There is a woman who lives in a closet at Mattel, tucked away from all the important exec conversations, cast out from her dominion. In the Barbie movie, she is almost the only woman we see at the toy company’s headquarters. Unlike the rest of the building’s hollow cubicles, gray decor, and maze-like structure, this woman resides in a quaint cottage that somehow fits into a small storage space. Her name is Ruth Handler, and you may be surprised to hear that she’s actually the creator of Barbie.
(Warning: Spoilers ahead for Barbie.)
That she is sequestered away in the Mattel building is one of the many fictionalized aspects of Barbie. Handler, who is played by Rhea Perlman in the film, passed away in 2002. She never, of course, actually lived in a closet at Mattel, nor is her spirit locked away in the skyscraper. In fact, Handler was the co-founder of Mattel and served as the president of the toy company from its founding in 1945 up until 1975.
We meet Ruth in the film during Barbie’s (Margot Robbie) adventure to Los Angeles. Barbie is trying to escape Mattel headquarters when she dips into a closet and is greeted by Ruth. The two share a cup of tea. Barbie complains about the world; Ruth tells her that this is how it always is. Then, Barbie is back on her way to escape from the building.
Barbie doesn’t mention or reflect upon this brief interlude afterward, but we later see Ruth again when she returns near the end of the movie. As Barbie struggles to find her place in the world, even after solving the crisis in Barbieland and lifting Ken (Ryan Gosling) out of an existential crisis, Ruth offers some guidance to Barbie about joining the Real World.
But first, she reveals who she really is to her creation. “I am Mattel,” Ruth says. “At least, until the IRS got to me.”
For as much as Barbie’s creator did for the doll, director Greta Gerwig would be remiss if she didn’t mention Handler’s flaws. Women are flawed! Some evade taxes! In 1978, Handler was indicted on charges of false reporting to the Securities and Exchange Commission and fraud. This Barbie was fined over $57,00 and sentenced to 2,500 hours of community service.
Gerwig also includes a line about Handler’s double mastectomy, another true story about the Barbie creator. In 1970, Handler was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent surgery.
Ruth informs Barbie that she’s named after her daughter, Barbara Handler, aka “Barbie.” Some folks have falsely claimed that Barbara Handler was in the film, playing the elderly woman on the bench Barbie chats with in Los Angeles. That woman, though, is legendary costume designer Ann Roth; Barbara Handler is not present in the film.
(And yes: Ruth’s son was named “Ken.”)
Perlman is fabulous as Ruth, balancing a sarcastic sense of humor with a maternal tie to Barbie. You probably recognize Perlman from somewhere or another—maybe as Carla from Cheers, perhaps the horrible Mrs. Wormwood in Matilda, or even just as Danny DeVito’s now-separated wife. She’s also an Emmy winner and, secretly, one of the best parts of Barbie.
Last year, The Daily Beast’s Obsessed briefly spoke to Perlman about Barbie: “It’s not just some ditzy movie about a doll,” she said. “It’s very different and quite beautiful and really fun. I couldn’t have had a better time.” Now, audiences get to have an amazing time watching it—with a few tears involved, of course.
Ruth Handler passed away in 2002 at age 85 due to complications following colon surgery. Her legacy lives on in Barbie—and even more so in the Barbie movie.
