Rio Grande Valley native David Barrera has been acting for 28 years in roles small and large from “NYPD Blue” to “The Big Bang Theory” to “Selena: The Series,” and more recently in the acclaimed Hulu film “Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters.” But it’s safe to say he has reached another level of notoriety playing Chief Arreola in Netflix’s new series, “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.”
The rest may be history for the San Juan native, as he’s embarking into familiar but uncharted waters with his newfound opportunities thanks to the acclaim and attention the show is receiving.
Barrera very quickly sought a career in acting after graduating from PSJA High School in 1987, and following a fully paid scholarship to study theater at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He then earned his masters at UC San Diego, where he also earned a paid scholarship.
These days, and after nearly three decades of building a prolific acting portfolio with around 113 credits to his name, Barrera is seeing a once fledgling career soar.
DAHMER SERIES
Although a hit on Netflix, the Dahmer series has stirred up some controversy that Barrera addresses when speaking to fans.
“We talk about how it is trying to do a good thing and it’s trying not to glamorize a serial killer. It’s trying to basically right the wrongs that were done by showing it through the focal point of the victims and the witnesses,” Barrera said.
To prepare for his role as Chief Arreola, he spent weeks researching the real Milwaukee police chief in the investigation, Philip Arreola. He explained that he watched various interviews and interactions he had with the public to study both Arreola’s mannerisms and speech.
Conducting extensive research on the person was necessary for Arreola as Barrera was tried “to understand how they view the world.”
“It’s very important when you play a real person that you treat them with respect,” Barrera explained. “You want to portray the whole person because the person I play is still alive and could see this show, so you always want to make sure that you give them the respect you would give any human being.
“The way I give them that respect is by making sure I have a full, well-rounded idea of what the person is and what they stood for.”
After the research, his next step in the process was to find similarities between himself and the character.
“Once you figure out who they are you really try and bring out your own personal stuff. Your childhood, your education, your training, your interactions with people, understanding where maybe people have said a good thing about you, understanding where maybe people have said something bad about you,” Barrera said, adding that connecting with a character allows for him to better portray the necessary emotions.
He believes this approach allows an overall more authentic performance that will resonate with viewers. And his performance has resonated with his hometown.
Since the release of the show, Barrera has earned support from South Texas supporters on social media.
“That’s one thing about the Valley, they’ve always been super supportive of my career, even before Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter,” he said.
Barrera has also gained recognition among casting directors and fellow actors. He hopes that through the success of the series doors to other roles will open to him.
On working with Evan Peters, who stars in the title role, Barrera had high praise for his co-star.
“I think that Evan Peters is an incredible actor. I really think when Emmy time comes around he is going to be really considered for an Emmy Award and probably win it,” Barrera said.
FINDING ROLES
For Barrera, the most difficult part of his job is finding one.
“If you book 5% to 10% of the jobs that you audition for, you are doing super well,” he said, adding that although it is an industry with a 90% rejection rate, the effort is worth the accomplishments. “It takes a lot of training. You gotta be good at what you do and then it just takes perseverance and a positive mindset to keep going.”
He picked up his positive outlook from a family who supported all his endeavors. Although he said his family struggled with money, his parents continued to support his dream.
When he was a senior in high school he attended the Texas Educational Theater Association where he auditioned for the theater departments of each university in Texas. It was through this association that he was introduced to Southern Methodist University.
“To me, that was amazing because I wasn’t even sure I could afford to go to college, first of all, and for them to give me a full paid theater scholarship — it was just amazing,” Barrera said.
The college experience only helped solidify his love for theater and acting, believing he’d be successful doing this “the rest of my life.” At least that’s the mentality he said was necessary to achieve his goals and be successful in a highly competitive industry.
After graduating college in 1994, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting in the film industry rather than Broadway.
Now almost 30 years later, Barrera believes there are two methods of measuring achievement in acting, and further believes that there is talent in the Valley capable of reaching those heights.
He wants upcoming actors to know that there is a difference between fame and success, two terms often conflated, and explained that there is a middle ground.
According to Barrera, one can be a successful actor while not being famous. He explained that people become famous for various reasons that does not necessarily mean they are successful.
“If you are a working actor you are in the top 1% of actors … you’re definitely successful, you’re just not necessarily famous,” Barrera said. “Ultimately if you are doing what you love in life then you are successful.”
