(NOTE LANGUAGE) In a wide-ranging interview with GQ, Ryan Gosling talks about his career, his family life and the hype around playing Ken in Barbie.
The 42-year-old actor says of the famously insignificant other to the titular doll, “Ken, his job is beach.”
He adds, “For 60 years, his job has been beach. What the f*** does that even mean?”
Still, the dad to two doll-playing daughters with Eva Mendes brought some real-world experience to the role. “I did see him [a Ken], like, face down in the mud outside one day, next to a squished lemon,” the actor recalls, “and it was like, this guy’s story does need to be told, you know?”
Gosling said he “touched base” with his kid performer self to bring the plastic himbo to life. “There’s something about this Ken that really, I think, relates to that version of myself,” he admits.
“Just, like, the guy that was putting on [MC] Hammer pants and dancing at the mall and smelling like Drakkar Noir and Aqua Net-ing bangs. I owe that kid a lot.”
Like Ken, The New Mickey Mouse Club version of Gosling “didn’t know what he was doing or why he was doing it, he was just doing it.”
He also says it’s “funny” that online snarkers complained of his casting. “This kind of clutching-your-pearls idea of, like, #notmyken. Like you ever thought about Ken before this?” he asks.
“But suddenly, it’s like, ‘No, we’ve cared about Ken this whole time.’ No, you didn’t. You never did … If you ever really cared about Ken, you would know that nobody cared about Ken. So your hypocrisy is exposed.”
He adds, “This is why his story must be told.”
Barbie opens July 21.
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Related Posts
May the cash be with you: Julien’s putting massive trove of ‘Star Wars’ stuff on the auction block
May 3, 2024
Julien's AuctionsTimed in anticipation of May 4's Star Wars Day, Julien's Auctions and Turner…
New Music Friday: Meghan Trainor, Sia and more
May 3, 2024
This week's New Music Friday features new singles from big names and notable album releases from…
NBC renews ‘Night Court’ reboot for a third season
May 3, 2024
NBC/Nicole WeingartNight Court will stay in session at NBC. The network announced on May 3 that the…
Nicholas Galitzine on how BTS inspired his role in ‘The Idea of You’
May 3, 2024
Alisha Wetherill/PrimeNicholas Galitzine plays Hayes Campbell, the lead singer of the fictional boy…
Fourth season of ‘Emily In Paris’ will be split in two
May 3, 2024
Netflix/Stephanie BranchuOn Friday, May 3, the cast of Netflix's Emily In Paris teased the show's…
Survey says 92 minutes is Americans’ ideal movie length
May 3, 2024
Getty/Klaus Vedfelt(NOTE LANGUAGE) After marathon movies like the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer and the…
Reality Roundup: ‘Gypsy Rose: Life After Lockup’ trailer, Andy Cohen on ‘Vanderpump Rules’ break and more
May 3, 2024
Have no fear, your reality roundup is here! Here's a look at what happened in the world of reality…
On Saturday, May the Fourth be with you. It’s ‘Star Wars’ Day!
May 3, 2024
Saturday, May 4, is Star Wars Day, and the official website of that galaxy far, far away is helping…