Why Luke Macfarlane Turned Down An Offer To Star In The Barbie Movie

It seems like pretty much everywhere you turn right now, someone's talking about the "Barbie" movie. The much-anticipated movie has quite the star-studded cast, with Margot Robbie taking on the role of the iconic fashion doll and Ryan Gosling playing her notorious boyfriend, Ken. She's Barbie. He's just Ken, guys. But they're not the only familiar faces who are popping up for the pink party. Among the other big names? Former "Ugly Betty" star America Ferrera, "Saturday Night Live" legend Kate McKinnon, "Insecure" superstar Issa Rae, "Matilda" actor Rhea Perlman, and "Elf" himself, Will Ferrell.

But it turns out we almost added a Hallmark star to that impressive roster in the form of none other than Luke Macfarlane. You probably know Macfarlane from the likes of his many Hallmark movies including "A Magical Christmas Village," "Sense, Sensibility and Snowmen," and "Take a Shot at Love," his leading role in the Hollywood comedy "Bros," or his roles on television's "Brothers & Sisters" and "Supergirl." "Barbie" was almost added to that résumé, as Macfarlane was not only offered a role in the movie of the moment, but he actually landed it too. Only, he chose to turn it down. And this is why.

In addition to the roles listed above, you may also recognize Luke Macfarlane from the Apple TV+ series "Platonic," which also stars Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen. But it's actually because of that role that he had to give up his Barbie Malibu Dreamhouse dreams. Darn.

Macfarlane explained the situation to The Hollywood Reporter, revealing that he knew he had a small role in the super pink movie, but ended up giving it up to play Charlie in "Platonic." The star explained he'd just landed his coveted "Barbie" gig when he got an email from "Platonic" co-creator Nick Stoller that changed everything. "[The email] was like, 'I think you'd be really great in this part.' I was like, 'Great. I have this offer for 'Barbie,' so you gotta let me know.'" As we already know, everything worked out with "Platonic" and Macfarlane was then given the part, choosing "Platonic" over appearing alongside Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling because he felt a strong connection to his character, Charlie. "When I read about the character on the page, I was like, 'This is somebody I understand,'" the "Bros" actor told the outlet.

Even though Luke Macfarlane tried to appear in both "Barbie" and "Platonic," sadly, the actor just couldn't feasibly make starring in both big productions work — which meant bye-bye, Barbie. "Yeah, the timing couldn't work out for both. I'm not trying to sound boastful. It was a small, little part, but I've never been part of some beautiful, big, cool thing like that. It would have been cool to be able to do both," he told The Hollywood Reporter. 

It sounds like Macfarlane isn't too down about missing out on the movie of the moment, though. In addition to his role on "Platonic," the actor has an increasingly busy personal life right now. Macfarlene, who's been pretty elusive about his love life over the years, announced on Instagram on June 21 that he and his partner, Tig Roberts, became parents to a daughter named Tess. "Tess Eleanor Macfarlane— Born June 4th 2023. We started life with some hectic days and received world class care. On Father's Day we got to take her home," he captioned a series of photos and videos of his new baby girl. "Her Dads can't wait to introduce her to all the remarkable people and the beautiful world we live in," he added. Adorable!