Meet the Barbie cast: who's who in the anticipated Greta Gerwig movie (2024)

Everyone's flocking to their movie theaters or cinemas to see new hit movie Barbie, with the new Greta Gerwig story proving a smash hit.

One part of the movie that's got everyone talking is the Barbie cast, with both the main stars and lots of the side actors being famous or recognizable stars from the US, UK and other places around the globe.

So if you've watched Barbie and want to know who you were watching, here's the cast of the movie.

Just a disclaimer: many of the characters share the name 'Barbie', with at least 11 different versions of the classic character all sharing that same name, but we'll help to differentiate them as best we can. There are also at least five Kens, and it goes without saying that almost all the characters in the movies are based on different versions of the toys that have been released over the years.

Margot Robbie as Barbie

The lead Barbie in Barbie is played by Margot Robbie.

This character lives in the utopian "Barbie Land" but falls short of the perfectionist ideals of the place, and so leaves. To try and find happiness, she sets off on a voyage to the human world.

Margot Robbie is a huge Hollywood star, who's in new hit movies every year, even though she's only been acting for 15 years. She gained fame in Australian soap Neighbours as well as movies like The Wolf of Wall Street and About Time, and has since been in many more pictures like I, Tonya, Peter Rabbit, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey, Amsterdam and Babylon. As well as starring in Barbie this year she also has a major role in Wes Anderson's new Asteroid City.

Ryan Gosling as Ken

Playing Ken, the male counterpart to Barbie, is Ryan Gosling.

Ken is Barbie's boyfriend, who rolls with her in her quest to the real world — literally, as he doesn't go anywhere without his roller blades. His profession is 'beach'.

Another huge Hollywood mainstay, Ryan Gosling has been a star ever since his lead role in The Notebook, with more critical and commercial hits like Crazy, Stupid, Love, The Place Beyond the Pines, Only God Forvies, The Big Short, The Nice Guys, La La Land, Blade Runner 2049 and First Man just cementing his reputation as one of the best working actors right now.

America Ferrera as Gloria

Playing our main human character, Gloria, is America Ferrera. Gloria grew up playing with Barbies, or the few she could afford or save up for, and the appearance of Barbie (Margot Robbie's version) gives her an opportunity to rediscover her childhood.

America Ferrera is a big TV comedy star, having starred in the likes of Superstore, Ugly Betty (as the titular character), and she voiced the role of Astrid in the How to Train Your Dragon movies and TV show spin-offs. She's also been in movies like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and End of Watch.

Helen Mirren as the narrator

The narration for the film is provided by Helen Mirren. She doesn't show up in the movie in person, but you can hear her voice throughout.

A legendary screen and stage actress, Mirren has been working for six decades now. She's won an Oscar for Best Actress, for The Queen, and has received accolades for many other roles like in Gosford Park, Hitchco*ck, the RED franchise, several Fast and Furious movies, Trumbo, Brighton Rock and countless adaptations of Shakespeare plays.

Issa Rae, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Mackey, Ana Cruz Kayne, Ritu Arya, Nicola Coughlan, Dua Lipa, Kate McKonnon, Hari Nef and Sharon Rooney as Barbie

Since half the inhabitants of Barbie Land are just Barbies, there are over ten actresses beyond Margot Robbie credited as 'Barbie', though each has their own role in the movie.

Rae, playing the Barbies' president, is an actress and YouTube star who gained fame with Awkward Black Girl on the online video site but has since been in Insecure, The Photograph and The Lovebirds.

Alexandra Shipp is simply known as 'Writer Barbie', and Shipp has been in several X-Men movies as the character Storm as well as Love, Simon, Straight Outta Compton, the Shaft remake and Jexi.

Emma Mackey plays the scientist Barbie, who has a Nobel Prize in physics. Emma Mackey is a British actress best known for Sex Education, Emily and Death on the Nile, whom many people have remarked looks astoundingly like Margot Robbie.

Ana Cruz Kayne, playing the Barbie who's a judge, previously worked with Greta Gerwig in Little Women, and she's also been in Jerry & Marge Go Large. She's also set to star in the anticipated Netflix title Painkiller.

Ritu Arga is playing a Pullitzer-prize-winning journalist Barbie. Arya is well-known for British TV soap Doctors, sci-fi series Humans and Netflix Originals The Umbrella Academy and Red Notice.

Nicola Coughlan is the diplomat Barbie, though we never find out who's she's a diplomat with. Coughlan is best known for starring in British TV show Derry Girls and Bridgerton, and has become a respected comedian since. Barbie is only her second film, and her first since 2004.

Dua Lipa plays a mermaid Barbie, the first of this list not defined by their role to society. Dua Lipa is a hugely famous singer, best known for the song New Rules, and Barbie is her movie debut though she's going to be in Apple TV Plus original Argylle shortly afterward.

Kate McKinnon is the 'weird' Barbie, but that means she's got some handy information for Robbie's Barbie on her quest. One of the biggest actresses in the movie, McKinnon is a comedy actor who rose to fame in SNL and has also appeared in Ghostbusters, Yesterday, The Spy Who Dumped Me, Joe vs Carole, Office Christmas Party and Finding Dory.

Hari Nef plays the doctor Barbie, likely with a specialism in plastic surgery. Her past roles include Prime Video hit Transparent and movies Assassination Nation and Meet Cute, and she's an accomplished journalist too.

Sharon Rooney plays the lawyer Barbie, and as the only one, she presumably wins a lot of her cases. Rooney is yet another Brit in the production, who's been in Dumbo, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, My Bad Fat Diary and Zapped.

Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Ncuti Gatwa and Scott Evans as Ken

As well as there being plenty of Barbies, there are quite a few Kens too, as this action figure is the male counterpart for Barbie. The main one is played by Ryan Gosling, but there are a fair few besides.

Simu Liu plays Gosling's character's closest rival. The actor has been in a massive property recently in the form of Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and he also has main roles in Kim's Convenience, Yappie and Blood and Water.

Kingsley Ben-Adir is a British actor who's been in quite a few properties: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, One Night in Miami... are two of the big movies but he's more prolific in the TV realm with Vera, Peaky Blinders, The OA, High Fidelity and soon Marvel's Secret Invasion some of the headliners.

Ncuti Gatwa is another Sex Education alum in Barbie, but his list of big roles is about to get another notch as he's been confirmed as the next performer to portray Doctor Who.

Scott Evans is the brother of huge Hollywood star Chris Evans, but he's a working actor too. He starred in One Life to Live, and has also been in Almost Love, Grace and Frankie and Close Range.

Michael Cera as Allan

An outlier in Barbie Land, Michael Cera plays Allan.

The doll version of Allan was a spin-off of Ken, to give him a friend, though in Barbie apparently only one Allan is in existence.He helps the Barbies when the Kens take over Barbietown.

Yet another huge star in the movie, Michael Cera broke into people's screens with a main role in Arrested Development, and since then he's had loads of leading roles. These include Scott Pilgrim vs The World, Lemon, Youth in Revolt, Superbad, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, Year One, Juno, Person to Person and Molly's Game.

Emerald Fennell as Midge

Another lone wolf in a land full of replicas, Emerald Fennell plays the role of Midge.

In the Barbie toy line, Midge was designed as a best friend to Barbie, and was retooled to also be a partner for Allan. She has a limited presence in Barbie.

Fennell isn't just an actress, as she's also a director and writer, and she's best known for directing the Oscar-winning Promising Young Woman. In terms of acting, you may have seen her in Killing Eve (which she also served as a writer on), Call the Midwife, The Crown and The Danish Girl.

Will Ferrell as a toy company CEO

Famed comedy actor Will Ferrell is in Barbie in a smaller role

Ferrell plays the CEO of the toy company Mattell, that owns Barbie (Mattell owns Barbie in the real world). He's seemingly taking up a role very similar to the one he had in The Lego Movie, of a real human who looks after a toy town.

Ferrell is such a prolific actor that Wikipedia has its own page dedicated to his roles. He's beloved for his performances in roles like Elf, Anchorman, Zoolander, Starsky & Hutch, Step Brothers, Blades of Glory, Megamind, The Campaign, Get Hard, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga and Spirited, he's also a prolific producer and writer.

And many more...

Many more actors have cameos in Barbie, so let's see how many of them you caught.

These include John Cena (wrestler, Suicide Squad, F9), Rhea Perlman (Cheers, Matilda), Ariana Greenblatt (Stuck in the Middle) and Marisa Abela (Industry, COBRA).