EXCLUSIVE | Nicola Coughlan reveals if she’ll return for ‘Barbie 2’ and the one person who could bring her back
Nicola Coughlan is ready to head back to Barbieland — if Greta Gerwig wants her there.
The ‘Bridgerton’ actress, who played Diplomat Barbie in Gerwig's 2023 hit ‘Barbie’, dished on the possibility of reprising the role and made it clear that she would not need much convincing, particularly if it meant working with the director again.
Speaking to MEAWW, Coughlan said, “I would! Greta Gerwig knows I would clean the floors on her sets. So I would literally do anything she'd ever want me to do. I would be there.”
Coughlan's comments come as Barbie 2’s future remains in limbo. If recent reports are to be believed, then negotiations for the sequel have stalled, with Warner Bros reportedly facing a December 2026 deadline to reach deals with Gerwig, writer Noah Baumbach, and stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.
While there is no word yet on whether Coughlan would return, her enthusiasm for the sequel is hardly surprising. The actress has previously spoken about being a lifelong Barbie fan, and interestingly, her Diplomat Barbie look was inspired by Sparkle Eyes Barbie, a doll she owned as a child.
‘The Magic Faraway Tree’ star also spoke about her own connection to children's movies, recalling watching ‘The Wizard of Oz’ when she was around 5 years old. “It was the reason why I wanted to become an actor,” she said, adding that she feels everyone in the industry has “their version of that story.”
Cheekily, Coughlan revealed that she recently crossed paths with Gerwig, though the meeting was unrelated to work. Whether that encounter eventually leads Coughlan back to the Barbie universe remains to be seen, but if the call comes, it sounds like she already knows the answer.
