Margot Robbie told Greta Gerwig that she didn’t have to cast her as Barbie
While she oversaw the development of the project as a producer, Margot Robbie has revealed that her contribution to the wildly successful Barbie film may have been much smaller.
Despite her attachment to the project, Robbie was keen to make it clear to director Greta Gerwig that she wasn’t irreplaceable in the lead role.
According to Time, Robbie wasn’t the first choice for the role. High-profile actresses like Anne Hathaway and Amy Schumer were in the running before Robbie was considered.
The actress herself was somewhat reluctant to take up the mantle. “This is going to sound stupid, but I really didn’t even think about playing Barbie until years into developing the project,” Robbie confessed to Vogue.
When Gerwig was appointed director, Robbie wanted her to have the freedom to decide the cast. In an interview with Collider, Robbie recalled, “I didn’t want whoever our director was going to be… to feel pressured to put me in the role… I’ve got skin in the game as a producer, I don’t have skin in the game as an actor, so be free with that choice.”
However, Gerwig’s decision was made. Robbie recounts Gerwig’s assertive response, “[Gerwig] was like, ‘Shut up, I want to write this for you.'” Despite Robbie’s initial resistance, Gerwig was steadfast in her choice.
Respecting Gerwig’s decision, Robbie ignored her initial hesitations and embraced her role as the iconic doll. She says, “And then eventually, I just accepted that she did want me to play the role, and then she wrote it.”
The record-breaking Barbie is available to watch in cinemas now.
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