Some sympathy, please, for Allan, created in 1964 as a best friend to Barbie’s boyfriend, Ken, but discontinued the following year because he was so underwhelming. The new and much-anticipated Barbie film resurrects Allan, along with Midge, the girlfriend who later became his wife. Allan made a couple of comebacks over the decades, but in the real-life history of the Barbie doll – 58m of which are still sold each year – he remains a minor character. “Somewhat of a marginalised figure,” says Michael Cera, who plays him in the film. “It turned out people didn’t need to go deeper into Ken’s world.”
An Allan doll, which the actor bought on eBay, sat in the hair and makeup room, as inspiration and “a sort of mascot, until after shooting, when I took him home”, says Cera. “I definitely wanted to have my own Allan.” He has a broken sandal, says Cera, with a touch of sadness, “but it doesn’t matter – he’s like 60 years old or something”.
