Timothée Chalamet Never Found Out What His Axed ‘Barbie’ Cameo Would’ve Been

Timothée Chalamet was all set for a cameo appearance in Greta Gerwig’s much-anticipated ‘Barbie’ movie, reuniting with his ‘Lady Bird’ and ‘Little Women’ co-star Saoirse Ronan. 

However, the stars didn’t align, and scheduling conflicts thwarted their plans. Despite being Warner Bros.’ top-grossing film, raking in an impressive $1.4 billion at the box office and becoming the blockbuster of 2023, the duo missed out on their cameo moment.

Chalamet spoke about the missed opportunity during a recent chat on ‘The Tonight Show.’ He revealed that the envisioned cameo for him and Ronan was shrouded in mystery. “There was an idea for Saoirse Ronan and me to do a cameo in it. I don’t know what the cameo would’ve been. I think it would’ve been one of the rejected Kens or Barbies. Not Alan! Maybe there was a rejected French one along the way,” he shared.

Chalamet, currently working on the musical ‘Wonka,’ had the chance to visit the set of “Barbie at least” since it was shot on the same Warner Bros. UK lot. Greta Gerwig, the director, expressed her disappointment at not having the duo in the film, recounting Timothée’s visit to the set and the realization that he should have been part of the project.

The director had initially planned “speciality cameos” for Chalamet and Ronan, but their busy schedules didn’t permit it. Gerwig, reflecting on the situation, mentioned, “I tried to get them both in it. They both couldn’t do it. Although Timothée did come by the set and then said, ‘I should have been in this.’ And I was like, ‘I know! Why aren’t you in this?’”

She says, “But it felt like doing something without my children. I mean, I’m not their mom, but I sort of feel like their mom.”

Saoirse Ronan’s commitments to filming and producing ‘The Outrun’ clashed with the shooting schedule of ‘Barbie,’ making it impossible for her to fit in a cameo. ‘The Outrun’ is an adaptation of the 2016 memoir by Scottish journalist and author Amy Liptrot.

The casting challenges for ‘Barbie’ extended beyond Chalamet and Ronan. The film’s casting directors revealed that Bowen Yang, Dan Levy and Ben Platt were considered for Ken’s role, with scheduling logistics ultimately preventing their involvement. Jonathan Groff was also in the running for the role of Ken’s friend Allan, a part eventually secured by Michael Cera. 

The intricate dance of schedules added a layer of complexity to assembling the cast for what turned out to be a record-breaking cinematic success.