Fans are wondering, “Who was supposed to play Barbie instead of Margot Robbie?”, following reports that Amy Schumer was an earlier choice, alongside other actresses. While Margot Robbie ended up playing Barbie in Greta Gerwig’s 2023 film based on the character, she was not the first choice
Who was supposed to play Barbie instead of Margot Robbie?
Three actresses almost played Barbie before Margot Robbie:
- Amy Schumer
- Schumer was the original choice for Barbie back in 2016 when the project was under the purview of Sony Pictures. However, she eventually left the project and the film rights to Barbie went to Warner Bros. The project involving Schumer would have retained the basic premise of Barbie leaving Barbieland to pursue her dreams in the real world, like the final film. However, the film would have been a broader comedy with slapstick elements.
- Anne Hathaway
- Months after Schumer left, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Anne Hathaway was in consideration to play the role. However, due to scheduling conflicts and creative differences, Hathaway also dropped out of the project.
- Gal Gadot
- Margot Robbie was already attached to Barbie as a producer before being cast in the title role. Before she was cast, Robbie, along with Gerwig, decided that Gal Gadot was the right choice for the role as the actress exuded Barbie energy in their eyes. However, like Hathaway, scheduling conflicts also prevented the Wonder Woman actress from taking on the role.
Why didn’t Amy Schumer play Barbie?
Although Amy Schumer initially cited scheduling conflicts as the reason she could not play Barbie in an interview with Variety. She later revealed the real reason she backed out from playing the role in a separate interview with The Hollywood Reporter, which was creative differences:
“They definitely didn’t want to do it the way I wanted to do it, the only way I was interested in doing it.”
Amy Schumer is also reported to have rejected a controversial gift sent to her by the film’s producers, the world-famous Manolo Blahnik heels.
For more Barbie content, here are some costumes you can pick for Halloween. Also, learn more about the Barbie Chanel necklace.
