SPOILER warning: Details about the ending of Barbie lie ahead.
Kate McKinnon is one of the highlights of the new Barbie movie. She plays “Weird Barbie” which symbolizes a mangled doll that was played with too hard. The SNL alum brings incredibly eccentric energy to the role, acting as a hilarious reminder of some of our well loved favorite toys, as well as a wise source of knowledge. McKinnon is hilarious in the film, and now the Barbie cast is revealing which of her lines was improvised.
Stars Issa Rae, Michael Cera, and McKinnon all sat down with CinemaBlend’s very own Hannah Saulic for an interview in promotion of Barbie (ahead of the SAG-AFTRA strike). During the conversation, the cast chatted about some of the best moments from the summer blockbuster. When asked about how Rae and McKinnon’s characters paired up towards the end the Barbie movie, and the hilarious line about Weird Barbie wanting to lead BarbieLand’s Department of Sanitation, the Insecure star revealed that the line was actually improvised by the comedian. She said:
I mean that was one of her brilliant improvised lines. Just dark and twisted but of course Weird Barbie wants sanitation. But I would be proud to have her in my cabinet, I just think that she’d liven things up and make them appropriately weird.
For context, the scene in question has President Barbie (played by Issa Rae) asking Weird Barbie what cabinet position she would like after helping all the Barbies take BarbieLand back from the Kens’ patriarchy. The line is hilarious, and perfectly in tune with McKinnon’s character. While Weird Barbie may be a shoe-in for a cabinet position, is there room for Michael Cera’s Alan? Rae thought so, saying:
Absolutely I would love for Alan to be
Any world with these characters in charge would be a fun one. Clearly there’s a lot of love for Weird Barbie and Alan coming from the rest of the Barbie’s, and their contributions to the movie are immense. While these characters may begin as misfits that don’t perfectly fit into the utopian world of Barbies and Kens, both characters are integral to helping take down the “Kendom” and are wonderfully quirky additions to the cast. Everyone is hilarious, but the pink-painted world wouldn’t be complete without these two.
It’s no surprise Kate McKinnon was able to get an unscripted line in Barbie. The script was carefully constructed by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, her creative and life partner. However, when you’re inviting a pro like the Ghostbusters star to the party, you're sure to get some great off-the-cuff jokes. Gerwig also made room for other cast contributions, like Ryan Gosling’s wardrobe suggestions. It sounds like Barbie was a group effort, letting everyone’s talents shine.
You can catch Kate McKinnon, and the rest of the all-star cast in Barbie, which is available in theaters nationwide. The Margot Robbie-led comedy is a box office sensation, so check it out and see for yourself why it’s become such a cultural phenomenon. For more information on other films hitting cinemas this summer, make sure to consult our 2023 movie release schedule.
