Ryan Gosling recently shared the story about how he knew he was meant to play Ken in the highly anticipated “Barbie” movie.
The 41-year-old actor said he already believed the Warner Brothers screenplay was the “best” he’d encountered, but it took an extra twist of fate for him to commit to the project. During an appearance on “The Tonight Show,” the “La La Land” actor explained what happened just after he was offered the leading role.
“Best script I’ve ever read. I walk out in the backyard [after getting the offer] and, do you know where I found Ken?” Gosling said, according to Variety. “[A Ken doll] face down in the mud next to a squished lemon. I texted [the photo] to Greta and said, ‘I shall be your Ken, for his story must be told.’”
Gosling is currently promoting his current project “The Gray Man,” which just premiered Friday, Variety reported. However, the “Barbie” project has been overshadowing the press tour as excitement builds over the film, which has a scheduled premiere date of July 21, 2023. The actor will star opposite Margot Robbie as America’s most famous fashion doll.
The publication reported that Gosling and Robbie both earned $12.5 million salaries for the project.
“Finally, it’s happening. This has been coming my whole life,” Gosling told Variety about playing Ken. “I felt like I was seeing myself [when I saw the viral first look Ken photo]. I felt seen. I think a lot of Kens will feel seen when they see this. Gotta do it for the Kens. Nobody plays with the Kens.”
Plot details about the upcoming movie remain secret, however, the actor recently compared that project to “The Gray Man” during an interview with Entertainment Tonight.
Gosling said his character of Ken in “Barbie” may look perfect, but he’s having a tougher time compared to the hunted spy character he plays in “The Gray Man.”
“That Ken life is even harder than the ‘Gray Man’ life, I think,” the actor explained. “Ken’s got no money, he’s got no job, he’s got no car, he’s got no house. He’s going through some stuff.”
“It’s not what you think it is, unless it is,” Gosling continued. “And then you know what it is, but I don’t think that’s what you think it is. Wait, what are we talking about?”
The actor joked that Mattel would “box [him] up” if he let any details of the top secret movie slip. Earlier this year, co-star Simu Liu described “Barbie” as “wild” and “incredibly unique,” saying, “I wish I could just show you what we do day-to-day because it’s crazy.”