Ryan Gosling Speaks Out After Being Called Too Old To Play Ken In Barbie

Barbie‘s Ryan Gosling has addressed those concerns that he’s too old to play Ken. In a new GQ feature, the actor says that he’s heard all the chatter and honestly it’s just kind of bizarre to him. Gosling quipped, “I would say, you know, if people don’t want to play with my Ken, there are many other Kens to play with.” So, that makes a ton of sense honestly. There’s literally tons of actors playing other versions of Kens in Barbie. But, Gosling also argues that people complaining probably never really cared about the character in the first place. 

“It is funny,” Gosling joked, “this kind of clutching-your-pearls idea of, like, #notmyken. Like you ever thought about Ken before this?”

“And everyone was fine with that, for him to have a job that is nothing. But suddenly, it’s like, ‘No, we’ve cared about Ken this whole time.’ No, you didn’t,” he added. “You never did. You never cared. Barbie never fucked with Ken. That’s the point. If you ever really cared about Ken, you would know that nobody cared about Ken. So your hypocrisy is exposed. This is why his story must be told.”  

Gosling argued, “I care about this dude now. I’m like his representative. ‘Ken couldn’t show up to receive this award, so I’m here to accept it for him.’ ”

The Internet’s Favorite Ken in Barbie

From the first moment those images appeared online, the Internet couldn’t believe Gosling’s transformation into the doll. The light wash denim and the Calvin Klein briefs poking out all added up to something truly surreal. Greta Gerwig actually spoke to Variety about her prized Ken earlier this year. People want to know what kind of ridiculous outfits that they managed to get him into over the course of the film. She couldn’t give away everything. But, there was a lot to say about the powerful fashion at work in Barbie.

“Well, I’m thrilled, because that is how I felt and how Margot felt, and I’m thrilled that everyone shares that feeling,” Gerwig told the outlet when they asked about the fans’ reactions to Gosling as Ken. “I’ll just say, it is one of many extraordinary looks.” As Variety pondered about more of his looks in Barbie, Gerwig had to reply with a smirk that they hadn’t even seen the best yet, “No, not even close.” The question of how many outfits he has came up, and Gerwig estimated, “I couldn’t say, but it’s a lot.”