America Ferrera’s Epic ‘Barbie’ Speech Took Two Days and ‘Probably 30 to 50’ Takes to Film: Some Versions ‘Leaned Into Anger,’ Others ‘Laughter’
variety.comZack Sharf Digital News Director SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for “Barbie,” now playing in theaters nationwide.
Most moviegoers heading into “Barbie” were expecting Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling to have the film’s most iconic moments, but that title might actually belong to co-star America Ferrera.
As Gloria, a Mattel executive who helps Barbie land back on her feet, the Emmy-winning actor gets one of the film’s centerpiece scenes: an impassioned monologue about the double standards women face on a daily basis. “We shot it over two days,” Ferrera revealed in a new interview with Vanity Fair. “It’s one part of a much bigger scene with lots of characters in it.
I had to do it many, many times for other people’s coverage and to get through the whole scene and over the course of two days.” Ferrera praised director Greta Gerwig, who also co-wrote “Barbie” with Noah Baumbach, for giving her “so much freedom” with the monologue.
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