The absolutely star-studded cast of Barbie (2023) is something that a lot of people have been looking forward to. Though Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling take the front wheel as the lead actors, the rest of the cast members aren’t anything to scoff at either. Everyone has a special role in the movie, and brings a certain charm to the whole enterprise.
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Since Barbie ismainly a comedy film, with a little bit of drama mixed in for good measure, it relies a lot on the actors and characters in the movie to deliver the jokes. Some of these jokes fall completely flat, but others shine bright purely through the virtue of the actors and their incredible performances.
10Asian Ken
The Barbie movie is surprisingly diverse for a film about the doll collection mainly targeted at young American children. Asian Ken, played by Simu Liu (the main character inShang-Chi), is a central presence throughout the movie. He acts as the mirror for the stereotypical Ken, doing the same things and acting similarly.
Both Kens pine for the affection of the stereotypical Barbie, considering her to be the gem of their hearts. They are constantly competing with one another in hopes of impressing their ‘love.’
The best way to make a character prominent in a movie like Barbie, whereeveryone dresses cartoonishlyand acts the way they do, is to make the character completely ordinary. The toy for Allan was introduced as a friend of Ken, similar to how Midge was the friend of Barbie. The toy sets go on to have the two, Allan and Midge, marry each other and have three kids.
In the movie, Allan mainly acts as a cool little cameo for the people who know Barbie lore and acts as comic relief that nobody pays attention to. Even at the end, when the Barbies manage to take back the government and put Kens in a comedically unbalanced society, Allan isn’t even given a cursory acknowledgment.
8’Weird' Barbie
When Stereotypical Barbie starts to face human issues like skin conditions, bad days, and flat heels, she gets the advice to go visit ‘Weird’ Barbie in her house. Played by the talented SNL cast member Kate McKinnon, Weird Barbie brings an interesting flavor to Barbie Land. Her bold fashion choices and interesting wardrobe set her apart from the others, almost giving her a fairy Godmother vibe.
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She has a decent amount of screen time, mainly acting as an eccentric mentor to Barbie and helping her retake Barbie Land after the Ken takeover. She also acts as the plot driver during the first half, advising Stereotypical Barbie to visit the human playing with her in the real world.
7Mattel CEO
Well known for his comedic roles, Will Ferrel’s character is not really present for the majority of the movie. Other than a Looney Tunes-esque chase sequence and a board meeting, he doesn’t play a role in the main plot of the movie. He does jumpstart Barbie’s return to Barbie Land, but not much else other than that.
His role in the movie is small but a treat nonetheless. Will Ferrel’s natural charm comes through and grabs the viewer’s attention for the few minutes that he is on the screen.
In a minor plot twist, it turns out that the person playing with Stereotypical Barbie and ruining her picture-perfect life wasn’t a sad and upset child; it was the mother of the child that was upset with her life. Adulting is hard, and nothing is quite as hard as seeing your child grow up and become distant from you. Chasing after the high of her kid’s childhood, Gloria started playing with her child’s old Barbie toy and giving it human problems, leading to the conundrum that led Barbie into the real world.
The final resolution of the movie’s complication in the form of the Ken takeover is solved by Gloria giving all the brainwashed Barbies a small speech on the hardships of being a woman. Though the message is quite heavy-handed and not subtle at all, it’s hard to complain, considering the genre of the movie.
The movie reveals the existence of an enigmatic old lady who lives inside the Mattel Headquarters during the fun chase scene with Barbie and the Mattel board. This old lady, called Ruth, imparts a few life lessons to Barbie, gives her some tea, and shows her the way out of the building with little fanfare.
At the end of the film, it’s revealed that Ruth is the original creator of Barbie and considers the doll to be like her own daughter, urging Stereotypical Barbie to choose whatever she wants to do or be.
4Aaron Dinkins
One of the employees working in Mattel, Aaron Dinkins, is the person who introduces the audience to the ‘top brass’ of the company. He delivers them the news of Barbie’s escape and acts as the normal guy of the bunch, making him quite relatable.
He’s played by Aaron Swindells, someone you might recognize from his incredible performance as Adam Groff in Sex Education. He also appears as David Stirling in Rogue Heroes.
The daughter of Gloria, Sasha, who Barbie mistakenly thinks is the one causing her to undergo the changes, is quite acharismatic and fun young lady. She seems to be the popular kid at school, with one girl warning Barbie that she’d make her cry if you approached her.
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However, this doesn’t mean that she’s a vapid clout chaser. In fact, Sasha provides valuable feedback and motivates her mother to help Barbie Land regain its glory. Despite being introduced in a relatively antagonistic manner, it’s hard not to fall in love with the talented performance put on by one of the young stars of our time, Ariana Greenblatt.
2Stereotypical Barbie
There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Barbie is the main character of the movie. Most of the runtime is dedicated to Stereotypical Barbie, her daily routine, and the problems that she is facing, though there’s a decent amount of time left over for Ken as well.
Margot Robbie is a perfect cast for the Stereotypical Barbie. She fits the bill and gives a stunning performance, capturing the horrifying feeling of discovering the mortality of humanity and the emotions plaguing the average human. Her acting is one of the best parts of the movie.
1Stereotypical Ken
While Barbie is the main focus of the movie, Ken isn’t someone who can just be removed from Barbie’s life. Played by Ryan Gosling, Stereotypical Ken is definitively the best character in the movie. He steals the show whenever he’s on screen, looks absolutely stunning in his different costumes, and gives us a jaw-dropping performance.
There’s no doubt that Ryan Gosling knocked his role out of the park, satisfying fans and critics alike with his incredible acting. Since Barbie is a comedy movie, it has a whole bunch of jokes in its runtime. Some of these jokes aren’t exactly the most humorous, but even when he’s dealt a throwaway line, Ryan Gosling makes it work with his incredible delivery and sheer charisma.
