Barbie: Mindhunter Star Jonathan Groff Almost Played Allan

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is now in theaters, winning over fans and critics and is already shaping up to be a major box office hit as it eyes a $300 million opening weekend worldwide. With audiences finally getting to see the film, there are some standout moments and performances that are quickly becoming fan favorites — including Michael Cera as Ken’s one-of-a-kind friend, Allan. Cera’s performance has become one of the film’s most talked about, but as it turns out, Allan was almost played by someone else. It turns out Mindhunter star Jonathan Groff was considered for the role, but sadly had to turn it down due to COVID restrictions.

“Dear, dear Jonathan Groff was like, ‘I can’t believe I’m typing this, but I can’t do Allan,” casting director, Allison Jones told Vanity Fair. Other actors who weren’t able to be part of the film due to having to spend three months in London making the film include Bowen Yang, Dan Levy, and Ben Platt.

Saoirse Ronan and Timothee Chalamet Cameos Were Cut From Barbie

Groff isn’t the only actor who missed out on appearing in Barbie. Saoirse Ronan and Timothee Chalamet, both of whom previously worked with Gerwig on Lady Bird and Little Women, also ended up not appearing in Barbie, something Gerwig previously spoke about feeling like doing something without her children.

“It was always going to have to be like a sort of smaller thing because she was actually producing at the time, which I am so proud of her for,” Gerwig said of Ronan, who had previously confirmed that she had tried and failed to film a cameo for the film (via Variety). “And of course, it’s brilliant. But it was going to be a specialty cameo. I was also going to do a specialty cameo with Timmy. Both of them couldn’t do it and I was so annoyed. But I love them so much. But it felt like doing something without my children. I mean, I’m not their mom, but I sort of feel like their mom.”

Barbie Star Margot Robbie Helped Secure Another Major Cameo

While Chalamet and Ronan didn’t appear in the Barbie movie, John Cena is. The Peacemaker star will be appearing as Merman Ken in the film and it turns out, Barbie star Margot Robbie is responsible for it.

“While we were shooting in London, I ran into him at a restaurant. We had worked together before, actually I ran into him because I went to pay the bill and they were like, ‘John Cena already took care of it.’ I was like, ‘What? Where is he, he’s hard to hide,’” Robbie recalled. “I found him and was like, ‘What are you doing here?’, he was shooting at [the place we were shooting Barbie]. I was like, ‘Do you want to come be a merman in Barbie?’, and he was like ‘Yeah.’ Surely he’s not going to agree to it just like that, and he did. He’s so awesome like that.”

Cena and Robbie worked together on 2021’s The Suicide Squad, with Cena portraying Peacemaker alongside Robbie’s Harley Quinn. The two have stayed friends since.

In Barbie, to live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken. From Oscar-nominated writer/director Greta Gerwig comes Barbie, which hit theaters on July 21st. Barbie stars Oscar-nominees Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, alongside America Ferrera , Kate McKinnon , Michael Cera , Ariana Greenblatt , Issa Rae , Rhea Perlman , and Will Ferrell. The film also stars Ana Cruz Kayne, Emma Mackey , Hari Nef , Alexandra Shipp , Kingsley Ben-Adir , Simu Liu , Ncuti Gatwa , Scott Evans , Jamie Demetriou , Connor Swindells, Sharon Rooney, Nicola Coughlan, Ritu Arya , Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Dua Lipa and Oscar-winner Helen Mirren . Gerwig directed Barbie from a screenplay by Gerwig & Oscar nominee Noah Baumbach , based on Barbie by Mattel . 

Barbie is in theaters now.