Dan Levy said turning down the opportunity to play one of the Kens in 'Barbie' still haunts him: 'That was a tough day'

Dan Levy told People he passed on the film due to scheduling conflicts "despite desperately trying to" make it work.

• Dan Levy spoke to People about turning down Greta Gerwig's "Barbie." 
• He added that it was a "tough day."
• Levy blamed scheduling conflicts "despite desperately trying to" make it work. 

Dan Levy recently dropped a major bombshell after revealing he turned down a role in the blockbuster film "Barbie," which he called "a tough day."

Levy shared the revelation in an interview with People's Jason Sheeler, published Saturday. The 40-year-old said he nearly played one of the Kens, portrayed by Ryan Gosling and Simu Liu, but had to pass on the opportunity due to scheduling conflicts.

"Logistically could not make it work despite desperately trying to," Levy told the outlet. "So, yeah, I guess I was I was technically unavailable to to do that."

Levy became a household name on the popular TV series "Schitt's Creek," which also starred his father, Eugene Levy.

He told People the decision to pass on the film caused a bit of regret.

"Does it haunt me when I sleep at night? Sometimes. It's not like it isn't like one of the biggest movies of all time," Levy said, adding, "That was a tough day."

"Barbie" debuted in theatres in July 2023 and quickly became a commercial success. The film had a star-studded cast that included Margot Robbie, America Ferrera, Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon, and Issa Rae. Robbie also produced the film.

The film snagged several awards, with the most recent win at the 2024 Golden Globes, where it won the cinematic and box office achievement award.

Director Greta Gerwig also earned applause for "Barbie" from Levy.

"I think Greta had such a like wonderfully bizarre and and magical aesthetic idea of of what that movie was," Levy told People. "I would have loved to play in her world. I think she is one of the great, young auteurs of our time."

Levy's not the only actor who almost appeared in "Barbie." Although Robbie played the titular role, Amy Schumer and Anne Hatheway nearly played the beloved doll.

Robbie told Vogue in May 2023 that she initially wanted Gal Gadot to play Barbie.

"Gal Gadot is Barbie energy. Because Gal Gadot is so impossibly beautiful, but you don't hate her for being that beautiful, because she's so genuinely sincere, and she's so enthusiastically kind, that it's almost dorky. It's like right before being a dork," Robbie said.

Unfortunately, Gadot was not available for the project.

Levy's remarks about "Barbie" come after his latest film, "Good Grief," debuted on Netflix in December 2023. Levy wrote, starred, and directed the film, which he told People was inspired by his own experience with grief.

"You're lucky if you don't understand grief. I was asking a lot of questions: whether I was doing it properly or if I was feeling enough or if I was honoring the loss, the people," he said.