Ryan Gosling as Ken
Courtesy of Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros
There is a quote that’s been credited to Ryan Gosling: “All my characters are me. I’m not a good enough actor to become a character.”
One can only hope that the below first-look photo of Gosling as Ken in the live-action Barbie movie reveals the La La Land actor’s true self.
Here’s Gosling as Barbie’s iconic beau.
Barbie represents the first time the toy has been rendered as a live-action movie.
Previously, the project released star Margot Robbie as Barbie.
The film is directed by Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) and has a sprawling supporting cast that includes America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Ariana Greenblatt, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Mackey, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Issa Rae, Michael Cera, Rhea Perlman and Will Ferrell.
The film has been in development for eight years and underwent many changes, with Amy Schumer and Anne Hathaway circling the role during the script’s previous iterations. While on the directing front, Alethea Jones and Patty Jenkins were reportedly in the mix along the way.
Robbie previously told The Hollywood Reporter that the Warner Bros. film is hoping to subvert expectations. “We like the things that feel a little left of center,” the two-time Oscar nominee said. “Something like Barbie where the IP, the name itself, people immediately have an idea of, ‘Oh, Margot is playing Barbie, I know what that is,’ but our goal is to be like, ‘Whatever you’re thinking, we’re going to give you something totally different — the thing you didn’t know you wanted’ … can we truly honor the IP and the fan base and also surprise people? Because if we can do all that and provoke a thoughtful conversation, then we’re really firing on all cylinders.”
Barbie drives into theaters July 21, 2023.