Inspiration can be found in a myriad of different environments. It can be forged when you stare up at the skies on a starry night, when you climb mountains you never thought you could climb, when you’re struck by the beauty of a passing dolphin as you glide through the deep sea. Or, it can be discovered when you spot a Ken doll in the mud. Next to a lemon. In your back yard.
Such was the divine inspiration that struck Ryan Gosling as he considered whether to accept the role of Ken in the upcoming Barbie film following a call with director Greta Girwig. Not the stars, not the mountains, and not the dolphin. Just one innocent, dishevelled, neglected Ken Doll. The film’s production hasn’t been particularly conventional in any sense, from its 2001: A Space Odyssey-inspired teaser trailer to Gerwig’s decision to write an abstract poem for the film treatment in the style of the Apostles’ Creed (no, not the series of video games, the actual creed). Despite breaking the internet with the first promotional image of Gosling as the bleach-blonde Ken, the internet wasn’t satisfied. Complaints started to surface questioning whether Gosling was too old to play the role. Gosling defiantly shot down the concerns in a GQ interview, citing the hypocrisy that supposed Ken fans never particularly cared about the doll before his casting despite their apparent outrage.
And quite right too. Take a look back at Gosling’s career (particularly his later career), and you’ll find he’s got more than enough skill to do the doll justice and resurrect him from his soiled, lemon-scented tomb. First, note that bleach blond hair. It may not be a look that Gosling’s rocked much in his career, but it was alive and present in The Place Beyond the Pines, particularly during the film’s genius opening scene, where we only learn Luke’s name after a sustained tracking shot of switchblade-wielding and silent focus as he broods then travels to his destination. The rest of Gosling’s performance proves he’s got the emotional clout that’s required for the role. Sure, maybe Ken (official name: Kenneth Sean Carson) might not have all that much depth, but you can be sure that Gosling will provide it in spades nonetheless.
If Ken doesn’t do a whole lot of moving in the film, that’s fine too. The original Ken, ‘Superstar Ken’ as he was called, had arms which were both completely straight, and completely unbendable. The dude could only move his head left and right. Almost robotic. Gosling is a master of minimalism in terms of conveying loads with very little. Blade Runner 2049, in which Gosling plays a literal robot, is perhaps his finest example (other particularly enigmatic performances include Drive, Only God Forgives and First Man), where he emotes pain, sadness and loss with the subtlest of gestures. Also, it’s difficult not to think of Gosling’s Driver asking Irene: ‘You wanna go for a ride?’ in Drive, and not thinking it’s fate that this is the exact question Ken asks Barbie at the start of Aqua’s Barbie Girl. Anyway. Again, the Ken we’ll see on screen will likely not be quite as angst-ridden or psychologically tortured as Blade Runner 2049’s K or Driver, but we know he’s got that cool robotic style down to an emotional tee whenever it’s required.
Barbie also isn’t Gosling’s first rodeo when it comes to dolls. He played an introverted man in love with a sex doll in Lars and the Real Girl, a sweet and underrated drama where the actor shows he’ll be at ease when it comes to interacting with artificial beings, even though it seems like Gerwig is going for a Truman Show vibe with Barbie escaping into reality with Ken. But despite not being made of plastic, both Gosling and Robbie will doubtless be fantastic. And going back to that internet breaking picture in terms of the lighter side of things, it’s hard not to remember Gosling’s assured pick-up artist Jacob Palmer in Crazy Stupid Love, particularly during the Dirty Dancing scene with Emma Stone’s iconic exclamation: ‘It’s like you’re Photoshopped!’ Gosling has plenty of comedic genius to make use of alongside his more serious performances, a combination of skills that look to be important in Gerwig’s wider narrative. For more examples of Gosling’s comedy chops, check out The Nice Guys, Shane Black’s underrated crime caper.
If you want to dive even deeper into Gosling’s career, check out the ‘Ryan Gosling Won’t Eat His Cereal’ vines. Beyond their comedic value, they’re a good reminder of Gosling’s versatility, albeit squashed into seven second clips. Ultimately, if you’re looking for an actor who can portray heartfelt, poignant characters in lowkey arthouse films alongside louder, boisterous characters in more big budget commercial films, you’d be hard pressed to find a more ideal candidate than Ryan Gosling.
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