Do These Barbie Dolls Actually Look Like the Stars They're Supposed to Resemble? You Decide

Everyone from Mariah Carey to Tina Turner has gotten a plastic counterpart

Mariah Carey Margot Robbie Tina Turner barbies
Mariah Carey, Margot Robbie and Tina Turner Barbie dolls . Photo:

Mattel, Inc

From Mariah Carey to Zendaya, dozens of famous faces have had their likenesses replicated as an iconic Barbie doll. Ahead of the feature film's July 21, 2023 premiere, a special Barbie collection for fans to enjoy was made available and included various looks from the film including Margot Robbie's "Perfect Day" and Issa Rae's presidential sash.

Just before the 2023 holiday season officially kicked off, Mattel was sure to give the Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey herself, the Barbie treatment with a doll decked out in a red sparkly dress and Carey's iconic flowing locks.

From pop stars to supermodels to athletes, here's a look at at how these celebs were transformed into the iconic dolls.

01 of 30

Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey Barbie
Mariah Carey Barbie.

Courtesy of Mattel; Kevin Mazur/Getty 

Just in time for the 2023 holiday season it was revealed that Mariah Carey would be getting the Barbie treatment. The doll, which immediately sold out, wears a version of the same red glittery dress Carey wore in the second "All I Want for Christmas Is You" music video released in 2019.

"If I could go back and tell my little-girl self that one day I would have a Barbie made in my likeness, I would flip out!," Carey told PEOPLE of the milestone.

02 of 30

Margot Robbie as Barbie

margot robbie barbie movie
Margot Robbie as Barbie.

Barbie/Instagram

Ahead of the premiere of the highly anticipated Barbie movie on July 21, Barbie revealed a first look at the special set of dolls inspired by the characters in the film. Margot Robbie, who plays Barbie herself, showcased three dolls made in her likeness with outfits identical to her human-sized costumes in the movie.

03 of 30

Issa Rae as President Barbie

issa rae barbie movie
Issa Rae as President Barbie.

Barbie/Instagram

Issa Rae's character in the movie is president and for her doll version, the pint-sized figurine is dressed in a ball gown and sports a sash that reads "President."

04 of 30

America Ferrera as Gloria

america ferrera barbie movie
America Ferrera as Gloria.

Barbie/Instagram

While America Ferrera's character in the film, Gloria, was turned into a Barbie wearing a head-to-toe pink ensemble.

05 of 30

Simu Liu as Ken

simu liu barbie movie
Simu Liu as Ken.

Barbie/Instagram

While there is more than one Ken in the film, there is only one Simu Liu as Ken! For his Barbie treatment, his character sports a white and gold track suit with "perfectly quaffed hair."

06 of 30

Tina Turner

Tina Turner Barbie
Amazon; Pete Still/Redferns

Ahead of the 40th anniversary of Turner's hit "What's Love Got to Do with It," Barbie recreated the singer's iconic music video look — denim jacket, big hair, leather mini and all.

"We used a lot of screen grabs to see the hair at all angles," designer Bill Greening said in a statement to Variety. "Lots of teasing and hairspray was involved!"

07 of 30

Jane Goodall

Jane Goodall Gets Her Own Barbie
Courtesy of the Jane Goodall Institute

One of the world's top conservationists inspired Barbie's recent makeover!

Barbie went green with a new doll modeled after Dr. Jane Goodall, which Mattel released on July 12, 2022, ahead of World Chimpanzee Day. According to the company, Goodall's Barbie doll is made of 90 percent recycled plastic that otherwise would have been bound for the ocean.

The then-88-year-old researcher told PEOPLE she is "absolutely delighted" to see herself as a Barbie doll, something she long hoped for. Goodall said she wants her Barbie to "inspire little girls" everywhere.

"So many people know about Jane because I'm in their school textbooks, and they learn about me at school," she added, "so I think they'll be thrilled to be given a Barbie Jane."

08 of 30

Laverne Cox

Laverne Cox 50th Birthday Barbie Celebration
AFF-USA/Shutterstock

The actress was honored with her own groundbreaking Barbie doll months before her 50th birthday.

"What excites me most about her being out in the world is that trans young people can see her and maybe get to purchase her and play with her, and know that there's a Barbie made by Mattel, for the first time, in the likeness of a trans person," Cox told PEOPLE.

She added, "I think in an environment where trans children have been used as a political football, when over 250 pieces of anti-trans legislation have been introduced in state legislatures all over the country in 2022 alone, and access to gender-affirming healthcare has been denied by policies signed into law in my home state of Alabama, in Arkansas and other states... That in this environment where trans kids are being attacked, that this can also be a celebration of transness, and also a space for them to dream, understand and be reminded that trans is beautiful."

09 of 30

Claudia Schiffer

claudia Schiffer

The legendary supermodel — basically a Barbie herself! — had dolls in her likeness introduced in 2020 wearing two of her all-time favorite Versace and Balmain looks Both Barbies — created in honor of Schiffer's 50th birthday on Aug. 25 — were unveiled on the @BarbieStyle Instagram page, and look nearly identical to the iconic moments by which they were inspired.

10 of 30

Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka, Naomi Osaka Barbie
Mark Kolbe/Getty; Mattel

Shortly after Billie Jean King was immortalized in Barbie form, fellow tennis star Osaka was given the same honor.

Osaka joined the group of powerful and inspiring women who are already part of Barbie's "Sheroes" initiative.

"It's a really big honor," Osaka told PEOPLE. "I've played with Barbies when I was a kid, and I think it's a bit of a surreal experience to have the opportunity to have a Barbie that looks like me."

11 of 30

Elton John

Elton John Barbie
Elton John. David Furnish/Courtesy Mattel

In a bold 2020 collaboration two between cultural icons, Barbie launched a doll that replicated the legendary singer's iconic style in honor of his extraordinary artistry and musicianship.

As a nod to John, the Barbie doll is fitted with a glittery top and flared denim, embellished with his initials, and an Elton-embossed bomber jacket with star-printed sleeves and a rainbow-striped hem. In addition, the doll includes rainbow-striped platform boots, a purple bowler hat and sparkly, pink-tinted sunglasses.

"I have always loved and embraced fashion as a means of self-expression," John told PEOPLE. "My earliest memories of Barbie all involve fashion and even today, she still inspires our culture, not only fashion but in art and music too. Her legacy, I'm sure, will carry on forever."

12 of 30

Alex Morgan

alex morgan barbie
Courtesy Barbie

The U.S. Women's National soccer team star was honored with a Barbie in the summer of 2020.

"I was obviously so excited," Morgan said about her doll during a conversation with Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad (who is also a Barbie) on PEOPLE's Instagram Live. "It's such an iconic brand, it's something that every kid plays with."

The Morgan doll is part of Barbie's Role Model Series, which highlights empowering women. The toy comes in a red, white and blue uniform with Morgan's name printed on the back of her jersey. She also wears removable cleats and the athlete's signature pink headband.

Additionally, the doll is posable and comes with its own soccer ball.

"I feel like I worked really hard in helping design this and making it as real as possible," Morgan added to Muhammad, before explaining that the process behind creating the doll. She said, "I tried to make it exactly as I would be on the soccer field, and I feel like they completely nailed it."

13 of 30

Ashley Graham

Ashley Graham - Barbie
Mireya Acierto/Getty; Mattel

Mattel made a one-of-a-kind doll version of the model in 2016 as part of the "Shero" campaign. "It was important that the Barbie resembled me as much as possible. The thighs touching was one way to show young girls that it's okay for your thighs to touch, despite society saying that a 'thigh gap' is more beautiful," Graham told The Hollywood Reporter about her involvement in the doll's design.

14 of 30

Yara Shahidi

Yara-Shahidi
Getty; Mattel

To coincide with International Women's Day on March 8, 2019, Mattel unveiled a new crop of role models from 20 different countries — in Barbie doll form. The brand chose women from ages 19 to 85 with a diverse array of careers for the new release, and representing the U.S. is Grown-ish actress Shahidi.

Shahidi's doll wears a sharp gray suit with a Tory Burch "vote" graphic tee underneath (a shirt she actually wore to the We Vote Next Summit in September 2018).

Shahidi was chosen for her achievements in acting and activism and for her creation of Yara's Club in partnership with The Young Women's Leadership Schools in N.Y.C., a digital meet-up for high school students to discuss societal issues, self-improvement, and higher education.

"I'm honored to be repping all the young ones as a Barbie Role Model," Shahidi wrote on Instagram. "Let's continue to inspire the next generation and each other. We need your voices and are watching you all Blossom and shine!"

15 of 30

Savannah Guthrie & Hoda Kotb

hoda-kotb
Nathan Congleton/NBC/Getty; Mattel

The all-female hosting duo for the Today show were a natural pick for Barbie's Sheroes collection, as Barbie general manager Lisa McKnight explained in late 2018.

"Savannah and Hoda have modernized morning news," she said, "and allowed more women and girls to see themselves, and their stories, reflected on television."

16 of 30

Ree Drummond

ree1
Mattel (2)

Along with her signature red hair, the Pioneer Woman's 2018 Barbie comes with a set of cookware — a refrigerator, oven and stove top, and tons of accessories, including a stand mixer, cupcake tin, cookie sheets, a toaster (that actually pops up toast), and lots of food. "I hope it inspires fun," Drummond told Delish of the playset, sold at Walmart.

17 of 30

Laurie Hernandez

lH
Harry How/Getty Images; Mattel

The then-18-year-old Olympic gymnast was overjoyed to announce the launch of her own "Shero" doll in 2018, part of Mattel's line honoring women who have broken boundaries. "As a little girl I was pretty self conscious about my curls and how crazy and frizzy and knotty they were," Hernandez said. "But as I got older I realized that my curls are beautiful and I should embrace them. Now that I have this doll that has hair like mine, it's gonna have curls like many other people out there. I think that representation is a very big deal… It's an honor."

18 of 30

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez - Barbie
Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage

Two Jennifer Lopez Barbie dolls hit the shelves in 2013, one featuring a tiny version of the Zuhair Murad gown the star wore to the 2012 Oscars, and the other a glittering outfit from her Dance Again world tour.

19 of 30

Gabby Douglas

Gabby Gouglas - Barbie
THOMAS COEX/AFP/Getty; Mattel

The Olympic gymnast received her mini-me ahead of the 2016 Rio Games. "My older sister and I used to play with Barbies and create these dramatic fantasy stories, so it's such a huge honor," she told PEOPLE at the time.

20 of 30

Ibtihaj Muhammad

Ibtihaj_Muhammed_111 (1)[1]
Courtesy Mattel

Muhammad was the first-ever U.S. Olympic athlete to compete wearing a hijab at the 2016 Rio Olympic games. And she has her very own Barbie — the first to ever wear a hijab in the brand's 60-year history.

A one-of-a-kind doll made in her likeness was unveiled at Glamour's Women of the Year Live Summit in 2017, then the latest doll in Barbie's "Shero" line, a program that celebrates boundary-breaking women intended to inspire the next generation.

"To be included in this conversation is very humbling and I'm over the moon about this whole thing," Muhammad told PEOPLE.

21 of 30

Faith Hill & Tim McGraw

Faith Hill and Tim McGraw - Barbie
Larry Busacca/Getty; Mattel

The country couple'splastic likenesses debuted in 2011, shortly before their 15th wedding anniversary.

22 of 30

Zendaya

Zendaya - Barbie
Jason Merritt/Getty; Mattel

The Vivienne Westwood gown Zendaya wore to the 2015 Oscars came in Barbie size. "I'm excited to be a part of the new direction the Barbie brand is headed, specifically how they are celebrating diversity in the line and encouraging kids to raise their voices," she said when news of her little doppelgängerwas announced.

23 of 30

Heidi Klum

heidi-klum
Gregg DeGuire/WireImage/Mattel

The model's doll was included in Barbie's 2009 Blonde Ambition Collection. "I am so into Barbie. It has been a dream come true," she told PEOPLE.

24 of 30

Prince William & Kate Middleton

Duke of Cambridge and Catherine - Barbie
Chris Jackson/Getty; Mattel

The British royals' wedding styles were commemorated with Barbie and Ken dollsto celebrate their one-year anniversary in 2012.

25 of 30

Ava DuVernay

Ava Duvernay - Barbie
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic; Mattel

The Barbie version of the Selma director was available just in time for Christmas 2015.

26 of 30

Beyoncé

Beyonce - Barbie
Monica Schipper/FilmMagic; Hasbro

The singer and her Destiny's Child bandmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams received two Barbie treatments. In 2016, Beyoncé showed she still has love for the doll when she and her family donned Barbie Halloween costumes.

27 of 30

Barbra Streisand

Barbara Streisand - Barbie
Kevin Mazur/Getty; Mattel

Released in 2009, the legendary star's Barbie includes a re-creation of an outfit she originally designed for herself.

28 of 30

Misty Copeland

Misty Copeland - Barbie
Jeffrey R. Staab/CBS via Getty; Mattel

The American Ballet Theatre star teamed up with Mattel in 2016 for the "You Can Be Anything" campaign. Her doll sports a red tutu and hairpiece inspired by her role in Firebird.

29 of 30

Reba McEntire

Reba McEntire - Barbie
John Shearer/WireImage; Mattel

The 2011 miniature McEntire creation pays tribute to the singer's hit "Fancy" with a red and gold gown.

30 of 30

Diana Ross

Diana Ross - Barbie
George Pimentel/WireImage; Mattel

The Ross Barbie, which was introduced in 2003, wears a stunning silvery gown that's fit for a true star.

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