While director Greta Gerwig and her co-writer Noah Baumbach were particular about their script, they encouraged the cast to contribute "spur of the moment" ideas. Consequently, several of the film's most memorable lines and physical gags were entirely improvised.
Below are the specific scenes and details regarding improvisation in *Barbie* (2023):
### **Ryan Gosling (Ken)**
Ryan Gosling was responsible for many of the film's spontaneous comedic moments. Margot Robbie noted that his "Ken-ergy" often led to takes that weren't in the script:
* **The "Sublime!" Shout:** In the third act, when Barbie visits the "Mojo Dojo Casa House" and pretends to want to be Ken’s "long-term, long-distance, low-commitment casual girlfriend," Ken asks to be excused for a moment. He steps behind a swinging door and lets out a triumphant shout. The word **"Sublime!"** was improvised. Bloopers show Gosling trying other options, including "My rainbow after the storm!", "My pot of gold!", and a reference to Kelis by screaming, "Her milkshake brings this boy to the yard!"
* **Double Sunglasses:** During the same sequence, Ken is shown wearing two pairs of sunglasses at once (one over his eyes and another on his head). Margot Robbie confirmed this was an unscripted idea Gosling had on the day to emphasize Ken’s over-the-top "macho" transformation.
* **The Clothes Meltdown:** When Ken is taking over Barbie Land and throwing Barbie's clothes off her balcony, his dramatic delivery and "meltdown" mannerisms—including the way he struggled with the specific names of the Barbie outfits—were largely driven by his performance choices in the moment.
### **Kate McKinnon (Weird Barbie)**
* **The Department of Sanitation:** At the end of the film, when the Barbies are reclaiming their world and President Barbie (Issa Rae) asks what cabinet position Weird Barbie would like, she replies that she wants to lead the **Department of Sanitation**. Issa Rae confirmed this "dark and twisted" line was one of McKinnon’s many brilliant improvisations.
### **Michael Cera (Allan)**
Michael Cera’s performance as the singular, awkward Allan was filled with small, unscripted flourishes:
* **"I'm confused about that":** During the opening sequence on the beach, the narrator explains that "there are no multiples of Allan." Cera’s response—**"Yeah, I'm confused about that"**—was a fourth-wall-breaking addition that wasn't in the original text.
* **The Beach Scream:** In the scene where Ryan Gosling’s Ken attempts to "beach" and wipes out on an ocean wave, Michael Cera lets out a sudden, guttural, cartoon-like scream. Greta Gerwig was reportedly so caught off guard by the sound that she fell to the floor laughing, and it was kept in the final cut.
### **America Ferrera (Gloria)**
* **The Monologue:** While the famous monologue about the impossible standards of womanhood was a scripted "Gloria Aria," Greta Gerwig revealed that the process was highly collaborative. Ferrera specifically added the line **"always be grateful"** based on her own experiences and observations, which Gerwig felt was vital to the scene’s impact.
### **Will Ferrell (Mattel CEO)**
* **Mattel Boardroom Scenes:** Will Ferrell stated in interviews that Gerwig gave the "suits" at the Mattel office a lot of room to "play." While they hit their scripted marks, many of the chaotic movements and overlapping dialogue between the CEO and his assistants were improvised to create a sense of bumbling, corporate absurdity.