Noah Baumbach Makes Rare Comment About Life With Wife Greta Gerwig

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This Barbie has made her Ken’s heart a little softer.

Director Noah Baumbach, who has two young sons with his wife, Greta Gerwig, shared that his relationship with the Barbie director has made him more open and less reserved over time.

He recently told GQ magazine that he’s been crying more often, but he sees it as a positive thing, saying he’s finding more emotional connection in life.

And what prompted the change? As the 56-year-old put it, “Aging. But also just having children.”

Plus, he added, “Being with Greta.”

Noah credits the director of Little Women, whom he began dating after collaborating on the 2012 film Frances Ha, with helping him become more playful and embrace previously hidden aspects of his personality.

Greta and I have a strong connection, even if we express it differently. Seeing her openly embrace things helped me realize I felt the same way. She’d say, ‘I love this!’ and it made me think, ‘Why haven’t I been saying that too?’

Jay Kelly, who co-wrote the movie and is also the father of a 15-year-old son named Rohmer with his ex-wife Jennifer Jason Leigh, initially wasn’t sure about working on the Barbie film. However, he ended up co-writing it because he was inspired by Greta Gerwig’s positive energy and enthusiasm.

He revealed he was actually offered the role of Barbie a decade earlier, but turned it down. He didn’t think it was a good fit then, and still felt that way when the opportunity resurfaced.

However, thanks to Greta, the experience working on the project changed Noah. 

He explained he’d been feeling like he’d lost his spark. He said being with her was giving him the confidence to rediscover it. Seeing the joy people were getting from the Barbie movie—even though it wasn’t without its challenges—was really motivating for him.

Interestingly, Noah almost didn’t work on the Barbie movie. Here’s some more behind-the-scenes information about its production.

Margot Robbie, the star and producer of the Barbie movie, revealed she always envisioned Ryan Gosling as Ken. She explained that the character was originally written into the script as ‘Ken Ryan Gosling,’ and she jokingly said they were determined to get him to accept the role.

Greta Gerwig, who wrote and directed the film, also supported Ryan’s decision. In an interview with SiriusXM, she explained they kept reaching out to him. Margot Robbie even asked if she could go to his home, but Greta advised against it, suggesting they simply follow up with a text message instead.

As Margot teased, “I would see a sea of blue on my phone.”

Margot gave Ryan daily gifts inspired by his character Beach Ken. 

Ryan shared with Vogue that during filming, Barbie sent Ken a small, pink gift with a matching bow every single day. He explained the gifts were all beach-themed, things like puka shell necklaces or a little sign wishing for good waves.

You know, I’ve been thinking about Barbie and Ken, and it’s always struck me as a little mysterious what ‘Beach’ actually is for Ken. It seemed like Barbie was really trying to help him find his purpose, and she was expressing that through thoughtful gifts. It was all about supporting him and helping him figure things out, I think.

Amy Schumer explained on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen in June 2023 that the reason she wasn’t involved in a project was initially described as a scheduling issue. However, she clarified it was actually due to creative differences. She added that a new team is now working on the project, and it seems to be heading in a positive, feminist direction, so she plans to see it.

The Barbie movie almost had a very different cast! After Amy Adams left the project, Anne Hathaway was initially considered for the lead role, but she eventually wasn’t involved. Once Margot Robbie signed on, she hoped Gal Gadot would play another Barbie, but Gadot couldn’t commit due to other obligations.

Saoirse Ronan, who previously worked with director Greta Gerwig on films like Lady Bird and Little Women, was originally going to make a cameo appearance in the movie. She explained to People that she lives in London, where the film was being shot, and had even been cast as another Barbie. Unfortunately, she had to cancel, and was disappointed she couldn’t participate.

Greta Gerwig explained to IndieWire that she’s always wanted to include a good fart joke in her films, but hadn’t managed it until now. She described a ‘fart opera’ sequence in the middle of Barbie that she found hilarious, though not everyone agreed.

Her editor, Nick Houy, believes she might be able to include a bodily function sound effect in a future movie, saying they need to find a better story moment for it.

 

The script playfully references other popular films and shows, including The Godfather, Pride and Prejudice, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League. However, the set is filled with hidden references to The Wizard of Oz. A movie theater sign indicates the 1939 classic is being shown within the doll’s world, and that’s just the beginning of the inspiration taken from the film.

Greta explained in an interview that she admired how The Wizard of Oz created a beautiful and emotional effect by combining realistic sets with obviously artificial backdrops, like painted skies and sound stages – a technique she wanted to try herself.

Oh my gosh, he explained the visuals and I’m living for it! He said he pictured the Emerald City backdrop from the original movie, that gorgeous painted look, and for our movie, they did a pink brick road instead of yellow! Can you even imagine?! And not just that, but they created these stunning painted horizons, just like they did back in the golden age of filmmaking – the ’30s and ’40s. He really wanted to capture that classic feel, and it shows!

As a huge Will Ferrell fan, I absolutely loved seeing him in Barbie! It was so fun to spot all the little hints at his iconic Elf character, Buddy. He clearly had a blast playing the Mattel CEO and slipped in some seriously cheeky nods to one of my all-time favorites – a little Christmas in July, if you will!

He jokingly insists on pushing all the buttons in the elevator at Mattel, referencing a scene from the movie Elf where his character does the same thing in his father’s office building because the lights reminded him of a Christmas tree.

In the movie Barbie, Ryan Gosling’s character playfully starts a tickle fight – a scene reminiscent of Buddy the Elf tickling his father, Walter (James Caan), before bedtime.

The movie Barbie begins with a playful nod to the classic 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. That film famously showed early humans discovering a mysterious, futuristic monument. In Barbie, the opening scene features a group of young girls marveling at a huge replica of the very first Barbie doll, dressed in her original black and white striped swimsuit.

Many viewers think the characters of Gloria’s daughter Sasha (played by Ariana Greenblatt) and her friends in the school cafeteria were based on the original Bratz dolls – Sasha, Chloe, Yasmin, and Jade.

Casting director Allison Jones shared that Bowen Yang, Dan Levy, and Ben Platt were all considered for roles as Ken in the movie, but scheduling conflicts prevented them from joining the cast. She said they were genuinely disappointed they couldn’t participate.

The casting director revealed that before Michael Cera was cast as Allan, Ken’s friend, the role was nearly given to an actor from the movie Frozen.

Allison Williams told Vanity Fair that Jonathan Groff was shocked when he learned she wouldn’t be playing Allan. She quoted him as saying, “I can’t believe I’m typing this, but I can’t do Allan.”

 

America Ferrera’s husband, Ryan Piers Williams, actually plays the role of her on-screen husband in the show! Ryan previously worked with America on the 2014 film X/Y, where he was a producer, writer, and actor, and he’s listed as “El Esposo de Gloria” (Gloria’s Husband) in the credits.

John Cena described landing the role of Mermaid Ken as a lucky surprise. He explained to Today that he essentially volunteered for the part after unexpectedly running into Margot Robbie.

He remembered telling the actress that he was happy to do anything the filmmakers needed because he loved the movie. They then asked if he’d be interested in playing a merman.

Barbie’s French poster quickly became popular online after people noticed a playful double meaning in the translation. The phrase “She can do everything. He’s just Ken” became “Elle peut tout faire. Lui, c’est juste Ken,” which some interpreted as having a humorous second meaning.

Fans quickly noticed a playful connection: the name “Ken” sounds like a French slang term for a curse word. This led to jokes that the phrase actually meant “He can only… well, you get the idea!” A cheeky “Bonjour, Ken!” summed up the amusement.

The actresses from the Barbie movie had a sleepover at the Claridge’s hotel in London to bond with each other. Margot Robbie shared on The Kelly Clarkson Show that they all shared beds, wore pajamas, ordered room service, and played games. She also discovered that the American cast members are surprisingly competitive!

Oh my god, you will NOT believe what America said about the night! She was totally joking, but she said no one warned her it was going to be a sexy Barbie sleepover. Apparently, everyone else showed up in these gorgeous, silky pajamas, and she… she wore the most grandma-chic floral twinset you can even imagine! She was so out of place, it was hilarious, but I’m living for the story!

Simu Liu shared with TopMob News that Greta Gerwig specifically wanted the Kens to bond by working out together at the gym.

Even though Nicola Coughlan had a brief appearance in the movie, she was determined to fully immerse herself in the experience of living as a plastic doll.

She shared on Instagram that she auditioned for the Barbie movie in January 2022 while on vacation with friends. She’d brought a single, bright pink dress she hadn’t worn before, and when she needed to film her audition, she felt it was meant to be – she already had the perfect Barbie-pink outfit!

The Bridgerton star confessed she’s a huge fan of Greta, explaining that the chance to work with her felt like a dream come true.

Nicola explained that she was incredibly excited when she was asked to be involved in the Barbie movie. However, she quickly became disappointed when she realized her schedule wouldn’t allow her to participate fully. So, when she was offered even a small role in the film, she immediately and enthusiastically accepted.

The movie ends with Margot starting a new life as a human named Barbara Handler, a nod to the real-life daughter of Barbie’s creator, Ruth Handler. In her final scene, Barbie walks into an office building and tells the receptionist, “I’m here to see my gynecologist.”

Greta explained to USA Today that she intentionally layered meaning into her film, aiming for both humor and emotional impact. She wanted the ending to feel like a bold statement, but also touch on a deeply personal experience. She recalled feeling ashamed and self-conscious about her body as a teenager, to the point where she felt she had to hide herself.

The director believed Margot’s cheerful and joyful delivery of the line would help make talking about women’s health less taboo and let young girls relate to the character, thinking, ‘If Barbie can talk about it, so can I,’ which is a surprisingly touching and humorous idea.

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2025-11-13 02:21