Melissa Barrera, star of the upcoming film "Carmen," recently shared how director Benjamin Millepied and his wife, Natalie Portman, embraced her as family during the movie's production in Australia in 2021.

At the New York City screening of "Carmen" on Monday, Barrera told PEOPLE that Millepied and Portman included her in their family activities while she was in Australia alone. "I was completely by myself. So Ben and Natalie took me in and we went to Byron Bay for Christmas and New Year's. It was like a very family kind of thing," the 32-year-old actress said, describing them as "the nicest people ever."

Barrera also participated in other family events when Portman, who was filming "Thor: Love and Thunder" at the time, visited. "We were hanging out on the weekends a lot. We got on a boat one day and we spent the entire afternoon just on the boat, chatting and eating [in Sydney]."

On collaborating with the renowned choreographer for his first venture into filmmaking, Barrera revealed she was a fan of Millepied before landing the role. Millepied, a French ballet dancer, choreographed and performed in Darren Aronofsky's 2010 film "Black Swan," where he met Portman.

Barrera described Millepied's approach as experimental, adding, "It was very cool for me because not being a dancer, I was kind of just — he was leading me, and I was just following him, and he was very patient with me and also very encouraging of me."

She also praised Millepied's demeanor on set, describing him as "a very relaxed, very easygoing guy."

"Carmen," a reimagined classic opera, follows the story of "a young and fiercely independent woman" named Carmen "who is forced to flee her home in the Mexican desert following the brutal murder of her mother," according to the film's synopsis.

Barrera has also been involved in other successful projects since completing the Sony Pictures Classics film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. She starred in the 2021 musical "In the Heights" and led the new "Scream" films, starting with 2022's "Scream," which she filmed after "Carmen."

As PEOPLE's first digital cover star, Barrera revealed in a March 16 interview that she was "painfully shy" as a child growing up in Monterrey, Mexico. Despite her early shyness, she eventually fell in love with theater and auditioning, and her fellow actors became her friends.

Now a successful actress, Barrera is focusing on living in the moment and appreciating her accomplishments. "My mom is always there to remind me to pat myself on the back, hug myself, and speak to myself in the mirror to congratulate myself on how far I've come. I'm trying to change my mentality."

"Carmen" is set to hit theaters in New York City and Los Angeles on April 21.