‘If I can be Barbie, I can be anything’: Sharon Rooney talks beauty standards and why this is her most empowering role yet

What kind of working environment does Greta create?

When you’re little, and you think, “I want to be an actress. It’s going to be amazing. It’s going to be so much fun.” That’s what it was. That’s what Barbie was like. It was truly all of my childhood dreams come true and then some because I literally was in a Barbie Dream House. The whole job, I think I pinched myself about a thousand times because it just felt unreal.

And it’s funny because I know that sometimes people do interviews, and they’re like, “Oh, it was just the best thing ever, and it was amazing.” But truly, every single member of crew, every member of cast, you couldn’t go anywhere without someone saying hi or asking how you went or just having a chat. And I truly, truly believe it comes from the top.

Who were you closest to out of the Barbie cast?

Well luckily, we all got on really well, which I know is really boring.

I want to know about the feuds!

I know. So boring, right? It’s so boring. I would say that my bestest Barbie was Ana Cruz Kayne. We just got really close. We were the naughty Barbies. We were always giggling. I just adore her. I mean, I love all of the Barbies and Kens, obviously. But we just got on really well. You know when you just click?

I adore her and I miss her because obviously, she’s back in America. So we usually text, either she’s going to bed, and I’m up, or I’m up, and she’s going to bed. So there’s like a tiny window where we can chat.

“I want to push it further and be braver… I want to be more Barbie.”

What have you got in the works after Barbie? Other than a Barbie sequel, obviously…

I’m filming at the minute. I’m doing a show for BBC called Nightsleeper. You know the night train that goes from London to Glasgow? It’s about that… and something happens on it. It’s the opposite of Barbie.

Now, I’m on a dark, stressful train where there is no pink. I haven’t seen a shade of pink. I haven’t had a tweed outfit. I haven’t had a tracksuit; I’ve had a train uniform. So yeah, it’s been the total opposite [of Barbie] but just as much fun.

Really?

That was a lie. Nothing’s ever going to be as fun as Barbie. I’ve peaked in terms of the most fun job, I think. That would be my task: to find a job as fun as Barbie.