Barbie: Oscar-Winning Costume Designer Reacts To Her Pivitol Role in Film

Barbie has been in theaters for a little over a month, and it’s now 2023’s highest-grossing movie at the domestic box office. There’s a chance the film could end up becoming the highest-grossing film of the year worldwide now that it’s being rereleased in IMAX next month with new footage. There’s a lot of heart and humor in Barbie and a few pivotal moments that many fans can’t stop talking about. One such special scene sees Barbie (Margot Robbie) interacting with an older woman on a bench while visiting the Real World. Barbie is experiencing human emotions for the first time when she sees the woman and tells her, “You’re beautiful”. The woman responds, “I know it,” which causes Barbie to laugh through her tears. Credited as “The Woman on the Bench,” the character is played by Ann Roth, an Oscar-winning costume designer who has worked on multiple films directed by Babie co-writer, Noah Baumbach. Roth is from Hanover, Pennsylvania where a local news station, WGAL, recently reached out about her Barbie role. 

“I loved living in Hanover. I really did. I recall everything about Hanover and nothing about the last movie I did,” Roth said of her hometown. The 92-year-old is still working in Hollywood and has nearly 140 costume design credits to her name. Her most recent films included Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, White Noise, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which earned her her second Oscar. Throughout her career, Roth also won an Oscar for The English Patient and was nominated for Places in the Heart, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and The Hours.

“My work has sort of slid into the category of real character work that basically is what I think I do,” Roth explained. When asked about getting the Barbie call from director Greta Gerwig, Roth replied, “Nobody ever says that to me. I’m not an actor,” Roth said.

“Friends that I haven’t heard from in years are texting me,” Roth told WGAL. However, the costume designer isn’t interested in getting in front of the camera again any time soon. “No,” she replied when asked if she’d be making any more film appearances. 

What Is Barbie About?

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.