‘Barbie’ Salary Reveals Surprise About Margot Robbie’s Salary vs. Ryan Gosling’s Payout
Barbie is undoubtedly the summer’s biggest movie, with fans of all ages flocking to theaters in droves to catch the campy yet insightful take on the classic doll’s story. The film launched a blitzkrieg of marketing, with influencers and celebrities all celebrating the theme through colorful outfits, creative ads, and a flurry of chatter.
Still, Barbie lived up to the hype, with fans loving the subtle commentary on womanhood and the expectations of both sexes in today’s modern age. Interestingly enough, although Barbie is all about girl power, the reality of the project is more complicated. The star, Margot Robbie, reportedly made the exact same salary as Ryan Gosling, who played Ken.
Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling reportedly made the same salary for ‘Barbie’
As the first live-action Barbie movie, there were a lot of expectations riding on the girl-power flick. Most of those sky-high expectations sat on star Robbie’s shoulders. As one of Hollywood’s biggest actors, it’s not a surprise Robbie would net a fabulous salary for Barbie, with The Mirror reporting that she made $12.5 million for her work in the movie.
Interestingly enough, the publication reports that Gosling made the same amount as Robbie. He walked away with $12.5 million for his role as Ken. There does seem to be some disparity, considering Robbie is the title character and the star with the most screen time.
What does Margot Robbie’s salary reveal about the gender pay gap?
If Robbie and Gosling did make the same amount of money for Barbie, it could be proof that Hollywood still has a long way to go before achieving true pay equality. Still, Robbie likely isn’t complaining.
HungerTV reported in 2022 that Robbie had become Hollywood’s highest-paid actor thanks to her Barbie casting. Due to the film’s staggering success, Robbie’s star has risen even higher. For her next project, she’ll certainly walk away with an even bigger payday.
As for Robbie, she couldn’t be prouder of the film, recently telling USA Today she believes Gerwig brought something “unexpected” to Barbie. “It seems fitting and almost inevitable that the ‘Barbie’ movie would feel that way,” Robbie said, referencing the convivial feeling of Gerwig’s earlier movies. “We can look at something that’s complicated and spiky, and not be mean-spirited and cynical. This movie is brimming with optimism, and maybe people weren’t expecting that from a Barbie movie.”
Robbie went on to note “I didn’t know this character was going to get down into my bones in this way…I just never expected to have this much empathy for a doll!”
‘Barbie’ is one of 2023’s most popular films
Barbie was hyped up for over a year in advance of its release. Behind-the-scenes photos made the rounds well before the first trailer had launched. For many, there was no way the film could do justice to such an iconic character. However, director Greta Gerwig surprised critics by unveiling a totally original storyline that saw the character of Barbie, played by Robbie, taking on the real world, with hilarious and often touching results.
In addition to Robbie, the film featured Gosling as Ken, Barbie’s stylish male counterpart who struggles with his own identity even as Barbie seems eternally confident in hers. Fun, flirty, and full of clever references to pop culture, Barbie became the must-watch film of the summer not long after its July release, going on to become the second highest-grossing film of 2023.
