Hari Nef is one of our favourite dolls. The model and actress have shined in roles in shows and movies like Transparent. However, The Marvellous Mrs Maisel, Assassination Nation, and the upcoming series The Idol. And now, we get to flock to the movie theatre to see her shine as a Barbie in Greta Gerwig’s new Barbie movie.
While this moment means a lot for us as fans of Nef. Also, it means even more to trans women, including Nef herself. And she opened up about why.
How she approaches her role as Doctor Barbie
Back on Ratajkowski’s podcast, Nef explained that she realises she does not want to adhere to the hyper-feminine image of Barbie. Nef tried to make her character a real person rather than a caricature of a toy playing a doctor.
“These are real people. They’re not like plastic. When people think of the Barbie brand, they think of hyper-femininity. And so the, before they think of b—-ybyvapid or like super bossy or you know, misogyny basically,” she said.
However, the first Doctor Barbie doll arrived in 1973. So it’s almost 15 years after the first Barbie debuted in 1959. So, the doll came complete with scrubs, a lab coat, a stethoscope, and other medical tools.
Hari Nef Reveals How Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig Adjusted the Film Schedule for Her
Hari Nef wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to be part of Barbie’s world.
The actress, 30, recently told the story. She asked Barbie director Greta Gerwig as well as star and producer Margot Robbie if they could adjust the film schedule so she could do the movie.
“When I heard they cast me as a Barbie in the Barbie movie. It looked like I was maybe not going to be able to do the film because of a scheduling conflict”, Nef explained in an April 4 tweet shortly after the trailer dropped. “So I wrote Greta and Margot a letter essentially begging them to fudge the schedule a little bit.”
“This is a big movie, made by a team. The work has played no small role in cultivating my love of sitting in the dark in front of big screens for an hour or two”. The Assassination Nation star wrote in the letter. “But that’s just a part of why I want—my heart says ‘need’—to join the making of this film
However, Nef went on to share what played one of the Barbies in the movie. That would mean to her and the personal connection she has to the role.
Ultimately, Nef, Gerwig and Robbie were able to make the schedules work so she could be in the film.
“Okay so I’m a #Barbie,” the Transparent alum tweeted, “this is wild.”And in case you were wondering, she noted “This is why I dyed my hair red lol..”
After reading Nef’s post, her co-star Simu Liu sent her some love. “You are so undeniable as Barbie,” the actor, who plays one of the Kens, tweeted, “I cannot wait for the world to see you!!!!!!!!”
Also read: Youth Activist Greta Thunberg is Inspiring Everyone with Her Motivation Speech at UN Global Summit
