The new Barbie movie includes a mention of the doll’s inspiration, Barbara Handler, and the real-life woman makes a cameo in the film!
For those who don’t know, the businesswoman and inventor Ruth Handler is the woman who came up with the idea for the Barbie doll and named the iconic character after her daughter.
Ruth was the co-founder of Mattel with her husband and was the company’s first president.
Where is Barbara in the movie?
As seen in the movie trailer, Barbara is the elderly woman who chats with Barbie (played by Margot Robbie) on a park bench in Santa Monica after she travels to the real world. They have an emotional conversation that becomes a sentimental and incredibly significant moment for Barbie’s personal growth.
82-year-old Barbara spoke with BCMA about her mother: “She was a pioneer in her time, no doubt. She was always in favor of women being successful and strong. And she herself was a strong person.”
This is what Barbara has to say about Margot’s performance in the movie:
Barbara shared with the outlet that she has seen the trailer and thinks Margot as Barbie is fantastic.
She said she finds the trailer incredibly adorable, particularly highlighting Margot’s voice. This has increased her anticipation for the movie’s upcoming release in July.
Barbara mentioned that Ruth probably could never have imagined her creation being adapted into a Hollywood movie, but she believes Ruth would have loved it.
She also pointed out that personally, she has never been known as “Barbie” as a nickname, and her brother Kenneth doesn’t appreciate the connection to the doll either.
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