Who Stars Alongside Margot Robbie

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• The Barbies

• The Kens

• The Discontinued Dolls

• The Humans

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for BarbieBarbie quickly became one of the biggest movie events of 2023 and a large part of that is thanks to the film's A-list cast. Anchored by the two actors who couldn’t possibly be more perfectly cast as Barbie and Ken. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling embody the classic good looks inspired by the toy famous toys, but they’re also incredibly skilled actors who have delivered some fantastic performances during their careers.

Acclaimed filmmaker Greta Gerwig takes the helm of Barbie. She’s also co-writing with her partner Noah Baumbach. The talent behind such films as Lady Bird, Little Women, and Frances Ha let moviegoers know that the film would be more than just a 'toy' movie, as the film dived into themes of sexism, gender roles, and existentialism.

With a cast that includes A-list talent, Oscar-winners, rising stars, and more Barbie has one of the most impressive ensemble casts ever assembled.

Here’s everything you need to know about the cast of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.

Editor's Note: This piece was updated on November 6, 2023.

Barbie

A beloved doll, known for her perfect life in an idyllic, colorful world, finds herself on an unexpected journey when she starts to feel out of place. Seeking answers, she leaves her fantastical home and steps into the real world, where she experiences the highs and lows of human life. With the help of new friends, she navigates the challenges of identity and purpose, discovering the importance of authenticity and inner strength.

The Barbies

Margot Robbie as Barbie

Margot Robbie leads the film's ensemble as the "stereotypical" Barbie, who at the start of the film begins to have an existential crisis as she is questioning her own mortality, notices that her feet have gone flat, and she now has cellulite. After getting advice from the Weird Barbie, Barbie journey to the real world to find the child playing with her, who she suspects is the angsty middle-schooler Sasha, unbeknownst to her, she actually has to find Sasha's mother Gloria. Throughout her journey in the real world, Barbie has a reawakening over who she wants to be and tries to figure out her place in the world, even if that's not in Barbieland.

Robbie had her breakthrough role in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street nearly 10 years ago. In the decade since she’s become one of Hollywood's most in-demand actresses. The Australian-born actress has tackled every challenge that’s come her way. She received her first Oscar nomination for playing ice skating icon Tonya Harding in Craig Gillespie's I, Tonya, and received her second nomination two years later for her supporting role in the Fox News drama Bombshell. She conquered the world of superheroes by defining the role of Harley Quinn on film in the Suicide Squad films and Birds of Prey. Alongside working with high-caliber directors like Scorsese and Gerwig, Robbie has also worked with Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Damien Chazelle (Babylon), Wes Anderson (Asteroid City), Adam McKay (The Big Short), James Gunn (The Suicide Squad), and Richard Curtis (About Time). Robbie has also become a prolific producer in Hollywood through her production company Lucky Chap Productions. Through Lucky Chap Robbie not only has produced her own star vehicles, such as Barbie, but she has also produced the Oscar-winning psychological thriller Promising Young Woman and the acclaimed Netflix series Maid. Her next project will have her reunite with Ryan Gosling for an untitled prequel to Ocean's Eleven, which will be directed by Jay Roach.

Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie

Kate McKinnon stars as the Weird Barbie, who helps provide Robbie's Barbie with the existential answers that she's looking for. She lives in seclusion, away from the other Barbies and the Kens, who are constantly making fun of her behind her back. Her home is full of other rejects, including Sugar Daddy Ken and the Barbie Video Girl.

Outside SNL, McKinnon has starred in comedy films such as the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot, Rough Night, Yesterday, Sisters, The Spy Who Dumped Me, Masterminds, The Bubble, and Office Christmas Party She has also lent her voice to animated films such as The Angry Birds Movie, Finding Dory, Ferdinand, and DC League of Super-Pets. She previously starred alongside Robbie in Bombshell in 2019. McKinnon is next set to star in Andrew Stanton's sci-fi drama In the Blink of an Eye.

Issa Rae as President Barbie

Issa Rae joins the cast as President Barbie, who rules over Barbieland. President Barbie is beloved by all the other Barbies as well as the Supreme Court of Barbies but quickly falls victim to the patriarchy once Ken introduces it to Barbieland.

Rae has been on the rise since first breaking out with her own YouTube channel. Now, she's a multi-time Emmy and Golden Globe nominee for her role in HBO's Insecure. She's even a New York Times bestseller for her memoir The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl. Outside television Rae has built a successful film career having appeared in films such as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Little, The Hate U Give, Vengeance, The Lovebirds, and The Photograph. She'll next be seen on the big screen this Christmas in the satirical dramedy American Fiction, which much like Barbie, is a major contender in the 2023-24 awards season.

Hari Nef as Dr. Barbie

Hari Nef plays Dr. Barbie, who helps give Ken a check-up after he gets injured at the beach.

Nef broke out in a big way with her role as Gittel in the Emmy-winning Prime Video series Transparent. Nef has gone on to appear in films and shows such as Assassination Nation, You, and 1Up. She most recently starred as Talia in HBO's controversial series The Idol and recently signed on to play the LGBTQ+ icon Candy Darling in a biopic.

Alexandra Shipp as Writer Barbie

Alexandra Shipp plays Writer Barbie. Once introduced to the Patriarchy, she is forced to watch the Snyder Cut of Justice League.

Shipp got her break by landing the role of young Storm in the X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix taking over the role from Halle Berry. Outside of Storm, Shipp has starred in a wide variety of films including tick, tick... BOOM!, Love, Simon, Straight Outta Compton, Shaft, and All the Bright Places. Her next projects are the R-rated romcom Anyone But You where she'll star opposite Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, and the long-delayed Kung Fury 2.

Emma Mackey as Physicist Barbie

Emma Mackey stars as Physicist Barbie.

Like her co-star Ncuti Gatwa, Mackey's breakout role came in Netflix’s Sex Education, but Mackey’s been successfully transitioning to film roles with Death on the Nile and Emily. She'll next star in the drama Hot Milk opposite Fiona Shaw and Vicky Krieps.

Dua Lipa as Mermaid Barbie

Dua Lipa plays the role of Mermaid Barbie.

A three-time Grammy winner, Lipa also performs the film's main single "Dance the Night." Barbie marks her first acting role, and she'll return to the big screen next year in the spy film Argylle. Lipa is currently working on her third album.

Sharon Rooney as Lawyer Barbie

Sharon Rooney stars as Lawyer Barbie.

Rooney is most known for her role as Rae in the British comedy series My Mad Fat Diary. Rooney's film credits include playing Miss Atlantis in Disney's live-action Dumbo remake and starring alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and Claire Foy in the biopic The Electrical Life of Louis Wain.

Nicola Coughlan as Diplomat Barbie

Nicola Coughlan plays Diplomat Barbie.

Coughlan is most known for her role as Penelope Featherington in Netflix's smash hit period drama Bridgerton and her role as Clare Devlin in the cult-favorite British sitcom Derry Girls. Barbie marks her first major film role. Her next projects include the Apple TV+ special The Velveteen Rabbit, the comedy film Seize Them!, and the comedy series Big Mood.

Ana Cruz Kayne as Judge Barbie

Ana Cruz Kayne plays Judge Barbie.

Kayne previously worked with Greta Gerwig on the film Little Women, where she played the role of Olivia. Her other acting credits include Jerry and Marge Go Large, Another Earth, Painkiller, and Special Ops: Lioness.

Ritu Arya as Journalist Barbie

Ritu Arya stars as Journalist Barbie.

Arya is most recognizable for her scene-stealing role as Lila Pitts in the Netflix superhero series The Umbrella Academy. Arya's other high-profile roles include Last Christmas, Red Notice, and Polite Society.

The Kens

Ryan Gosling as Ken

Ryan Gosling takes on the role of the Ken, well at least the main Ken. Ken doesn't have the same amazing attributes as Barbie, and he doesn't even have a job, his job is just "beach." His romantic advances are constantly rejected by Barbie, but that doesn't stop him from continuing to try to pursue her. He ends up joining Barbie on her journey to the real world where he learns about the patriarchy and that the real world treats him far better than Barbie Land does. He's also a big fan of horses and Matchbox Twenty.

Gosling is a two-time Oscar nominee for his outstanding performances in Half Nelson and La La Land. He's also starred in popular films such as Drive, Blade Runner 2049, First Man, Lars and the Real Girl, The Nice Guys, The Big Short, Crazy Stupid Love, Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond the Pines, The Notebook, and The Gray Man. Gosling's next projects include the action romantic comedy The Fall Guy, the sci-fi adventure Project Hail Mary, the Wolfman reboot, a Gray Man sequel, and the aforementioned Ocean's Eleven prequel starring Margot Robbie.

Kingsley Ben-Adir as Ken

Kingsley Ben-Adir plays another Ken, who loves ice cream, drums, and The Godfather. He's constantly following Gosling's Ken around Barbie Land.

Ben-Adir has been working in the industry for over a decade with roles in World War Z, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, The Commuter, Noelle, The OA, Peaky Blinders, Hulu's High Fidelity, and the MCU series Secret Invasion. His role as Malcolm X in Regina King's directorial debut One Night in Miami made him one of the most sought-after newer names in Hollywood. He will soon play the title role in the highly anticipated music biopic Bob Marley: One Love.

Simu Liu as Ken

Simu Liu plays another Ken, who is the rival of Gosling's Ken, and is constantly competing against him to win the affection of the stereotypical Barbie.

Liu is still fresh off his acclaimed turn in the Marvel universe as the titular hero in Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. His next films include Arthur the King, Atlas, and Grand Death Lotto.

Scott Evans as Ken

Scott Evans plays yet another Ken. He's never seen without his trusty cowboy hat and he soon becomes the president of Barbie Land once Gosling's Ken introduces the other Kens to the patriarchy.

Evans is the younger brother to Captain America himself, Chris Evans, and is most known for his role as Oliver Fish on the popular daytime soap opera One Life to Live and for his recurring role as Olivier on the Netflix series Grace and Frankie.

Ncuti Gatwa as Ken #4

British actor Ncuti Gatwa plays the role of one of the Kens.

Gatwa perhaps is best recognized for his role in the Netflix comedy Sex Education. His comedy chops should serve him well on the set of Barbie. It's likely a relatively small part compared to the other Ken dolls, but Gatwa has nothing but more to look forward to. He's confirmed to be the next actor to take over the coveted role of Doctor Who, making him the first black actor to take on the long-running character. He will also star alongside Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan in Apple TV+'s big-budget WWII series Masters of the Air.

John Cena as Kenmaid

WWE superstar John Cena makes a notable cameo in the film as a 'Kenmaid.'

Outside the wrestling ring, Cena has become one of the busiest actors in Hollywood, he starred as Peacemaker alongside Margot Robbie in The Suicide Squad, and reprised the role in the Max spin-off series aptly named, Peacemaker. Cena has also starred in plenty of comedies including Trainwreck, Sisters, Blockers, and the Vacation Friends movies. Cena has a plethora of exciting titles on the horizon, including but not limited to Argylle, Coyote vs. Acme, Ricky Stanicky, Grand Death Lotto, and Heads of State.

The Discontinued Dolls

Michael Cera as Allan

Michael Cera plays Allan, the only non-Ken man in Barbieland. He's constantly being ignored by the other dolls and has very dated taste in music. He ends up teaming with Barbie, Gloria, and Sasha to save Barbie Land from the Patriarchy.

We’ve known Cera since he was a young man when he broke out as George Michael Bluth in Arrested Development. Since then, he’s become a fixture in the comedy world with iconic roles in Superbad, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Juno, This is the End, and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Cera has plenty of exciting roles on the horizon including the Scott Pilgrim anime series at Netflix, Sausage Party: Foodtopia, and Dream Scenario, and he's rumored to star in Wes Anderson's next film.

Emerald Fennell as Midge

Emerald Fennell plays the role of Midge, a pregnant doll who was discontinued because "a pregnant doll is too weird."

Fennell is most known for writing and directing the social thriller Promising Young Women, which won her an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2021. Her second feature, Saltburn, is set to release this fall. She also co-wrote the script for the upcoming John Wick spin-off film Ballerina starring Ana De Armas. She also served as the head writer on Season 2 of Killing Eve. Her acting credits include The Crown, The Danish Girl, and Anna Karenina.

The Humans

America Ferrera as Gloria

America Ferrera plays Gloria, a stressed Mattel employee who has been struggling to connect with her daughter Sasha. She is the one to cause Barbie's existential crisis after playing with Sasha's old Barbie toys, which transfers her fears and worries over to Robbie's Barbie.

During her career, she's acted in many acclaimed roles, including her award-winning role in Ugly Betty. She's stayed busy for the last several years as a member of the main cast of Superstore on NBC and for her voice role in the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. She most recently starred in the ripped-from-the-headlines dramedy Dumb Money and will next lend her voice to Pixar's sci-fi adventure film Elio.

Ariana Greenblatt as Sasha

Ariana Greenblatt joins the cast as Gloria's daughter Sasha, she thinks of Barbie as a "fascist" who encourages unrealistic beauty standards to young girls and contributes to global warming.

Despite only being 15 years old, Greenblatt has already built herself an impressive career, she played Young Gamora in Avengers: Infinity Wars and has starred in numerous hit films such as A Bad Moms Christmas, Scoob!, Love and Monsters, In the Heights, and The Boss Baby: Family Business. She most recently starred alongside Adam Driver in the dinosaur-centric thriller 65. Her next film is Eli Roth's long-delayed film adaptation of Borderlands where she stars alongside Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Academy Award winners Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Will Ferrell as the CEO of Mattel

Will Ferrell stars as the CEO of Mattel, who is shocked to learn that real-life versions of Barbie and Ken are out and about in Los Angeles.

Ferrell brings his immense comedic talent to the table as well. The SNL veteran lightens up just about any film lucky enough to cast him. Ferrell has spent the last two decades building a body of work that would be worthy of the Comedy Hall of Fame if such a thing existed. He's appeared in numerous hit comedies including the Anchorman films, Elf, Step Brothers, Talladega Nights, The Other Guys, Strays, and the Daddy's Home movies. He also voiced President Business/Lord Business in another toy-based movie; The Lego Movie. He's next set to star opposite Reese Witherspoon in the wedding comedy You're Cordially Invited.

Jamie Demetriou as the CFO of Mattel

Jamie Demetriou will play the CFO of Mattel who works alongside Will Ferrell and America Ferrera's characters.

Demetriou is most known for his role as Stath in the comedy series Stath Lets Flats and as Bus Rodent on Fleabag. He also played the scene-stealing Walt in the Season 1 of The Afterparty. Demetriou's film credits include the live-action Disney films Pinocchio and Cruella as well as Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, Paddington 2, Strays, and Catherine Called Birdy. Up next for Demetriou is the action-comedy film Back in Action which will star Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz.

Connor Swindells as Aaron Dinkins

Connor Swindells plays Aaron Dinkins, an intern at Mattel.

Like his co-stars Ncuti Gatwa and Emma Mackey, Swindells is most known for his role on the popular Netflix series Sex Education.

Rhea Perlman as the Ghost of Ruth Handler

Rhea Perlman plays the role of Ruth Handler in Barbie, who was the creator of the original Barbie doll. Her ghost presides in the Mattel Headquarters and at the end of the film, grants Barbie her wish to become human.

Perlman is most known for her role as the head-waitress Carla Tortelli in Cheers, a role that won her four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Perlman has also appeared in films like Matilda, I'll See You in My Dreams, and You People.

Helen Mirren as the Narrator

Helen Mirren lends her voice to Barbie as the film's narrator.

Mirren is an industry legend and an Academy Award winner. She is most known for her roles in films like The Queen, The Last Station, Gosford Park, and The Madness of King George. She most recently appeared in the Yellowstone prequel 1923 alongside Harrison Ford, Fast X, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

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