Barbie: The Real-Life Couple Hidden In The Cast
Contains spoilers for "Barbie"
Not all the noteworthy appearances in Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" are of the fantastic plastic variety. Hidden amongst the pink-drenched camp of the fantasy comedy is a real-life Barbie and Ken couple you might have missed.
In the film, we meet Gloria (America Ferrera), a Mattel employee and mother who hasn't been in the best spirits. She, along with her teen daughter Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt), come along with Barbie (Margot Robbie) to Barbieland, where they learn of and must try to take down Ken's (Ryan Gosling) newly-established patriarchy. Gloria's unnamed husband (Ryan Piers Williams) is absent for most of the adventure, first seen studying Spanish in the living room, unaware that his wife and daughter are in Barbieland, and later using his rudimentary Spanish-speaking capabilities to give Barbie some words of encouragement before her gynecologist visit.
Their relationship was not limited to the real world of "Barbie." Since 2011, America Ferrera and Ryan Piers Williams have been a happily married couple. His cameo in the film was kept under wraps for some time. The only hint of his involvement in "Barbie" came from an Instagram post from Piers Williams showing the couple at the "Barbie" premiere. A cheeky comment from Ferrera saying, "My favorite Ken," may have hinted at his involvement in the film.
Knowing the two are a couple is sure to be an endearing fact for plenty of "Barbie" fans. But it's far from the only time that both have shared the spotlight.
The two have had a long working relationship
"Barbie" is likely the first time fans have seen America Ferrera and her husband, Ryan Piers Williams, working together. But their romantic and working relationship began nearly two decades prior, and the couple has since thrived on collaborating.
They first met while studying at the University of Southern California in 2005. Piers Williams directed and co-starred alongside Ferrera in the 2007 short film "Muertas," and the two began dating shortly afterward. Their next project, the 2010 feature film "The Dry Land," turned out to be a rewarding collaboration. Piers Williams' feature debut follows a war veteran who struggles to readjust to normal life in Texas following his tour of duty. The film was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, while Ferrera received a best actress nomination from the Imagen Foundation Awards for her role as Sarah. They acted alongside each other once again in Piers Williams' 2014 film "X/Y," which received two nominations from the Tribeca Film Festival.
They got engaged in 2010 and married the following year. In 2018, they had their first child, Sebastian, followed by their daughter, Lucia, in 2020. Ferrera thinks that their shared passion for the entertainment world is what has kept their relationship strong, with the "Superstore" star saying in People interview, "We kind of connected from the get-go on that professional level and that was something that really drew us to each other ... a shared passion for what we do and our work."