Simu Liu: 'Barbie' Will Dismantle Stereotypical Beauty Standards Of 'Blonde, White' Dolls

Simu Liu promises that "Barbie" will shake off the stereotypical beauty standards long perpetuated by doll brands.

The upcoming film, co-written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, and while the duo (with Gosling's bleached blonde locks), are the classic images of Mattel perfection, these are just two of many, many versions of Barbies and Kens in the "Barbie" universe.

Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera, Will Ferrell, Issa Rae, Michael Cera, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Ncuti Gatwa, Hari Nef, Nicola Coughlan and Emerald Fennell are also part of the massive cast.

"I vividly remember some of our big complex dance sequences, Greta was very, very conscientious about who she was casting. We were able to cast people of different shapes and sizes and abilities to participate in this dance - all under this message: you don't have to be blonde, white or X, Y, Z to embody what it means to be a Barbie or a Ken," Liu said at the 2022 Unforgettable Gala. honoring Asian artists and entertainment industry leaders (via ).

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According to Liu, the film is "really about finding your inner beauty and owning that part of yourself and being the best possible version of you".

“I will say that going on set, I was never isolated. I felt like I was going to work every day with a cast that really celebrated each other and the differences between others, no matter where we came from," Liu said of working with Oscar nominee Gerwig. "I think when you watch the movie, you'll see that reflected on the screen."

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Director Gerwig has previously revealed that she initially thought a Barbie movie would be "career ending", but said Mattel proved to be an "incredible partner" during production.

"They gave us such confidence and freedom, and I think that's incredibly rare," the 'Little Women' director said during an episode of the podcast. "At Your Service" by Dua Lipa. "Whatever we wanted to be, they didn't try to micromanage it."

For all the details on "Barbie", click here.

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