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 winner Ben Platt were all in the running to land roles as different variations of Ken.
“They were definitely really different, but they had to feel like a cohesive group,” Bevan said about the search for the perfect Ken ensemble. “You wanted to cast people who were really going to get on and be great and enjoy it.”
“Barbie” was shot in London under strict COVID protocols, which meant every cast member was required to spend three months in the city close to production. Flying back and forth to the U.S. was not an option. That created a logistical issue for Yang, Levy and Platt, all of whom did not end up playing versions of Ken in the film.
“They were, I’m not kidding, really bummed they couldn’t do it,” Jones said.
Another actor who couldn’t make the logistics work was “Mindhunter” and “Looking” star Jonathan Groff, who circled the role of Ken’s long-suffering friend Allan before location issues took him out of the running. Michael Cera ended up landing the part.
“Dear, dear Jonathan Groff was like, ‘I can’t believe I’m typing this, but I can’t do Allan,’” Jones added.
While Ryan Gosling stars as the main Ken, other iterations of the male doll are played by Simu Liu, Scott Evans, Ncuti Gatwa and Kingsley Ben-Adir. According to Jones, “Simu Liu was dying to be a Ken, God bless him.”
“Barbie” has become a cultural phenomenon, grossing a massive $162 million during its opening weekend. The film is now playing in theaters nationwide from Warner Bros.
