As it hits the billionaire dollar mark, we can’t imagine the Barbie movie having any other cast. Originally Barbieland was home to a very different group of actors. Due to scheduling conflicts and creative differences, certain actors didn’t make the final cut.
In a Vanity Fair article, casting director Allison Jones, alongside co-casting director Lucy Bevan, revealed the specific thing they were looking for in their Barbie actors.
“We needed actors who could get the fact that our Barbies only knew pleasant things,” Jones explained, adding that the Barbies (and the actors who played them) needed to be “pure in thought and pure in emotion.”
So here are all the actors who nearly appeared in a version of the Barbie film.
Amy Schumer as Barbie
Before Margot Robbie landed the titular role in Greta Gerwig‘s record-breaking film, Amy Schumer was set to play our plastic, blonde heroine.
The Sony-backed version Schumer had signed onto in 2017 looked like a very different movie, with a different team and director.
“I think we said it was scheduling conflicts,” Schumer explained during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live earlier this year. “That’s what we said. But it really was just like, creative differences. But there’s a new team behind it and it looks like it’s very feminist and cool, so I will be seeing this movie.”
The Trainwreck star, who at one point was set to pen the script with her sister and writing partner Kim Caramele, has since hinted that the version of the film she wanted was very unlike the one envisioned by the studio.
Anne Hathaway as Barbie
It was later reported that Anne Hathaway had taken over the role after Schumer pulled out. Sony reportedly hired writer Olivia Milch, who worked with Hathaway on Ocean’s 8, and director Alethea Jones in an attempt to impress the star. Scheduling conflicts and creative differences ultimately delayed the film.
In 2018, Sony’s option on the Barbie brand timed out, and the rights reverted back to Mattel. That is likely where the film we all know and love came to life.
Gal Gadot as Barbie
Margot Robbie, who also produces Barbie, has admitted that her film choice for the movie wasn’t herself but Gal Gadot. The Wonder Woman star may have had “Barbie energy,” according to the actress but she wasn’t available to appear in the film.
Because Gal Gadot is so impossibly beautiful, but you don’t hate her for being that beautiful because she’s so genuinely sincere, and she’s so enthusiastically kind, that it’s almost dorky. It’s like right before being a dork,” Robbie told Vogue recently.
Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet’s Cameo Roles
Greta Gerwig has expressed her disappointment that her longtime collaborators, Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet, couldn’t appear in Barbie. The pair appeared in her two previous movies, Lady Bird and Little Women. Originally, Gerwig intended the pair to have special cameos.
Ronan was busy shooting The Outrun in Scotland at the time.”I was supposed to do a cameo because I live in London and they were [filming] there,” the Brooklyn star told People last September. “There was a whole character I was going to play—another Barbie. I was gutted I couldn’t do it.”
Gerwig also spoke to CinemaBlend about Chalamet’s role in the film. “I was also going to do a specialty cameo with Timmy, and both of them couldn’t do it, and I was so annoyed,” she explained. “But I love them so much. But it felt like doing something without my children. I mean, I’m not their mom, but I sort of feel like their mom.”
Dan Levy as Ken
According to Barbie’s casting director, Schitt’s Creek co-creator and actor Dan Levy was originally cast as a Ken but couldn’t appear. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Jones explained he couldn’t take on the role as it would mean spending three months filming in London.
Bowen Yang as Ken
Saturday Night Live star Bowen Yang was another actor who couldn’t play Ken, according to Allison Jones. The Fire Island actor would have had to film in London from March 2022. This would have cut into his commitments to Saturday Night Live and Comedy Central’s Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens.
Ben Platt as Ken
Dear Evan Hansen star Ben Platt was also cast as a Ken but ultimately couldn’t. Allison revealed the three actors who were almost Ken were “really bummed they couldn’t do it.”
Ryan Gosling landed the role of Beach Ken with Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Ncuti Gatwa, Scott Evans, and John Cena playing other versions of Ken.
Jonathan Groff as Allan
Mindhunter actor Jonathan Groff was the original choice for Allan. “Dear, dear Jonathan Groff was like, ‘I can’t believe I’m typing this,” Allison shared with Vanity Fair, “but I can’t do Allan.”
The role of Ken’s best buddy ultimately went to Juno actor, Michael Cera and we can’t imagine anyone else in the role.
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