What Happens When Celebrities Become Barbies

While everyone can play with any toy they like at any age, Barbie dolls are usually thought of as a toy for little girls. They’re certainly manufactured and marketed for that very specific market. But they have a lot to offer to others as well – it just takes a little bit of imagination.

Noel Cruz is a Filipino artist with a unique specialization – he repaints Barbie dolls as modern-day celebrities. He’s recreated scenes from live-action Beauty and the Beast featuring Emma Watson; turned a doll into a miniature version of Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent and even reimagined Princess Dianna as a doll.

Cruz’s interest in painting goes back to his childhood when he was fascinated by the idea of turning a blank canvas into a work of art. He’s been painting his whole life, but he started repainting Barbie dolls only ten years ago. He came across the field when his wife started collecting Barbies, and he wondered how it would be like to use the doll as his canvas. 

Soon he developed his own special style and started repainting his dolls as famous Hollywood stars. While all Barbie dolls look the same on the shelf at the toy store, Cruz manages to reshape each one and give it the unique features of well-known actors. Each repainted doll is sold for about $1,500!

Luckily, Noel also shared his art on Instagram, so we still get a glimpse of his incredible works. Scroll down to check some out!