How Ryan Gosling Prepared to Play Ken

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re discussing How Ryan Gosling Prepared to Play Ken.

For this video, we’ll be looking at how the talented actor became the king of Kenergy for Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” movie, in theaters July 21, 2023.

Do you think Ryan Gosling is the perfect Ken? Let us know in the comments.

Gosling’s Return to Hollywood

Since becoming a child actor, Ontario-born Ryan Gosling has established himself as both a mega movie star and a familiar face in the indie film world. We all know him from fan favorites “The Notebook” but Gosling also got the chance to showcase his immense talent for dark, dramatic characters in films like 2001’s “The Believer” and 2011’s “Drive.” In the mid-2010s, Gosling made his way into blockbusters such as Denis Villeneuve’s “Blade Runner 2049”, and Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land”. The latter earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and a Golden Globe win for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

In 2018, Gosling teamed up with Chazelle again for the Neil Armstrong biopic “First Man.” By this time, he’d had his second daughter with his partner Eva Mendes, who co-starred alongside him in the 2012 crime drama “The Place Beyond the Pines.” The actor subsequently decided to take a break from the entertainment world to focus on spending time with family. Gosling has said this time away from the spotlight changed his perspective on acting and would later allow him to take on projects he’d never had the chance to do before. Luckily, Hollywood gave him the opportunities he was looking for.

With his family in tow, he returned to the big screen for “The Gray Man,” Netflix’s 2022 epic action film also starring Chris Evans. Production partially took place in Europe, giving Ryan, Eva, and their little Goslings a chance to explore the world together. His daughters would also play a small part in their dad’s next role but in a very different way.

Gotta Do It for the Kens

In October 2021, it was announced that Ryan Gosling would play Ken in Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” movie. But, it took some convincing. Gerwig has said that the actor was the only one she wanted in the role, and that she even saw him as an inspiration for the character. In addition to reading what he described as the “best script [he’s] ever read,” Gosling was apparently compelled to accept the part after seeing an actual Ken doll in his backyard looking a little worse for wear. With that visual, he decided to sign on to be Barbie’s partner in plastic.

Kenneth Sean Carson, or just Ken, came on the scene in 1961, two years after Mattel introduced Barbie to the world. While it was implied that the two were dating, it was important to the company to keep Barbie single. In other words, Ken was an afterthought, who was sometimes her boyfriend. But, despite only existing to complement Barbie, Ken still had a Ken-tastic life filled with fabulous outfits, a BFF named Allan, and a slew of sporadic careers that almost rivals his partner’s. However, his main job is more widely known as simply “beach”, and we love that for him.

On the press tour for “The Gray Man,” Ryan Gosling was asked a lot about his new role. And though he obviously couldn’t share any plot details, he loved talking about Ken, and even joked about the doll’s uphill battles. After he learned more about this hilariously sad character, Gosling felt the responsibility to share the untold story of Ken’s plight with the masses.

Finding His “Ken-ergy”

Ryan Gosling is one of the top hunks in Hollywood but he’s also dabbled in method acting. For a while, he was known for playing brooding loner type characters with a penchant for violence. But, he’s proven his comedic talent in rom-coms like “Crazy, Stupid, Love” and also through hosting “Saturday Night Live.” Ironically, Gosling said that Ken has zero sense of humor and is super serious. We hope this means he takes every statement absolutely literally, because that feels like a very Ken thing to do.

When most people think of Ken, they think of Barbie’s cute boyfriend. But Greta Gerwig and her romantic-slash-writing partner Noah Baumbach needed someone special to play their version of Ken that fit with the overall tone of the movie. Everything in Barbieland is bright, pink, and fun, but Barbie’s identity crisis requires a certain balance between comedy and drama, which is right in Gosling’s wheelhouse.

Getting into the headspace and embracing “that Ken life” was seemingly easy for Gosling, though he credits Barbie herself, his co-star Margot Robbie, with helping him find his Kenergy. The actress-producer sent him Barbie-inspired beachy gifts wrapped in pink, playing into Ken’s whole surfer vibe. Another part of connecting with Ken was revisiting his inner child and enjoying the fun of it all in the midst of working hard.

Ryan’s Kens-formation

Mentally getting into character is what Mr. Gosling does best. But, for a fantastical role like Ken, an external transformation is essential too. The usually sandy-blonde-haired actor went for a striking bleached platinum color, which certainly stands out on its own but, against his spray tan, it really pops. Perhaps the most challenging part of the preparation, though, was probably the all-over body hair removal process. While Gosling said he shaved his legs, co-star Simu Liu, who plays another Ken, dished on the painful experience of waxing.

How does one physically prepare to play a doll? Well, Gosling hasn’t shared any Ken-specific workout routines but Liu talked about the actor’s impressive discipline when it comes to the gym and nutrition. For past roles, he’s practiced everything from Muay Thai to pilates, plus some stunt work. While it doesn’t look like there will be any epic stunts in “Barbie,” we do know the Barbies and Kens perform dance routines. With his dance background on “La La Land” – and of course his epic past as a young performer – we’d say Gosling is more than up to the task.

One thing we know Ken loves to do, besides maybe surfing, is rollerblading. And like everything else, he does it in style. As seen in the trailers, Barbie and Ken skate around the real world sporting neon ‘90s-inspired outfits – and that’s only one of many amazing ensembles. There’s his pastel beachwear, his cowboy getup, a white and gold disco jumpsuit, and of course, the eye-catching denim vest look prominently featuring his Calvin Kline-esque undies.

Welcome to the Ken-aissance

From being undecided about the role at first to now fully embracing the character, Ryan Gosling has certainly developed a bond with Ken. He’s admitted to caring about the character and feeling like inhabiting Ken was his calling.

Not long after seeing the “Barbie” trailer, social media users questioned whether he was too old to be this iconically forever-young doll. But the actor, who is only 42 by the way, brushed off the Ken-haters. Besides, if anyone knows the character now, it’s Gosling, and he’s prepared to defend him to the ends of Barbie Land. Eva Mendes, Gosling’s partner, has also publicly shown her support, even declaring a 2023 “Kenaissance.”

We’re fully convinced Ryan Gosling was made to play Ken, and we just know his performance is going to blow expectations out of the water – whether it’s the water from the beach or the Barbie dreamhouse pool is yet to be determined.