Here’s where you’ve seen those Barbies before

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling may get top billing in Barbie, but they’re surrounded by a fantastic ensemble of supporting players who embody different versions of Barbie and Ken in the fantasy world of Barbieland. Some of them—Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, and Simu Liu—may be instantly recognizable from their previous TV and film roles, while others may be harder to place. If you walked out of the theater racking your brain to figure out what else you’ve seen these actors in, we’re here to put your mind at ease. Below you’ll find a list of all the prominent Barbies and Kens in the movie and the projects you’re most likely to associate with them.

Alexandra Shipp as Author Barbie

Author Barbie has written many books and has a Nobel prize for literature. She’s played by Alexandra Shipp, whom X-Men fans may recognize as Storm in X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix (plus a cameo in Deadpool 2). Early in her career she played the wife of Ice Cube in Straight Outta Compton and starred as Aaliyah in the Lifetime movie based on her life story, Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B. Most recently, she appeared in the 2021 film Tick, Tick… Boom! as Susan, an aspiring dancer and the love interest of Andrew Garfield’s Jonathan Larson.

Nicola Coughlin as Diplomat Barbie

Diplomat Barbie is seen briefly handing out Nobel prizes to the accomplished women of Barbieland. Nicola Coughlin shared on Instagram that she wasn’t able to be more involved in the film due to scheduling conflicts, but couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be in the film even in a smaller role. Derry Girls fans know her for her role as Claire, a core member of the show’s small group of Northern Irish teens going about their lives against the backdrop of the Troubles in the 1990s. Later this year she’ll be back for a third season of Netflix’s period drama Bridgerton as Penelope Featherington, who gets her own central love story this time around.

Hari Nef as Doctor Barbie

Trans trailblazer Hari Nef takes on the role of Doctor Barbie, who’s always ready to step in when a Barbie or Ken (usually Ken) gets injured—as long as it has nothing to do with flat feet. She also moonlights as a DJ. In an interview with Vogue, Nef said that she came up with her own backstory that her Barbie is owned by a “gay man in his 50s who lives in a rent-controlled apartment in the West Village.” Nef was most recently seen in HBO’s The Idol playing a journalist for Vanity Fair. It’s the second time she’s worked with writer-director Sam Levinson, who previously cast her in his satirical black comedy Assassination Nation. She’s also known for the series Transparent, in which she played holocaust victim Tante Gittel.

Ritu Arya as Journalist Barbie

Reporting the news and winning Pulitzers is all in a day’s work for Journalist Barbie. She’s played by British actress Ritu Arya, most recently seen on the big screen in Nida Manzoor’s action comedy Polite Society. She also played superpowered wild card Lila in second and third seasons of The Umbrella Academy. Genre fans may remember her guest starring roles in episodes of Doctor Who and Sherlock, or perhaps as an Interpol agent in the action thriller Red Notice. Fun fact: this Barbie actor also has a degree in astrophysics.

Sharon Rooney as Lawyer Barbie

Scottish comedian Sharon Rooney plays Lawyer Barbie, who has no difficulty holding both logic and feeling at the same time without it diminishing her power. U.K. audiences will probably be more familiar with Rooney, who starred in the E4 dramedy series My Mad Fat Diary, about a teen adjusting to normal life after her release from a psychiatric hospital. On the big screen, she was featured in Tim Burton’s Dumbo as mermaid performer Miss Atlantis.

Dua Lipa as Mermaid Barbie

Speaking of mermaids, yes, that is Dua Lipa popping up in a few scenes as Mermaid Barbie. There had to be a Mermaid Barbie somewhere in the movie (there’s also a Merman Ken, but it’s more of a surprise cameo). She doesn’t get to do very much, the tail makes it difficult to hit the dance floor, but behind the scenes Lipa performed the song “Dance The Night,” which plays during Barbie’s blowout dance party. You can also catch her in the accompanying music video, along with other Barbie cast members.

Emerald Fennell as Midge

Poor pregnant Midge was discontinued because, apparently, no little girl wants to play with a pregnant doll. She doesn’t get any lines in the film, but careful viewers might catch that she’s played by actress, writer, and director Emerald Fennell. Fennell won an Oscar in 2021 for her screenplay for Promising Young Woman, which she also directed. She’s got a few Emmy nominations under her belt too, as head writer for the second season of Killing Eve. In front of the camera, she can be seen as Camilla Parker Bowles in Netflix’s The Crown, and as Nurse Patsy Mount in Call The Midwife.

Issa Rae as President Barbie

President Barbie needs no introduction, nor does the actor who plays her, Issa Rae. Her most prominent role to date was in the HBO series Insecure, which she co-created and co-wrote. She produced and made a few appearances on A Black Lady Sketch Show and is currently involved in the reboot of Project Greenlight. Her film work includes the drama The Photograph and the rom-com The Lovebirds. You may have also heard her recently as the voice of Spider-Woman Jessica Drew in Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse.

Emma Mackey as Physicist Barbie

The face of Nobel-prize winning Physicist Barbie is Emma Mackey. Mackey is best known for her role as enterprising free spirit Maeve on the British series Sex Education, set to return this September for a fourth and final season. Mackey’s fellow Sex Education cast members Ncuti Gatwa and Connor Swindells are also part of the Barbie cast. Mackey also appeared as Emily Brontë in the film Emily and in Death On The Nile as jealous schemer Jackie.

Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie

Most of us have seen or even had a Weird Barbie at some point. Who better to play the slightly unhinged, perpetually split sage of Barbieland than Kate McKinnon? Even if you haven’t regularly watched Saturday Night Live in decades, McKinnon’s viral characters, sketches, and impressions of figures like Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Warren, Kellyanne Conway, and Justin Bieber have been spread far and wide. McKinnon brings her own kinetic, slightly off-kilter energy to Weird Barbie, making her one of the best Barbies of all.

Simu Liu as Ken

Simu Liu is probably the most recognizable of the Kens who aren’t played by Ryan Gosling. His first major role was in the Canadian sitcom Kim’s Convenience, but his career really kicked into high gear when he was cast as Marvel superhero Shang-Chi in Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings. He’s so recognizable now that he played himself in the most recent season of the HBO comedy The Other Two.

Kingsley Ben-Adir as Ken

Another Ken with a Marvel connection. Kingsley Ben-Adir can currently be seen as Nick Fury’s Skrull nemesis in Secret Invasion on Disney+. Before that, he appeared in a number of other series, including Peaky Blinders, The OA, and High Fidelity. He’s also portrayed Malcom X (in One Night In Miami) and President Obama (in The Comey Rule), and will take on the role of Bob Marley in the upcoming biopic One Love.

Ncuti Gatwa as Ken

Ncuti Gatwa joins his Sex Education co-stars Emma Mackey and Connor Swindells (though Swindells plays a human) in Barbie. What’s up next for him (besides the final season of Sex Education)? Oh, you know, just taking over one of the most prominent roles in pop-culture—The Doctor in Doctor Who. He’ll officially become the 15th Doctor in late 2023, with a subsequent series airing next year.

Scott Evans as Ken

Scott Evans may not be as well known as his older brother Chris (yes, that one) but soap opera fans might have memories of his two-year stint as Oliver on One Life To Live (he appeared in 137 episodes altogether). By coincidence, he also played a recurring character named Oliver on Netflix’s Grace And Frankie.

Michael Cera as Allan

Last and also least, there’s Ken’s little buddy who can fit into all of his clothes and has no multiples—Michael Cera as the one and only Allan. Cera’s been acting since he was a kid, but his biggest break came with the role of George Michael on Arrested Development. He’s done a lot of projects in film and television since, including Superbad, Juno, and Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, but like Allan he may always be stuck in the same mold as the perpetually awkward sidekick.