Meet Ramzan Miah: Barbie’s Bangladeshi actor

Recently, Warner Bros released the official trailer of "Barbie", and fans love it. Ramzan Miah, a British-Bangladeshi actor, will be playing a South Asian Ken doll and will be showing off his dance moves from one of its peppy tracks which can be seen in the trailer.

Previously, the actor has worked in super hit movies and shows including "Aladdin", "Enola Holmes 2" and "Eternals".

The Daily Star contacted the actor to know more about his "Barbie" project and what attracted him to acting.

What made you choose acting?

I started acting and doing Bengali drama. However, I would say that my foundation of work started in the UK, when I graduated from my performing arts school in 2016. There, I began to audition for different roles in TV, commercials, and films. From there on, my first TV series was SAS Rogue Heroes, and from there onwards I had the opportunity to work with Martin Freeman and Paul Whitehouse in "Ghost Stories" and Will Smith and Naomi Scott in "Aladdin".

Ramzan Miah in "Enola Holmes 2". Photos: Courtesy

How does it feel to become the first South Asian Ken doll in the 'Barbie' movie?

It's refreshing, to be honest, everyone wants to feel represented - South Asian are significantly under-represented; however, I am even more grateful and proud to be Bangladeshi, and that's more powerful to me - as more people can hopefully take this opportunity to feel represented in our community.

Can you tell us a bit about your character? How was it working with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling?

I can't say much about the film as it's all a secret, but being on set with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, let's say you are just grateful for every moment to be here - the cast is huge with other notable actors. Being a small part of this process, it's been a highlight of my career.

How did you prepare yourself for the role?

The casting started in January, and then we began to prepare ourselves for the film in February for three months. Ken's had to train and do stunt work, and there's also a dance number which you can see in the trailer, so it's all exciting to be part of Barbie world.

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Do you have any plans on working in Bangladeshi projects?

Yes, of course - being Bangladeshi is part of my identity, so it would be amazing to work there; it would be great to do an English movie/series in Bangladesh. I would love to work with my Bangladeshi directors and collaborate with them