Given the $1 billion success of “Barbie,” it's hard to picture anyone in the title role other than Margot Robbie. But the actor explained to Vogue back in May that it was actually Gal Gadot who was her first choice to star as Barbie. Robbie is a producer on “Barbie” and did not immediately envision herself in the role.
Yes, while the Australian actor's performance alongside Ryan Gosling in the record-breaking film is already iconic, a different star actually turned down the titular role before Robbie got the gig. The former Neighbours star revealed in a recent interview that Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot was first choice.
Dan Levy, Ben Platt, Bowen Yang, Luke MacFarlane, Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet, Jonathan Groff, Gal Gadot, Amy Schumer, and Anne Hathaway were all considered for roles in Barbie, but all had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts or creative differences.
Greta Gerwig Insisted on Ryan Gosling to Play Ken in the Barbie Movie. He Was a Hard Sell. The Barbie director said “it was only ever Ryan Gosling” who could play Ken, but the actor wasn't immediately convinced.
MARGOT ROBBIE Was NOT The First Choice for Barbie Role
Who turned down playing Ken?
Matt Bomer turned down playing Ken in 'Barbie'. Despite auditioning to play the doll in Greta Gerwig's live-action blockbuster based on the famous Mattel dolls Barbie and Ken, the 46-year-old star rejected the part, “choosing not to spend extensive time away from his family."
In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Barbie's casting directors Allison Jones and Lucy Bevan very casually revealed three other Hollywood A-listers who turned down the role of Ken: namely Bowen Yang, Dan Levy, and Ben Platt.
Margot Robbie felt like a life in plastic was just right for her. So, when it came to casting the role of the titular doll in Barbie, Margot, who also served as a co-producer on the film, stepped up for the role.
How Much Was Margot Robbie Paid For The Barbie Movie - IMDb. Margot Robbie's salary for the Barbie movie was reported to be $12.5 million, matching Ryan Gosling's pay to play Ken. Robbie's involvement in making the Barbie movie happen, along with her star power, explains her high salary.
Amy Schumer was supposed to play Margot Robbie's Barbie character. Amy was cast as Barbie in 2016, but dropped out in 2017 due to creative differences. She told Andy Cohen last month, "I think we said it was scheduling conflicts. That's what we said, but it really was just creative differences."
Schumer was originally cast as Barbie in 2016 but a year later she announced she was leaving the project, citing "scheduling conflicts." She explained the situation further during her chat with Cohen, admitting she actually left for a different reason. "I think we said it was scheduling conflicts," she revealed.
Amy Schumer explained why she was replaced by Margot Robbie as the iconic doll in Barbie. Schumer, who was attached to the role of Barbie years ago, told Vulture that she left the project because of creative differences. "I think we said it was scheduling conflicts," she claimed.
A look at the soundtrack answers that question: Ryan does in fact sing the original song, "I'm Just Ken." When you hear the heartfelt lyrics, "I'm just Ken (And I'm enough) And I'm great at doing stuff," know that it is Ryan's voice you're hearing.
Before the inception of the famous Barbie doll in 1959, the most popular type of dolls were bisque-type dolls. Bisque-type dolls were made with a ceramic material for the head and sometimes limbs and were also made with real hair. These dolls were commonly made in Europe, France, and Germany.
In a Teen Vogue interview, Robbie remarked, "I produced the film, so I guess I cast myself." As a producer, Robbie didn't go through a formal audition process for the Barbie role. However, her producer role didn't automatically secure her the part of Barbie.
The casting directors revealed over the summer that “Saturday Night Live” Emmy nominee Bowen Yang, “Schitt's Creek” Emmy winner Dan Levy and “Dear Evan Hansen” Tony winner Ben Platt were all in the running to play versions of Ken in the film, but scheduling logistics prevented the castings from happening.
Ryan Gosling's role in Barbie was one of his highest-paying yet, earning him $12.5 million. Despite not playing the title character, Gosling's salary matching Margot Robbie's for Barbie shows the value of his performance and his importance to the film's marketing.
In an interview with Collider, Robbie recalled, “I didn't want whoever our director was going to be… to feel pressured to put me in the role… I've got skin in the game as a producer, I don't have skin in the game as an actor, so be free with that choice.”
In March 2017, Schumer suddenly walked away from the project. She told Variety that she was "no longer able to commit to Barbie due to scheduling conflicts," but that proved to be a kinder response to what really happened. In 2022, Schumer further explained that she and the studio did not agree on Barbie's character.
The search for the perfect Barbie and Ken actors in Greta Gerwig's record-breaking blockbuster “Barbie” fell to casting directors Lucy Bevan and Allison Jones, who recently revealed to Vanity Fair that “Saturday Night Live” Emmy nominee Bowen Yang, “Schitt's Creek” Emmy winner Dan Levy and “Dear Evan Hansen” Tony ...
Malibu Ken, the first African-American Ken doll, came along in 1982. Growing up, my parents didn't buy me Barbie dolls because they didn't look like me.
Saturday Night Live star Bowen Yang, Schitt's Creek's Dan Levy, and Dear Evan Hansen's Ben Platt were in the running when the Greta Gerwig-helmed film was starting to round up its cast. Courtesy Warner Bros. "They were, I'm not kidding, really bummed they couldn't do it," casting director Allison Jones said.
Ken (short for Kenneth Carson) hit the toy aisle as Barbie's buyable boyfriend two years after her 1959 debut. He was available in two styles — blond or brunette hair, made of hard plastic — and came dressed in very short red swim trunks.
