How much were Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling paid for Barbie? Plus, their net worth revealed

Just how much the stars took home from making the hit movie

How much were Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling paid for Barbie as illustrated by a photo of them as Barbie and Ken in the movie
(Image credit: Album/Alamy/Future)

How much were Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling paid for Barbie? This is a hot topic of conversation, as the movie brings in millions at the box office. 

Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie has been the undeniable smash-hit film of the summer, despite the age rating causing some controversy among parents hoping to take the entire family along to see it. The movie ending perfectly encapsulated Gerwig's serious feminist messages running throughout the film, with many viewers now hoping for a second Barbie movie - there can never be too many chances to impart wisdom about dismantling the patriarchy.

With Barbiecore buys skyrocketing and the movie breaking records at the box office, questions are being asked about the inspiration behind the original doll - creator Ruth Handler's daughter. Eyes have also turned to how much the stars were paid for appearing in the movie. Read on as we reveal how much Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling were paid for their roles, while we also delve into their overall net worth. 

How much were Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling paid for Barbie? 

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling were both reportedly paid $12.5 million for their roles in Barbie. With the strong feminist themes displayed throughout the film, they were rightly paid the same amount for their work.

Equating to around £10.5 million, Robbie's salary exceeds that of her previous record of $10 million for Birds Of Prey in 2020. She can now call herself the highest paid actress in Hollywood for her turn as the infamous doll. She takes over the title from Millie Bobbie Brown, who was paid $10 million for appearing in Enola Holmes 2 as reported by Variety

However, the report by the publication highlights a wide and ongoing gender gap between male and female leads in the acting industry. It's reported that Tom Cruise took home a whopping $100 million for Top Gun: Maverick, followed by Will Smith bringing in $35 for Emancipation. The top 17 earners on Variety's list were all men, with the next woman to appear after Margot Robbie and Millie Bobbie Brown being Emily Blunt receiving $4 million for Oppenheimer.

Jennifer Lawrence has previously spoken out about the Hollywood gender pay gap, after earning $5 million less than Leonardo DiCaprio for the film Don’t Look Up. According to CNBC, the actress said "I’m extremely fortunate and happy with my deal. But in other situations, what I have seen - and I’m sure other women in the workforce have seen as well - is that it’s extremely uncomfortable to inquire about equal pay."

She continued "And if you do question something that appears unequal, you’re told it’s not gender disparity, but they can’t tell you what exactly it is." The actress concluded by saying "It doesn’t matter how much I do, I’m still not going to get paid as much as that guy, because of my vagina?"

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling at the European premiere of Barbie in London

(Image credit: See Li/Picture Capital/Alamy)

How much did Barbie movie earn?

In its opening weekend, Barbie earned $356 million (£276 million) around the world, making it the highest grossing debut in history, for a film directed by a woman.

It's projected that the film will hit $1 billion in ticket sales at the box office at some point soon, while it continues to break further records. According to IGN, these are the records broken by the Barbie movie so far:

  • Biggest debut weekend of 2023 so far - Barbie has now surpassed the Super Mario Bros. Movie which took $146 million.
  • Biggest domestic opening ever for a non-superhero film, sequel, or remake - this record was previously held by Captain Marvel which took $153 million.
  • Biggest opening weekend for a movie based on a toy - this record was previously held by Transformers: Dark of the Moon which stood at $116 million.
  • The highest-grossing opening day of 2023 so far - this was $70 million in the US.
  • Setting Warner Bros. records by earning $26.1 million and $26 million in the US and Canada on its first Monday and Tuesday, respectively. This overtook records held by The Dark Knight and Aquaman for sales on the same weekdays. The film also broke the Warner Bros. record for pre-sales, at $49.5 million.
  • Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling’s biggest opening weekend ever – Robbie's was previously 2016’s Suicide Squad at $133 million and Gosling’s was Blade Runner at $32 million.
  • Biggest opening of Greta Gerwig’s career - this was previously held by Little Women at $16.8 million.

Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie in Barbie movie

(Image credit: PictureLux/The Hollywood Archive/Alamy)

Margot Robbie net worth

Margot Robbie reportedly has a net worth of $40 million. This has been accrued through acting projects, endorsements, and money made through her production company, Lucky Chap Entertainment.

Although her breakout role came in 2013's The Wolf of Wall Street, she was alleged to only have been paid $347,000 for the part. However, by the time she took the starring role in Birds of Prey, her salary rocketed to $23.5 million for that and other roles she took on in 2019/2020. 

The actress has a long-standing partnership with Chanel, beginning in 2018. In a recent Instagram post, the brand wrote alongside a picture of Robbie "GABRIELLE CHANEL. A fragrance for the radiant woman. Actress Margot Robbie represents GABRIELLE CHANEL, a luminous fragrance with an enveloping trail." 

Her Lucky Chap production company has produced movies like Promising Young Woman and I, Tonya, meaning more royalties for the star. However, according to Cosmopolitan, Robbie very much keeps it real when it comes to money not changing her life. She said "I don’t need the money because I’m not extravagant. I take the tube -it’s free entertainment! I intend to stay the exact same person I always was; my family and friends keep me grounded."

Ryan Gosling attending the European premiere of Barbie in London

(Image credit: See Li/Picture Capital/Alamy)

Ryan Gosling net worth

Ryan Gosling is thought to have a net worth of approximately $70 million. Like Margot Robbie, this comes from a combination of acting projects and endorsements.

From his early days of earning around $185 for filming The Mickey Mouse Club, Gosling began bringing in the big bucks with the likes of La La Land, which took his 2017 earnings to $29 million. Prior to Barbie, the star was thought to have been paid $20 million for Netflix hit The Grey Man, which is getting a sequel and even more earning potential should Gosling get a further $20 million for it.

Gosling is also a brand ambassador for Tag Heuer. Although his salary for this role remains undisclosed, it is likely to be millions for him to endorse the brand. In a recent Instagram post, Tag Heuer shared a picture of him with the caption "Embrace the power of pink. ⁣Our TAG Heuer ambassador #RyanGosling wears the color of confidence, rocking our TAG Heuer Carrera Date 36 mm timepiece. ⁣A true icon of style and charm with a dash of panache!" 

In more Barbie news, here's when the Barbie movie will be available to stream. Plus, we reveal the most popular Barbie doll right now, and you might be surprised. In a move towards inclusivity, a Barbie with Downs Syndrome was recently unveiled by the brand. With 90s toy inspired baby names on the rise, some Barbie-related ones are on the list as we disclose which ones.

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Lucy Wigley
Parenting writer - contributing

Lucy is a mum-of-two, multi-award nominated writer and blogger with six years’ of experience writing about parenting, family life, and TV. Lucy has contributed content to PopSugar and moms.com. In the last three years, she has transformed her passion for streaming countless hours of television into specialising in entertainment writing. There is now nothing she loves more than watching the best shows on television and sharing why you - and your kids - should watch them.