The list of actors who almost appeared in Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” is becoming almost as long as the star-studded cast of the Best Picture nominated film. So far, we know actors like Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet were either cut from the film or weren’t able to shoot their scenes, Ben Affleck was recently touted for an action scene that never happened. Additionally, Bowen Yang, Dan Levy, Ben Platt, and Jonathan Groff were among desired actors who couldn’t make the production due to COVID. It seems like everyone wanted to appear in “Barbie,” and we can now add Academy Award winner Olivia Colman (“The Favorite”) to the list.
In a recent Variety piece, Helen Mirren, who is in “Barbie,” or at least heard as the narrator of the film, said Colman was scheduled to appear alongside her in a bit that would be essentially asking who is the best Great Dame of British acting?
“It was a very funny scene with Olivia Colman sort of playing drunk and us clashing about who is the real grande dame of British actresses,” Mirren told the outlet with a laugh. “She comes in and tries to take over the role of the Narrator and I had to fight her off.”
Whether it was shot or not remains unclear, but what seems apparent is the Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling-starring film was filled with both deleted scenes that were shot and some that were scripted, but then never came together for one reason or another.
While the Oscars made headlines earlier this year for not nominating director Greta Gerwig or lead actress Margot Robbie, the movie was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture. “Barbie” took the box office by storm last year, earning more than $1.44 billion worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing film of 2023. While “Oppenheimer” looks poised to sweep the Oscars, “Barbie” bested it in the box office games of last year, and maybe that Kenough?
