Former Love Island star Chris Taylor has revealed the unlikely way he was cast in Greta Gerwig’s forthcoming Barbie film.
Barbie is executive produced by Australian star Margot Robbie who also takes on the titular role in the movie.
The actor is a self-confessed Love Island fanatic and was spotted taking selfies with ex-islanders Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, Davide Sanclimenti and Liberty Poole at Barbie’s London premiere on 12 July.
Also spotted on the pink carpet was season five contestant Taylor who confirmed he makes a short cameo in the film.
Speaking to LADbible, Taylor said he was living with fellow ex-contestants Michael Griffiths and Jordan Hames who met Robbie at the London premiere of her 2020 DC Comics movie, Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn.
“There is a bit of a backstory. The lads went to a premiere,” he said. “They met Margot, and then afterwards Margot shouted them and said ‘Come to the after party!’ cause she’s obsessed with Love Island right.
“So then, I was living with the boys at the time, so I was like ‘I’m coming’ and she knew who we all were. She watches the show,” he explained.
“So she comes up to me like ‘Chris!’ and I’m like, ‘What the f*** is going on?’ I dunno, she must have just remembered me from then,” Taylor recalled.
He added that Robbie approached him at the Barbie premiere to tell him she was delighted that his cameo didn’t get cut.
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Taylor revealed that his character in the film delivers the line: “And the Nobel prize for horses goes to Ken!”
Robbie previously opened up about her adoration for Love Island in 2021, saying it was “a big part of my life”.
She told People that she found the relationships and friendships that play out on-screen “fascinating”, adding: “If I had to pick a favourite season, I’d say season three. If I had to pick favourite contestants of all time, I’d probably say Liv [Olivia Atwood] from season three and Maura [Higgins] from season five.
“They’re probably my two favourites of all time… I mean honestly, if you start, I will not stop talking about Love Island. There’s so much I have to say about it.”
Barbie is out in cinemas on 21 July. Read The Independent’s five-star review of the film here.
