Michael Cera scored Barbie role by emailing Greta Gerwig directly, she said 'let's get on Zoom'

In Greta Gerwig's blockbuster film Barbie, Michael Cera takes on the role of Allan, a unique, weirdo character that adds a distinct flavour to the movie. However, Cera's inclusion in the film almost didn't come to be, if it weren't for a timely and determined effort on his part. In an interview with GQ, conducted prior to the onset of an actors' strike, Cera revealed the serendipitous nature of his casting. The process was a whirlwind, beginning with a call from his manager who gauged his availability for the Barbieproject. Cera's manager initially assumed he wouldn't be interested due to the extended filming period in London.

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Cera recalled, "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 of something, so I told them you probably wouldn’t want to do it because you probably don’t want to go to London'."

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“I was like, ‘What! Call them back!’ He didn’t like blow it or anything, but he’s like, ‘I managed their expectations that you might not want to do it.’ I was like, ‘How can I not do it? I need to do it!'” he continued.

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Realising the potential missed opportunity, Cera managed to obtain Greta Gerwig's email address through a mutual friend. He composed an earnest message, expressing his desire to be a part of the project, particularly the role of Allan. “And she was like, ‘Let’s get on a Zoom right now. Here’s a Zoom link, I’ll be on there for the next hour.’ So she was just hanging out on the Zoom, like, ‘Click the link whenever you’re ready.’ And then we talked about it, and it just all happened really fast from there.”

Barbie review

Also Read: Barbie review: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling's film smart, funny and very woke

WION's Shomini Sen wrote in her review of Barbie, "I would still say that the film very smartly shows how society is and humanises the iconic doll. For decades Barbie has been one of the most popular toys for young girls, setting unrealistic standards of beauty. Sure, Mattel has reinvented the doll and made every girl believe that they can be whatever they want to be - just like their favourite doll, but the narrative of everything being overtly perfect has also done damage to several. Greta, in that sense, spins the narrative and adds a layer of cynicism to Barbieland to show how things are in real. Flawed, depressed, and definitely not perfect- even though the plastic remains constant."

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