All the Actors Who Almost Landed Roles in 'Barbie'

From Amy Schumer to Bowan Yang, here are 10 actors who almost starred in the summer blockbuster

These Barbies were almost in the film!

While it might be hard to think of any other actors stepping into the roles in the summer blockbuster, these famous faces were all in talks to have a place in Barbie's world.

From scheduling conflicts to creative differences, take a look at the ten actors who were considered for Barbie — and why it didn't work out.

Amy Schumer

Before Margot Robbie stepped into the titular role, Amy Schumer was set to play the iconic doll back in 2016 in a film from Sony Pictures. That version of the film fell through and the rights ended up with Warner Bros.

When Schumer announced she was leaving the project in March 2017, she told Variety, "Sadly, I’m no longer able to commit to Barbie due to scheduling conflicts. The film has so much promise, and Sony and Mattel have been great partners. I’m bummed, but look forward to seeing Barbie on the big screen."

She later explained to The Hollywood Reporter that it was actually creative differences that led her to back out.

"They definitely didn't want to do it the way I wanted to do it, the only way I was interested in doing it," she said in March 2022.

When all was said and done, Schumer gave the film her seal of approval with a joke sprinkled in, writing on Instagram: "Really enjoyed Barbie and Oppenheimer but I think I should have played Emily Blunt's role. Do better Hollywood"

Anne Hathaway

Months after Schumer's departure, The Hollywood Reporter shared that Anne Hathaway was in talks to join the film as the titular role.

Following the news, Schumer wished the Princess Diaries star good luck her possible new role, writing, “Hathaway smathaway. Jkjk she’s perfect!! Can’t wait to see it!”

Timothée Chalamet

When thinking about who she wanted in the film, Gerwig had two actors in mind for a "specialty cameo": Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet.

Gerwig directed both actors in Little Women (2019) and Lady Bird (2017) but bringing them on board for Barbie just couldn't happen. For Ronan, it was due to a scheduling conflict, Gerwig explained, as the actress was producing a "brilliant" project at the time.

"But it was going to be a specialty cameo," Gerwig told CinemaBlend. "I was also going to do a specialty cameo with Timmy, and both of them couldn't do it, and I was so annoyed."

"I love them so much," Gerwig explained. "But it felt like doing something without my children. I mean, I'm not their mom, but I sort of feel like their mom."

Saoirse Ronan

Ronan told PEOPLE that Gerwig was not the only one who was disappointed by her inability to be involved in the project.

"I was supposed to do a cameo because I live in London and they were [filming] there," the Ronan said in September 2022.

"There was a whole character I was going to play — another Barbie," Ronan added. "I was gutted I couldn't do it."

She said after realizing she wouldn't be able to be in the film in the way she'd hoped, she held out hope that something would come up.

"I have texted Margot and Greta and I'm like, 'If you're doing any pick-up [shots], maybe I can just walk through the background?' "

Gal Gadot

When searching for the perfect person to step into the role of Barbie, Robbie, who is also a producer on the film, told Vogue that she and Greta Gerwig were looking for someone with “Barbie energy."

“Gal Gadot is Barbie energy,” Robbie shared. “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”.

Despite fitting the bill, Gadot was ultimately unable to commit to the role at the time, and Robbie stepped in.

And while she didn't appear in the film, The Wonder Woman actress was on deck to show her support for Barbie when she attended the L.A. premiere on July 9.

Ben Platt

Barbie's casting director, Allison Jones, told Vanity Fair that there were a few actors the team had in mind to play Kens that fell through, including Ben Platt.

"They were, I'm not kidding, really bummed they couldn't do it," Jones she told the outlet of the list that included Bowen Yang and Dan Levy. She explained that all three actors could not commit to the three months in London needed for filming.

Bowen Yang

Bowen Yang was a part of the actors casting director Allison Jones had in mind for a Ken that couldn't make the project work.

Dan Levy

and Dan Levy!

Jonathan Groff

While it might be hard to believe anyone other than Michael Cera as Allan, Frozen's Jonathan Groff was actually in talks for the role.

"Dear, dear Jonathan Groff was like, ‘I can’t believe I’m typing this, but I can’t do Allan,'" Jones told VF.

Luke Macfarlane

Luke Macfarlane told The Hollywood Reporter that when he signed on for Apple TV's Platonic with his Bros director Nick Stoller he knew that would mean letting go of the part he'd booked in Barbie.

"It was interesting because I had auditioned for a small part in Barbie and got it. And then I got an email from Nick that was like, 'I think you’d be really great in this part.' I was like, 'Great. I have this offer for Barbie, so you gotta let me know.' We tried to make it work, and I was like, 'You know what? I really, really wanted to work on this show.' Careers are funny things — you never really know," he explained. "When I read about the character on the page, I was like, 'This is somebody I understand.'"

Later in the in interview he added, "It was one of those brutal things. Yeah, the timing couldn’t work out for both. I’m not trying to sound boastful. It was a small, little part, but I’ve never been part of some beautiful, big, cool thing like that. It would have been cool to be able to do both."

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