Greta Gerwig Planned ‘Barbie’ Cameos for Timothée Chalamet and Saoirse Ronan, Was ‘So Annoyed’ to Drop Them: ‘It’s Like Doing Something Without My Children’

Saoirse Ronan revealed last September to People that she tried and failed to film a cameo in the upcoming Barbie movie, which is directed by her Lady Bird and Little Women filmmaker Greta Gerwig. It turns out Gerwig eyed even more Barbie cameos, including one that wouldve reunited her and Ronan with Timothe Chalamet. The Oscar nominee also appeared in both of Gerwigs previous solo directorial features.

Well, 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 having to scrap Ronans cameo. And of course, its brilliant. But it was going to be a specialty cameo. I was also going to do a specialty cameo with Timmy. Both of them couldnt do it and I was so annoyed. But I love them so much. But it felt like doing something without my children. I mean, Im not their mom, but I sort of feel like their mom.

Ronan previously worked with Barbie leading star Margot Robbie in the 2018 period drama Mary Queen of Scots. Ronan was filming and producing The Outrun at the same time Gerwig was filming Barbie and thus couldnt fit a cameo into her schedule. The Outrun is adapted from the 2016 memoir by Scottish journalist and author Amy Liptrot.

I was supposed to do a cameo because I live in London and they were [filming] there, Ronan told People last year. There was a whole character I was going to play another Barbie. I was gutted I couldnt do it.

It was later revealed that Gerwig and Noah Baumbachs script for Barbie includes multiple actors playing the titular doll. Robbie is the films main Barbie, but other Barbie characters are played by Issa Rae, Dua Lipa, Alexandra Shipp, Kate McKinnon, Hari Nef and more. Ronans cameo wouldve been another Barbie in the movie.

Barbie opens in theaters nationwide July 21 from Warner Bros.

Greta Gerwig had planned cameo appearances for Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet in #Barbie that eventually got scrapped:

“It felt like doing something without my children.”pic.twitter.com/OPU3nHw8oe

Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) July 10, 2023