Amy Schumer

Amy Schumer Opens Up On Her REAL Reason For Not Playing Barbie

Home / Entertainment / Amy Schumer Opens Up On Her REAL Reason For Not Playing Barbie

By Favour Adegoke on March 11, 2022 at 5:30 AM PST

After her role in the film "Trainwreck," Amy Schumer hit it big as an actress and has since become one of the top celebrities in Hollywood. Fans have obsessed over tiny details in her life, such as her relationship with Jennifer Lawrence and the projects she's been in.

Fans also got to see another side of the actress in her Netflix special titled "The Leather Special," which had Schumer being an open book and discussing pretty much everything about her life and career. 

One role Schumer almost played that had fans very disappointed when she walked away was that of Barbie, the famous doll. Schumer was once billed to portray the doll in a live-action film but later stepped down from the movie.

Read on to find out why.

Article continues below advertisement

Amy Schumer Left The Film In 2017

Amy Schumer On Set with quot Life and Beth quot in NYC
MEGA
Article continues below advertisement
Amy Schumer On Set with quot Life and Beth quot in NYC
MEGA
Article continues below advertisement

Sony and Mattel (the company that produces Barbie) selected Schumer and her sister, Kim Caramele, to work on the Barbie film. The sisters were meant to rework the script, and then Schumer would act as the leading role. Unfortunately, in 2017, Schumer left the project and stated scheduling conflicts as her reason. 

In her press statement, via Variety, she said, "Sadly, I'm no longer able to commit to Barbie due to scheduling conflicts. The film has so much promise, and Sony and Mattel have been great partners. I'm bummed, but look forward to seeing Barbie on the big screen." 

Article continues below advertisement

The "I Feel Pretty" actress left the project shortly before the movie was meant to begin filming, halting the production for some time while Sony looked for a replacement. Because of her initial statements, fans believed Schumer left due to scheduling conflicts. However, she recently opened up and revealed much more to the story.

Article continues below advertisement

Schumer And Sony Differed On The Movie's Direction

Amy Schumer and Michael Rapaport seen on the set filming quot Life amp Beth quot in NYC
MEGA
Amy Schumer and Michael Rapaport seen on the set filming quot Life amp Beth quot in NYC
MEGA
Article continues below advertisement

A few years after she left the project, Schumer opened up during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter about the real reason she left. The 40-year-old actress revealed that the role of Barbie turned out to be very different from what she thought it would be.

She said, "They didn't want to do it the way I wanted to do it, the only way I was interested in doing it." The "Inside Amy Schumer" star explained more about her side of things and said in her version of the film; she wanted Barbie to be an inventor while Sony wanted something much simpler.

She said the company simply wanted Barbie to invent a high-heel made of Jell-O. Schumer said, "The idea that that's just what every woman must want, right there, I should have gone, 'You've got the wrong gal.'"

Schumer Has Moved On To Other Projects

Schumer has had several other projects since she left the "Barbie" film. She featured in the Hulu series Life & Beth alongside Michael Cera and has been actively promoting the series on her social media. 

In 2021, she acted in "The Humans," a psychological drama film that also featured Steven Yeun, Richard Jenkins, and Beanie Feldstein. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also recently announced that Schumer would co-host the 2022 Oscars ceremony alongside Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes.

Article continues below advertisement

Margot Robbie Is Now Playing The Role Of Barbie

The 93rd Annual Academy Awards - Arrivals
MEGA
The 93rd Annual Academy Awards - Arrivals
MEGA
Article continues below advertisement

After Schumer left, production stalled until Sony found her replacement in actress Margot Robbie. Greta Gerwig and her partner Noah Baumbach were also confirmed as screenwriters for the film, with Gerwig having an additional directorial role.

In a statement to USA Today, Robbie said, "Playing with Barbie promotes confidence, curiosity and communication throughout a child's journey to self-discovery… I'm so honored to take on this role and produce a film that I believe will have a tremendously positive impact on children and audiences worldwide."

The "Suicide Squad" actress subsequently told British Vogue in 2021, "It comes with a lot of baggage! And a lot of nostalgic connections. But with that comes a lot of exciting ways to attack it." Fans are super excited to see how the movie will turn out. 

Article continues below advertisement