Barbie was one of the most star-studded movies of the last decade, so it’s no secret that competition was stiff to land a coveted role in such a stellar ensemble.
Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling starred in Greta Gerwig’s Oscar-nominated movie about the iconic doll, completed by a cast that included Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, Nicola Coughlan, Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa and many more.
There was also a memorable supporting role from Will Ferrell, who played the rollerskating Mattel CEO.
But before the gig went to the Anchorman actor, there was a British comedian up for the same role: James Acaster.
The standup comic has been venturing into acting in recent years, having landed roles in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and last year’s comedy-adventure film Seize Them! with The White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood.
As revealed in a recently unearthed interview, the Off Menu podcast host also went for a role in the 2023 record-breaking blockbuster.
Speaking on The Comedian’s Comedian Podcast with Stuart Goldsmith last year, James opened up about his acting career when he was asked about projects he had unsuccessfully auditioned for.
“The Barbie movie. The part went to Will Ferrell,” James recalled, before adding: “Come on, why are they even getting me in the room?”
He also clarified that he “liked the audition though”, adding “that’s fun, it’s learning”.
Earlier this year, director Greta set the record straight following reports of a Barbie sequel. A spokesperson for the director insisted that there was “no legitimacy” to the story that a follow-up was in the earlier stages, while Warner Bros. also called the reports “inaccurate”.
Meanwhile, Margot Robbie’s film company is set to follow the success of Barbie by producing a new movie based on the Monopoly board game.
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