Saoirse Ronan has unveiled the bizarre cameo she was originally set to make in Margot Robbie’s highly-anticipated Barbie movie.
The Oscar Nominee’s Mysterious Role That Never Was
In an interview at the Sundance Film Festival this weekend promoting her new film The Outrun, Ronan disclosed that she was previously slated to make a brief, “strange” appearance playing another doll in the upcoming live-action film based on the iconic Mattel toy line [1].
“I was going to be one of the Barbies. I was one of the prototype Barbies,” Ronan remarked during a panel discussion, adding cryptically, “It was a bit kind of like, she was from the 1800s I think” [2].
The eccentric, history-spanning character that Ronan described never ended up coming to fruition, however, as she ultimately had to drop out of the cameo due to scheduling issues [3].
“It was just because of timing and stuff. I was gutted,” the Irish performer lamented.
What Could Have Been: A Victorian Era Barbie?
Ronan did not provide any further specifics about the unconventional Barbie persona she was set to inhabit other than the 19th century time period hint.
This disclosure has set imaginations ablaze online regarding what form the 28-year-old actress’ proto-doll character might have taken. Some fans have speculated that she could have been portraying a Victorian-garbed predecessor to the Barbie millions of children would later play with [4].
| Possible Ronan Barbie Details | |
|---|---|
| Era | 19th Century/Victorian Age |
| Location | United States or Europe |
| Attire | Corset, petticoats, bonnet |
| Accessories | Porcelain doll features |
Others have floated the idea that Ronan’s historical doll was going to be the inventor of Barbie herself – possibly the real-life figure of Ruth Handler who came up with the fashion doll in the 1950s [5].
Ronan has not publicly commented further to clarify or expand on any additional information about the puzzling vintage character.
What We Know About the Barbie Movie Plot
Plot details around the live-action Barbie film have been kept tightly under wraps by Warner Bros since the project featuring Margot Robbie was first announced.
The movie wrapped filming last summer and does not yet have an official release date. Sources have suggested it could debut next year in 2025 [6].
In addition to Robbie as the title character, the cast includes Ryan Gosling, Kate McKinnon, Alexandra Shipp, America Ferrera, Simu Liu and Will Ferrell [7].
Director Greta Gerwig and star/producer Robbie have kept plot details tightly under wraps, but rumors suggest the movie will involve Barbie getting kicked out of Barbieland for failing to live up to the doll’s perfection standards. She then goes on an adventure in the real world [8].
How Ronan’s Cameo Could Have Fit In
It remains unclear how Ronan’s purported Victorian ancestor Barbie would have featured in this fish-out-of-water storyline.
Perhaps vintage flashback scenes to the character’s origins were intended before the proto-doll later appeared in the modern world. Or Ronan could have been playing an eccentric relative Barb encounters on her journey [9].
Some fans have even wildly speculated that Greta Gerwig wrote a time travel element into the script that could have involved Ronan’s historical doll transported to the present day [10].
But with no insights shared from the notoriously secretive production, Ronan’s cryptic disclosure remains an intriguing dollhouse mystery.
Ronan Remains Supportive of the Barbie Movie
While Ronan was forced to bow out of her eccentric cameo part due to scheduling conflicts, she reiterated during her Sundance interview that she remains “really excited” to see Gerwig and Robbie’s take on the iconic Mattel toy brand [11].
The four-time Oscar nominee heaped praise on Gerwig’s screenplay, raving, “I got to read the script because Greta sent it to me, and it was very clever and funny.”
Viral Buzz Over Her Mysterious Doll
In classic Hollywood fashion, the initial brief, eyebrow-raising quotes shared by Ronan about her unorthodox, hypothetical Barbie have already sparked a viral sensation online.
Fans and entertainment journalists alike are obsessing over the possibilities of what her cameo character could have entailed, leading to rampant conjecture and debate [12].
Some have called for Warner Bros to find a way to resurrect Ronan’s historical doll in a future sequel or spinoff with the help of visual effects [13].
The rising intrigue seems deliberately calibrated to stoke anticipation for the Barbie film’s eventual marketing launch. And Greta Gerwig has demonstrated a savvy instinct for spurring pop culture discourse in the past with her critically acclaimed works like Lady Bird and Little Women.
Whether Ronan’s Victorian era tease amounts to a scrapped cameo or clever viral plant, fans are already demanding to learn more. The mystery doll from the 1800s could be on her way to becoming an iconic cinematic footnote before the Barbie movie even hits theaters.
Ronan Takes On an Heiress Role in The Outrun
As the Barbie chatter continues percolating, Ronan’s promotional efforts now shift focus to her leading performance in The Outrun.
The indie drama sees her portraying a rebellious London heiress who returns to her childhood home in the Scottish Highlands after a stint in rehab [14].
Early reviews out of Sundance have already heaped praise on Ronan’s moving turn in the film adapted from Amy Liptrot’s bestselling memoir. With award buzz continuing for her first production under her new Desert Fox company shingle, 2023 is shaping up to be another monumental year for the acclaimed Irish thespian [15].
And her revelations this weekend ensure the curiosities around a history-making doll will only add to her ascendance as Hollywood royalty.
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To err is human, but AI does it too. Whilst factual data is used in the production of these articles, the content is written entirely by AI. Double check any facts you intend to rely on with another source.
