She was tagged as the "Audrey Hepburn of the Philippines" due to her doe eyes, pixie face, swan-like neck and 19-inch waistline.
Perez made films included Pagdating ng Takip-Silim (1956), Chabacano (1956), Pampanguena (1956), Gigolo (1956), Ate Barbara (1957), Kalabog En Bosyo (1959) and Tatlong Ilaw sa Dambana (1958).
She appeared with her real-life husband in Daigdig ng Mga Api (1965) which garnered Best Actor and Best Actress awards for the couple.
In 2018 after almost 5 years on hiatus, she returned to showbiz via GMA Network's series Sherlock Jr. Born Barbara Muñoz Perez III, after her grandmother and mother, she is the eldest among the nine children of Antonio Perez from Urdaneta, Pangasinan and Barbara Munoz of Manila.
She married veteran actor Robert Arevalo in 1962,[2] with whom she has three children, Anna, a director of commercials; Georgina, a full-time hands-on mom; and Christian, a student at Xavier School.