Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is just days away from a theatrical debut, and the highly anticipated film has people very interested in the lore of the characters we’ll soon meet, even if quite a few of them are variations of Barbie and Ken.
One doll, the only one of his kind, is making a splash with viewers, and his name is Allan. That’s right, he’s a character you’ve likely seen but known little about, and there is one pretty prominent theory as to why, and it has to do with his partner turned wife: Midge.
Midge and Allan first made headlines for a *gasps* totally scandalous reason, and it will likely be a key part of the story. So just who is Allan, what did he and his wife make headlines for, and what does Michael Cera say about bringing the not-so-famous doll to life? You know the drill; let’s take a look.
So what’s the sitch with Allan?
First introduced in 1964, Allan was billed as “Ken’s buddy” when he hit the market, and the story behind the character was meaningful to Ruth Handler, Mattel co-founder. Named after her son-in-law, Allan could fit into Ken’s clothes and was his close friend.
The next “installment” of the character came in 1965, with the key difference being his bendable and “lifelike” legs. It wasn’t until 1991 that another version of the character came out, and things had changed this time — Allan was now Alan, and he was getting married! That’s right, Wedding Day, Alan was gearing up to marry Barbie’s friend, Midge, when we saw the first remake of Ken’s “buddy” in more than two decades.
In 2002 we saw two new versions of Alan as part of the Happy Family Alan & Ryan Dolls before 2004 brought Nikki’s Birthday and Hometown Fair versions of Alan as well. 2008 introduced Barbie fans to the Campus Sweet Shop Midge Doll and Allan Doll set of Barbies before 2014 showcased Alan in the Double Date giftset.
As we said above, Alan isn’t the most popular of dolls in the Barbie realm, but we have a feeling he will be one of the most beloved, which will likely ring true for several reasons. One: Allan is played by Michael Cera — so we’re going to adore him. Two: Gerwig has put a lot of stock into ensuring that the Barbie realm is well-fleshed out and that both Midge and Allan will be significant to her world.
So that controversy we mentioned? Allan’s wife, Midge, found herself at the center of quite a stir when she debuted alongside Allan and their kids with a pregnant Belly. Oh, the horror of it all!
CBS News actually has a post from 2002 that talks more about Midge being pulled from shelves in the version of herself showing pregnancy. While our initial reaction to a Barbie with a removable baby was less controversial and more curious, not everyone felt the same.
A representative from KB Toys, at the time, said they’d not head any grief from customers, but a quote a couple of paragraphs down shows the dissatisfaction some parents had while shopping during the holiday season.
Allan being linked to Midge is likely a reason his character never took off, but he’s certainly been an exciting piece of Barbie lore for those who have kept up with the trendy dolls.
Pride.com gives fans some context into the “buddy” quotes that so often go hand in hand with Allan and Ken, and we’ll let you dive into that and the Reddit thread they mention, tooWaitit until you scroll down to the comments section, and find the absolute gold from user dog_eat_dog; trust us.
What does Michael Cera say about playing Allan?
Cera’s comments to Screen Rant might breathe some truth into that Reddit thread and the slew of on-the-money comments that go alongside it. He says that when he read the script, Allan’s central characterization was simple:
“Well, the way I read it in the script was that Allan is sort of obsessed with Ken, if not in love with him. I love that he just wants the best for Ken, even if that means Ken not being near him. He wants Ken’s happiness. I thought that was sort of a life of servitude in a way. Distant yearning.”
It certainly seems that Allan has heart eyes for Ken, and be it that their relationship is entirely platonic or rooted in adoration, one thing is for sure: there’s only one Allan, and for him, there’s only one Ken.
You can see Cera as Allan when Barbie hits theaters on July 21, and you won’t want to miss a moment of it.