"Barbie" Has A Surprisingly International Cast – Here Are All Of The British And Irish Actors In The Movie, Plus Where You Know Them From

From Dua Lipa to Jamie Demetriou to Helen Mirren.

Barbie hits cinemas tomorrow (as if you didn't already know) and the general public will ~finally~ get to find out whether it lives up to the hype.

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The movie stars Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, plus a literal ton of other stars, and is easily 2023's most anticipated film release. Well, alongside Oppenheimer, I guess.

One thing that's garnered a lot of attention thus far is the INCREDIBLE ensemble cast that director Greta Gerwig has managed to assemble. It's pretty unprecedented!

The perfect cast doesn't ex— 💕 Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera make a fantastic arrival at the #Barbie premiere in London. (📷: Getty) pic.twitter.com/CFLSbOiLEY

— E! News (@enews) July 12, 2023

Twitter: @enews

Usually in films of this nature, there are a few blockbuster Brits peppered into the cast (e.g. Florence Pugh, Tom Holland, Daniel Kaluuya) but not when it comes to Barbie – oh no. In fact, the cast is a veritable feast of British and Irish actors, from huge Netflix names to some smaller TV stars we have over our way.

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Here is every British and Irish actor in Barbie, who they play, plus where you might recognise them from...

1. Emma Mackey as Physicist Barbie

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You'll know Emma from her breakout role in Sex Education as Maeve, but the French-British actor has also recently starred in Death on the Nile and Emily. Emma – who has long been thought of as a doppelgänger for lead Margot Robbie – will play Physicist Barbie, one of the many Barbies living in Barbieland.

2. Ncuti Gatwa as Ken #4

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Another Sex Education alumnus making his way into the Barbie movie is Ncuti, who was recently announced as the fifteenth incarnation of The Doctor in Doctor Who. It's reported that the Rwandan-Scottish actor will take over the iconic role at the end of this year. Back in Barbieland, Ncuti plays one of the Kens – in fact, he's Physicist Barbie's Ken!

3. Kingsley Ben-Adir as Ken #1

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Another of the Kens is played by Kingsley Ben-Adir, who is possibly best known for his work in The OA and Peaky Blinders. You might also know Kingsley from Secret Invasion, High Fidelity, the ITV drama Vera, or One Night in Miami..., in which he played Malcolm X.

4. Sharon Rooney as Lawyer Barbie

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Possibly the most left-field casting in this movie (but I'm 100% here for it, because I think she's brilliant) is Sharon as a lawyer version of Barbie. Sharon exploded onto our screens as Rae Earl in the E4 drama, My Mad Fat Diary. Since then, she's mainly worked in British TV, appearing in Two Doors Down (my fave), Brief Encounters, The Teacher, and Zapped. The Scottish actor also featured in the recent Dumbo remake, as well as The Electrical Life of Louis Wain.

5. Dua Lipa as Mermaid Barbie

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The voice behind hits like "One Kiss", "Don't Start Now", and "Levitating", Dua plays yet another Barbie in Barbieland – the mermaid one! The English and Albanian singer is making her acting debut in this film, which, let's be honest, is the kind of iconic move you'd expect from a true superstar like Dula Peep.

6. Nicola Coughlan as Diplomat Barbie

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Oh yes! Lady Whistledown herself appears in Barbie, can you believe it? Irish actor Nicola will play Diplomat Barbie who also lives in Barbieland. You'll ~surely~ recognise Nicola from Netflix's Bridgerton as well as the iconic Channel 4 sitcom, Derry Girls.

7. Ritu Arya as Journalist Barbie

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Rising star Ritu plays the final Barbie on this list – Journalist Barbie (oh, but I thought I was Journalist Barbie?) You might be familiar with Ritu from her star turn in Netflix's The Umbrella Academy as Lila Pitts, but I would also strongly suggest you check her out in Polite Society, Humans, Red Notice, and Feel Good.

8. Emerald Fennell as Midge

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Actor/filmmaker/writer extraordinaire, Emerald, is probably best known for her Oscar-winning movie, Promising Young Woman. Although, she has appeared as an actor in the likes of Vita & Virginia, The Crown, Call the Midwife, and Victoria. Emerald is also well known for being the lead writer on the second season of hit dramedy, Killing Eve. In Barbie, Emerald plays Midge, Barbie's perpetually pregnant BFF.

9. Jamie Demetriou as a Mattel employee

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Wait, I take back what I said about Sharon – this is the most left-field casting in the movie. Star of Stath Lets Flats, Jamie is best known to Brits for being the slightly goofy but nonetheless loveable Stath Charalambos. He has also appeared in Fleabag, Paddington 2, The Afterparty, Ellie & Natasia, and Catherine Called Birdy. In Barbie, Jamie plays an employee at Mattel – the makers of Barbie.

10. Connor Swindells as Aaron Dinkins, a Mattel intern

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Rounding out the Sex Education reunion happening in the film is Connor, who plays an intern working in the "real world" outside Barbieland. Connor has played Adam Groff in Sex Education since the series' inception, and has also starred in SAS: Rogue Heroes, Emma, Barbarians, and Vigil.

11. Rob Brydon as Sugar Daddy Ken

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Okay, wait, I take it back again... THIS is the most left-field casting in Barbie. (I won't change my mind again, I promise!) As well as killing it on the British comedy circuit for YEARS, many Brits will know Rob from either Gavin & Stacey or Would I Lie to You?. According to the man himself, he makes about a three to four second appearance in this movie, which apparently came about because Margot is a fan of his!

12. Helen Mirren as the narrator

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Where do you start with an actor as iconic and prolific as Helen Mirren? She's played everyone from Queen Elizabeth I to Queen Elizabeth II, as well as a lusty calendar girl, a former black-ops agent, and Alfred Hitchcock's long-suffering wife! In Barbie, Helen will narrate events, which you just know will be wonderful.

What do you make of this cast? Are you excited for Barbie? Let us know in the comments below!