Barbie Movie Cast & Characters: 27 Main Actors and Who They Play

Warner Bros.' Barbie movie highlights a stellar cast filled with up-and-coming actors and much-talked-about stars. 

Directed by Greta Gerwig, the live-action adaptation will explore Margot Robbie's titular doll like never before. The exact plot details are still being kept under wraps, but its official synopsis confirmed that Barbie will be expelled from Barbieland which will then lead to an adventure in the human world. 

Marketing is slowly ramping up for Barbie as Warner Bros. previously released its first full trailer filled with hilarious moments and a set of character posters that offered fans a first look at the cast and their interesting characters. 

Barbie - Every Main Actor & Character They Play

1.) Margot Robbie - Barbie

Margot Robbie is set to portray the main Barbie (aka the exiled doll) in the new movie. It is still unknown why Robbie's version of Barbie was cast out of Barbieland, but there's a strong chance that other Barbies set her up due to being jealous of her appearance. 

Alongside playing the lead Barbie in the movie, Robbie also serves as one of the film's producers. 

Robbie is best known for portraying Harley Quinn in several DC movies, such as The Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey. The actress' other credits include The Wolf of Wall Street, About Time, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. 

2.) Ryan Gosling - Ken

Similar to Barbie, there are also many versions of Ken in Barbieland, and one of them is portrayed by Ryan Gosling. However, what makes Gosling's Ken unique among other Kens is the fact that he is the love interest of Margot Robbie's Barbie.

Ryan Gosling is an A-list actor who is known for his roles in The Gray Man, The Notebook, Blade Runner 2049, and La La Land. 

3.) Kate McKinnon - Gymnast Barbie

Kate McKinnon plays a gymnast version of Barbie in the 2023 movie. The character poster for her take on the iconic Mattel toy shows McKinnon's Barbie as someone who has marker drawings on her face and an unusual haircut. 

The comedian is a Saturday Night Live alum whose past roles include Bombshell, The Spy Who Dumped Me, and 2016's Ghostbusters. 

4.) Issa Rae - President Barbie

Issa Rae's Barbie is a version of the doll who has been elected as the president of Barbieland. It's possible that she was the one who ordered Robbie's Barbie in exile, but there's a chance that she's against the decision or she's only being manipulated by other Barbies. 

Rae has a busy 2023 since she also voices Jessica Drew in Sony Pictures' Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The actress' previous roles include The Lovebirds, Little, and Vengeance. 

5.) Hari Nef - Doctor Barbie

Hari Nef portrays an iteration of Barbie who is a doctor. 

The actress and model is best known for her lead role in Sam Levinson's Assassination Nation, 1Up, and Meet Cute. 

6.) Alexandra Shipp - Writer Barbie

Alexandra Shipp plays a Barbie whose passion is writing. 

Shipp's famous role is playing a young Storm in the X-Men films, Susan Wilson in Tick, Tick... Boom!, and Abby Suso in Love, Simon. 

7.) Emma Mackey - Physicist Barbie

Emma Mackey will play a variation of Barbie who is a physicist. Fans have long clamored to see Mackey and Robbie on-screen together since many have pointed out that the two stars look alike. Hopefully, the pair will share a scene or two together in the movie to hype up each of their respective supporters. 

Mackey is best known for playing Maeve in Netflix's Sex Education.

8.) Sharon Rooney - Lawyer Barbie

A lawyer variant of Barbie will be portrayed by Sharon Rooney. 

The 34-year-old actress' past credits include Dumbo and My Mad Fat Diary.

9.) Dua Lipa - Mermaid Barbie

Dua Lipa is set to make her acting debut in Barbie as a character who is a mermaid iteration of the titular doll. 

While the three-time Grammy award winner also appeared as a guest star in Saturday Night Live, the musician's acting chops will be tested on the big screen alongside a massive ensemble. 

10.) Nicola Coughlan - Diplomat Barbie

Nicola Coughlan portrays a diplomat iteration of Barbie. 

Coughlan's past credits include Netflix's Bridgerton and Derry Girls.

11.) Ana Cruz Kayne - Judge Barbie

A judge variant of Barbie will be played on-screen by Ana Cruz Kayne. 

The actress previously worked with Barbie director Greta Gerwig on Little Women and is known for portraying Heather in Jerry & Marge Go Large.

12.) Ritu Arya - Journalist Barbie

Ritu Arya plays a journalist version of the titular doll in Barbie. 

Arya is famously known for portraying Lila Pitts in Netflix's The Umbrella Academy.

13.) Kingsley Ben-Adir - Different Ken

Kingsley Ben-Adir is set to portray a different version of Ken. It is unknown how the movie will differentiate the other variants of Ken from Gosling's main one, but it's possible that it will be a similar approach to the Barbies. 

Ben-Adir will make his MCU debut in Marvel Studios' Secret Invasion series on Disney+ this June. The actor's other credits include The OA, Peaky Blinders, and One Night in Miami. 

14.) Simu Liu - Different Ken

Simu Liu also plays a different variant of Ken in Barbie. It remains to be seen if Liu's version will be good in martial arts, which is similar to his role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Aside from his Marvel role, Liu's breakout performance was during his portrayal of Jung Kim in Kim's Convenience.

15.) Scott Evans - Different Ken

Scott Evans, the brother of Chris Evans, will also portray another variant of Ken. 

Evans' past roles include Before We Go, Playing It Cool, and The Lovely Bones.

16.) Ncuti Gatwa - Different Ken

Ncuti Gatwa reunites with his Sex Education co-star Emma Mackey in Barbie as he is set to play a different Ken in the movie. 

In the Netflix series, Gatwa portrayed Eric Effiong. The actor is also set to make his debut in the Doctor Who universe as the Fifteenth Doctor.

17.) Connor Swindells - Toy Company Intern

Connor Swindells is another Sex Education alum who joins Gatwa and Mackey in Barbie. 

Swindells will portray a toy company intern in the movie, meaning that he could be one of the characters from the human world and not Barbieland.

18.) Michael Cera - Allan

While Barbie's latest trailer provided the first look at Michael Cera's Allan, the actor's exact role is still shrouded in secrecy. However, his character poster implied that "there is only one Allan," further indicating that he has a significant role in the movie. 

In fact, Cera's character is actually based on a discontinued doll from Mattel and is Ken's original friend. There's a chance that Barbie and Ken's expulsion from Barbieland could lead them on a path to discover discontinued characters like Allan. 

Cera's famous roles include Superbad, This is the End, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. 

19.) Helen Mirren - The Narrator

Helen Mirren plays the Narrator of Barbie. Some have theorized that Mirren is actually the older version of Margot Robbie's lead character in the movie, meaning that she could be telling the story of how she was able to cross both Barbieland and the human world. 

Mirren recently portrayed Hespera in Shazam! Fury of the Gods and she will be featured as Magdalene Shaw in Fast X. 

20.) Jamie Demetriou - Toy Company Employee

Jamie Demetriou takes on the role of a toy company employee in Barbie. 

The actor's past roles include Cruella, Game Over, Man!, and Sherlock Gnomes.

21.) Emerald Fennell - Midge

Emerald Fennell plays Midge, Barbie's best friend in the movie. 

Fennell previously portrayed Camilla Parker Bowles in The Crown and Elsa in The Danish Girl. 

22.) Will Ferrell - The Toy Company CEO

Will Ferrell plays the CEO of the toy company that produces the dolls from the Mattel toy line, most notably Barbies and Kens. The character was seen in the trailer, and many have speculated that he is the movie's actual villain. 

In an interview with Wall Street Journal, Ferrell previously teased that his character in Barbie is "insensitive," further hinting that a heel turn might happen. 

23.) John Cena - Mermaid Ken 

After helping (and betraying) Task Force X as Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad, John Cena will reunite with his DC co-star Margot Robbie in Barbie as Mermaid Ken. 

Footage from CinemaCon confirmed that Cena will sport long hair as he is set to portray a merman in Barbieland.

Cena's past roles include playing Jakob Toretto in the Fast & Furious movies and starring alongside Hailee Steinfeld in Bumblebee. 

24.) America Ferrera 

Set photos confirmed that America Ferrera is part of Barbie's star-studded cast. However, the actress' role is still unknown. Some have speculated that she could be portraying another version of Barbie in the movie. 

Ferrera is known for her roles in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. 

25.) Rhea Perlman

Rhea Perlman's role in Barbie is still a mystery, and the actress has been tight-lipped about her character. Despite that, she promised, via the Daily Beast, that Barbie is going to be a great movie. 

The Emmy Award nominee is best known for playing Carla Tortelli on Cheers.

26.) Ariana Greenblatt

Ariana Greenblatt will portray a "human" in Barbie, though it's still a mystery how the actress' character fits in the story. 

Some have speculated that Greenblatt is the kid who gets to play with Barbie, ultimately meeting Robbie's version of the doll at some point in the movie. Greenblatt's past credits include 65, Love & Monsters, Awake, and playing young Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War. 

27.) Marisa Abela

Marisa Abela's role in Barbie is unknown, but it's possible that the actress is playing a variant of the titular doll or she could serve as another human alongside Ariana Greenblatt's character. 

Abela is known for Industry, Rogue Agent, and She is Love.

Barbie is set to premiere in theaters on July 21.