The Barbie Dolls That Inspired Their Characters in the Movie
Weird Barbie, Sugar Daddy Ken, Pregnant Midge, Allan, President Barbie, & Growing up Skipper, are some of the dolls that are seen in the movie
Barbie was one of the most awaited movies of 2023, and it has not disappointed, as it’s not as plastic as we thought it would be. Instead, it brought us a beautiful reflection about ourselves, our relationships with others, the role we decide to play in our lives and in others, about empathy, and much more.
Barbie creator, Ruth Handler noticing the limited option her daughter had for toys (she could only play roles of a mom or caregiver), and her son having toys that sparked his imagination as a firefighter, astronaut, doctor, and more; she decided to design a doll that would empower girls by showing them endless possibilities and that they could aspire to be anything they desired —that they could be anything.
Today, according to Mattel, Barbie recognizes the power and importance of representation and is committed to doing the work to inspire the next generation. As a result, Barbie is the most diverse and inclusive doll line on the market today, offering 35 skin tones, 97 hairstyles, nine body types, a large range of features, permanent physical disabilities, and much more.
Barbie Dolls in Barbie Movie
Barbie – Margot Robbie
Margot plays stereotypical Barbie, the doll ‘we all think about when we think about a Barbie’. And it’s not a surprise, because actress Margot Robbie possesses a beauty that resembles Barbie.
During the movie she wears diverse outfits because, as she can be whatever she wants, she can wear whatever she wants. At the beginning of the film, she pays homage to the very first Barbie doll, initially unveiled at the National Toy Fair in New York March 9, 1959.
At first, a lot of toy buyers were skeptical because Barbie was unlike the baby and toddler dolls that were popular at the time (which is also shown at the trailer and at the beginning of the movie). But the black and white striped swimsuit doll with her signature ponytail had a massive success –obviously. So, Barbie (and of course Ruth), taught us from the beginning that if you believe and work on your dreams, you can always achieve them.
Ken – Ryan Gosling
Ruth created Kenneth Carson, better known just as Ken, after his son Kenneth (Ken) Handler. He was created in March 11, 1961, just 2 years after Barbie release, and it was introduced as her boyfriend. However, Ken doll wasn’t as popular as her.
Even though, Ken had a variety of different looks, like 70s Mod Hair Ken, 80s Dream Date Ken, or 90s Totally Hair Ken. Ryan Gosling’s Ken is inpired by the Sun Livia Malibu Ken doll line of 1979. Their connection is emphasized by the choice of a turquoise swimsuit, sun-kissed tanned skin, and super blonde hair.
Mermaid Barbie – Dua Lipa
Mattel’s version of the movie is Mermaid Barbie «Malibu» Doll, that has extra-long and bright blue hair, and a beautiful ombre tail with premium touches and sculpted scales.
Dua Lipa is also featured on the official soundtrack, with her disco-pop song Dance the Night.
President Barbie – Issa Rae
Part of Mattel’s careers collection, The President Barbie has had various changes since its release back in 1992. The inaugural release of President Barbie featured an American-themed dress, perfect for attending an inaugural ball, and a sophisticated red suit tailored for her duties in the Oval Office.
Issa Rae’s version is a modern one, and Mattel made a Barbie the Movie Collectible Doll with her pink and gold dress.
Supreme Court Justice Barbie and Lawyer Barbie – Ana Cruz Kayne, Sharon Rooney
Barbie has over 200 careers since 1959. As said on a Barbie Twitter, this series encourages girls to learn more about making decisions to change the world for the better.
The verdict is in! With over 200 careers since 1959, this year Barbie takes the stand as a Judge! The Barbie Judge Doll encourages girls to learn more about making decisions to change the world for the better.
Shop now: https://t.co/ceim7WxU1E. pic.twitter.com/IQDCp6rZtL
— Barbie (@Barbie) October 7, 2019
Anchor Barbie – Ritu Arya
Ritu Arya from ‘The Umbrella Academy’ plays the version of 2010’s News Anchor Barbie.
Doctor Barbie – Hari Nef
Of course, it had to be a Doctor Barbie, one of the oldest career dolls with a large number of versions. The role is played by the model, actress and writer Hari Nef. She is the first trans woman hired by IMG Models.
Physicist/Scientist Barbie – Emma Mackey
Physicist Barbie follows a long line of Barbie dolls with STEM careers, which includes Astrophysicist Barbie, Vaccine Developer Barbie, Robotics Engineer Barbie, Nurse Barbie, and Computer Engineer Barbie.
Girls need more role models. Let’s inspire the next generation to see themselves in careers underrepresented by women. By encouraging more girls to explore STEM with Robotics Engineer #Barbie, we show them that they can be anything. https://t.co/kRIQ50Ox4Y #YouCanBeAnything pic.twitter.com/aqHFYqDQ6r
— Barbie (@Barbie) June 26, 2018
Way before the movie, the famous Sex Education star, Emma Mackey, was heavily compared to Margot Robbie due to their physical resemblance. Apparently, Mackey was cast as one of the Barbies because Greta thought it would be funny, but once all dressed, Emma and Margot didn’t look so identical.
Once we got all dressed up as our Barbies, we were kind of like, ‘We don’t actually look that similar. Like, when she’s got her brown hair and I’ve got my blonde hair, we don’t look THAT similar, so we didn’t put that joke in the movie” –Margot said.
Soy como tú, tú eres igual…
Margot Robbie y Emma Mackey en #Barbie pic.twitter.com/Sj1jjwH2e9
— ANDRU (@andrugeek) June 30, 2023
Barbies Without Official Barbie Doll
Author Barbie – Alexandra Shipp
There’s still no official author Barbie doll, but a lot of kids dream about writing, so, probably it won’t take long until there’s one. However, in 2021, Mattel released a Maya Angelou doll to its Inspiring Women series.
Diplomat Barbie – Nicola Coughlan
Weird Barbie – Kate McKinnon
It kind of makes a lot of sense that Kate McKinnon plays Weird Barbie, and even though there’s wasn’t a official version of this Barbie when the movie premiered (there’s one now), probably we all created one at some point of our life’s, cutting or even dying her hair, painting her face, and playing way too rude with her. So, she’s possibly one of the most real ones.
Discontinued dolls
Midge / ‘Pregnant Barbie’ – Emerald Fennell
Not exactly Barbie because she has never been pregnant, but her friend Midge (Hadley).
Originally, Mattel introduced her in 1963 as Barbie’s best friend. Of course she wasn’t pregnant at the time, but in 1964 she began ‘dating’ Allan Sherwood (yes, in the movie played by Michael Cera), Ken’s best friend.
According to Polygon, Midge and Allan’s initial versions didn’t remain on sale for long, as Mattel ceased production after 1965. However, Midge made a comeback in 1988, sporting a fresh, beachy look. Throughout the ’90s, she enjoyed a successful run of various adventures, from getting married and engaging in outdoor activities like camping, rollerblading, and surfing, to experiencing the joy of pregnancy and motherhood.
Allan followed a similar path, although he had fewer models leading up to becoming a father. The family planning era introduced some intriguing twists for Midge’s character, adding an element of uniqueness to her storyline. In 2002, Mattel introduced a new version of her: pregnant Midge. The doll design allowed children to take off her pregnant belly and see the baby curled up inside…
We don’t see this whole story in the movie, we just see Midge ‘eternally’ pregnant.
Allan – Michael Cera
Mattel introduced Allan in 1964, wearing the same striped shirt that Michael Cera wears in the movie. He was first introduced as Midge’s boyfriend and Ken’s best buddy, so, his identity crisis in the movie is justified, as he was always the boyfriend, husband or friend, but never was ‘allowed’ to decide who he was.
Growing up Skipper – Hannah Khalique-Brown
In the movie there are some references to Skipper, Barbie’s younger sister, but there’s one especially bizarre: Growing up Skipper.
She was originally introduced by Mattel in 1964, but in the mid 70s they decided to give her a more mature appearance. With this version, girls could rotate her left arm forward, causing her to grow an inch taller and develop breasts, reflecting the physical changes of growing up…
Video Girl Barbie – Mette Towley
The Barbie Video Girl doll was released in 2010 and came with a necklace that had a camera lens in it and a video screen on Barbie’s back. It could record 30 minutes of video and download it to a computer, but due to an FBI controversy, it was ultimately discontinued in 2012.
Sugar Daddy Ken doll – Rob Brydon
Well… the name didn’t help this Ken reputation. According to Insider, this Ken was created in 2009 for Barbie’s 50th anniversary as part of the adult doll collection line. He came with a West Highland Terrier puppy named Sugar, so the reference was for being ‘Sugar’s’ Dad, as a Mattel spokeswoman told the New York Post that same year. Eventually, the doll was cancelled, but we can see it in the movie along with the other discontinued dolls.
Did you have any of these dolls?