21 Things About Kim Barker, the Woman Behind ‘Whiskey Tango Foxtrot’

Barker’s book was named after a playlist she had on her iPod while in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The New York Times wrote that Barker was “sort of a Tina Fey character.” Tina read the book and loved it.

Barker knew they would change her story for the movie, even cutting out her time in Pakistan.

Barker was afraid that the movie would be Anchorman set in Afghanistan and not take her story seriously.

“I’m very much a believer in only getting involved with things you can control,” said Barker.

She said she was “barely breathing” in the screening, but her brother loved it, and said she shouldn’t worry.

Screenwriter Robert Carlock invented the story to show Kim Barker’s ability to communicate with the women.

They would take off their burkas and wanted to know if Barker was married and what her husband was like. 

“You’ve not met a strong woman until you’ve met an Afghan woman.”

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif bought Barker an iPhone and asked to be her “special friend” in real life.

Abdul Sabet, attorney general of Afghanistan, did take Barker shooting in his village in real life.

Barker asked a rep from Human Rights Watch to accompany her to a toga party. He wisely declined. 

It was Barker’s platonic friend Sean who was kidnapped. He was rescued by Great Britain’s Channel 4. 

Bacon. “You find yourself in a country where you can’t get pork and you crave the bacon,” she said.

Is real! If you’re a 4 in New York, you’re a 10 in Afghanistan. Sadly, you become a 4 again at home.

Barker is 5 feet 10 inches tall, whereas Fey is 5 feet 4 inches tall.

Barker said, “It reminds you how lucky you are to be born here, because it’s all sort of an accident of birth.”

Her fixer, Farouq Samim, called Fahim in the movie, is played by Christopher Abbot.

Barker has also covered natural disasters like the tsunami in Asia and the earthquake in Kashmir.

“My mother raised me a feminist, and a feminist I remain,” said Barker.