Greta Gerwig is an American actress, director and screenwriter who has taken over the film industry these last couple of years with movies like Little Women and Lady Bird, both of which have earned nominations for the Academy Award for best picture.

Gerwig was born on August 4th, 1983 in Sacramento, California to a family of financial planners. She attended Barnard College in New York where she majored in English and Philosophy. After graduating, Greta started her career in the creative world as an actress, starring in several independent movies such as Baghead and Nights and Weekends, however it wasn’t until her role in Greenberg that she gained critical acclaim. Gerwig later worked with director Noah Baumbach on several films, including Frances Ha and Mistress America, which she both starred in and co-wrote.

Many believe the reason behind Gerwig’s success is her ability to capture the complexities of human relationships due to her acting background.

Isabelle Chabin, ‘23, said, “I really like the aesthetics of Little Women. I believe [Gerwig] does a great job encapsulating the female characters and their personalities.” Chabin also noted,“Both the wardrobe and the casting seemed very well thought out and very fitting.”

Greta Gerwig is not done; this summer, she’s coming out with the highly anticipated Barbie movie. The film was originally announced in 2019 with Margot Robbie starring as the iconic doll, alongside a star-studded cast with actors such as Ryan Gosling, Simu Liu, Michael Cera, Emma Mackey and many more. According to Parade Magazine, Barbie will follow “a doll [who was] expelled [from Barbieland] because she’s not perfect enough and sets off in an adventure to the real world”.

The film will “be something that is both able to come from the adult part of your brain and also remember what it was like to be a little girl just looking at a beautiful Barbie,” according to Greta’s interview with the New York Times. However, Gerwig is concerned by the popularity the movie is acquiring, as she is afraid to fall short of the audience’s expectations. Gerwig confessed to the Hollywood Reporter that the film may turn out to be her “career-ender”. Despite this, many believe Gerwig’s career is just beginning.

Barbie is set to premiere in theaters in July 2023.