Barbie exceeded high expectations to become the most successful female-directed film ever. While some missed the nuances, most audiences were blown away by the clever script that subverted expectations. And the exceptional cast, including unconventional choices like Michael Cera, brought the complex characters to life perfectly. Greta Gerwig crafted a surprising yet profound Barbie world that gave audiences a new perspective on an iconic brand.
In an interview, Michael Cera opened up about his role and how he got the role in the movie Barbie. It buzzed Hollywood when he revealed that he almost begged the director Greta Gerwig for the role in this hit series starring Margot Robbie as Barbie. The film was a super hit and grossed $1.3 Billion worldwide, becoming the greatest hit of the year so far.
Michael Cera’s Rep Missed Initial Call for Barbie Role
Michael Cera revealed in an interview with GQ about how he almost missed an opportunity to work with the director Greta Gerwig.
“My manager got a call checking on my availability for it, and he called me and he said, ‘I got a call about this movie, it’s the Barbie movie, Greta Gerwig’s directing it, and it’s filming in London for four months or something. So I told them you probably wouldn’t want to do it because you probably don’t want to go to London.”
“And I was like, ‘What?! What do you mean? Call them back!’” he continued. “I mean, he didn’t blow it or anything, but he’s like, ‘I managed their expectations that you might not want to do it.’ And I was like, ‘How could I not do it? I need to do it.’”
Cera shared that he arranged her no from his contacts and mailed her. Then they got connected on a Zoom call to further discuss the role. The actor revealed that there was no chance he would miss this opportunity to be cast in the director Greta Gerwig’s movie.
Was Unsure About Unconventional Character
At first, Cera expressed doubts about accepting the unconventional part. The Allan character seemed like a twist on Barbie’s famous boyfriend Ken. But Cera wasn’t sure if that was the right next role for him.
“It felt too close for comfort, maybe?” he explained about his initial hesitance. The offbeat actor is known for indie film roles, not big-budget blockbusters.
But Gerwig’s inventive vision for Allan won Cera over. “Greta was persistent and very complimentary about me for the role,” he said. Cera realized Allan would allow him to bring his trademark awkward energy to the plastic doll world.
Massive Production with Big Expectations
Cera calls joining the Barbie cast “one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever made,” despite initial hesitations about the Allan role.
Cera built great on-set rapport with Margot Robbie, as the two often improvised scenes together. “I’m really excited for people to see the depth Greta brought to this world,” Cera raved before the movie was released.
Michael Cera was missed by his own representative when Greta Gerwig first called about Barbie. But once contacted, Cera moved past early doubts about the unconventional character of Allan. Drawn in by Gerwig’s inventive vision, Cera joined the $100M production alongside Margot Robbie.
Barbie is running in theatres now. You can also rent/ purchase it on Amazon Prime Video from 12th September. You can also see it on IMAX from September 22nd with exclusive behind-the-scenes clips.
Source: Youtube
