khalil Gibran’s ON JOY AND SORROW, all my colleagues that I collaborated with on BOB. Maya Angelou’s “Be a Rainbow in Someone Else’s Cloud”
Best advice you’ve received: If you want to have a happy ending, you just have to have your characters earn it. I think the same is true for us in life. 🙂
Favorite life hack: Meditation and learning to let go of the people who continually make me feel small and hurt me.
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