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 Vogueback 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. Gadot was at the top of her list, but scheduling conflicts prevented the “Wonder Woman” star from entering Barbieland.
“I adore Margot,” Gadot now tells Flaunt magazine about being the top choice for the “Barbie” movie. “Margot is one of those women who you just want to be friends with. She is so funny, warm, fun and smart and obviously so talented. She brings so much to the table. I would love to do anything with Margot and was very touched [by her comments]. She warmed my heart with everything that she said about me. I’m super excited for them, and I’m so excited for‘Barbie.’”
Although Gadot could not star in “Barbie,” her entire persona became a calling card for the film’s casting directors as they set out with Robbie to find the perfect Barbie actors.
“Gal Gadot is Barbie energy,” Robbie told Vogue. “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.”
Gadot is far from the only actor whose name circled the “Barbie” movie. The film’s casting directors revealed last month 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 version of Ken in the film but scheduling logistics prevented the castings from happening. Jonathan Groff also circled the role of Ken’s long-suffering friend Allan before Michael Cera landed the part.
“Barbie” director Greta Gerwig told CinemaBlendbefore the film opened in theaters that she also tried and failed to get her “Lady Bird” and “Little Women” stars Saorise Ronan and Timothée Chalamet to cameo in the film.
“It was going to be a specialty cameo,” Gerwig said. “I was also going to do a specialty cameo with Timmy. Both of them couldn’t do it and I was so annoyed. 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.”
“Barbie” is now playing in theaters nationwide from Warner Bros.
