Simu Liu Impressed Greta Gerwig with His Dance Skills in Audition for ‘Barbie’
The key to Barbie’s dream house? Solid dance moves and a good attitude.
While the plot of Greta Gerwig-helmed “Barbie,” produced by lead actress Margot Robbie, has been mostly kept under wraps, co-star Simu Liu did confirm that the film is a comedy.
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“When you’re doing a scene and it’s working, you hear, ‘HAHAHAHA!’ from the video village,” Liu told GQ, imitating writer-director Gerwig’s laughter. “If you’re an asshole on a Greta Gerwig set, there’s no hope for you.”
Liu maintained that making Gerwig smile on set was “the best feeling in the world” — especially since the “Little Women” Oscar winner cast Liu in part after Gerwig learned the “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” superhero used to be in a competitive hip-hop dance troupe during college.
“Greta was talking about how much she loved watching men dance because it’s such an expression of artistry you’re not used to seeing from typical men,” Liu explained. “She audibly guffawed, she giggle-screamed — and then I got the part.”
Liu confirmed that “Barbie” is not a musical, but that the film is “wild” and “incredibly unique.”
“I wish I could just show you what we do day to day because it’s crazy,” Luu said.
Even Liu’s agent was convinced that Gerwig’s “Barbie” script was one of the best he’s ever read.
“He literally said this verbatim,” Liu recalled. “He was like, ‘If I could stake my career on any one script, it’s the ‘Barbie’ script. I really think you should do it.'”
“Barbie” stars Robbie as the titular doll who escapes her fantasy world only to find herself overwhelmed with reality. Ryan Gosling plays Ken, and Will Ferrell is the CEO of a toy company rumored to be modeled off of Barbie manufacturer Mattel, who also produces the film.
“People generally hear ‘Barbie’ and think, ‘I know what that movie is going to be,’ and then they hear that Greta Gerwig is writing and directing it, and they’re like, ’Oh, well, maybe I don’t…’,” star and executive producer Robbie previously said to British Vogue, adding that the film “comes with a lot of baggage and a lot of nostalgic connections” to honor the legacy of Barbie.
Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Emerald Fennell, and “Sex Education” breakouts Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, and Connor Swindells also round out the ensemble cast.
For all the details on “Barbie,” click here.
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