Director of Barbie, Greta Gerwig, had always perceived Ryan Gosling’s beach enthusiast Ken role to be a mere backdrop to Margot Robbie’s central character, Barbie.
Barbie came into existence before Ken, notes Greta Gerwig, who collaborated on the screenplay with her partner, Noah Baumbach. This was highlighted in Vogue’s summer feature spotlighting Robbie.
A Deeper Dive into the Origin of Barbie and Ken
“Ken’s emergence after Barbie was solely to enhance Barbie’s prominence, both in our perception and universally. This origin tale contrasts sharply with the Genesis creation story,” Gerwig stated.
It’s a universally acknowledged truth that Ken is a secondary character, a notion rooted in history since Ken made his appearance in 1961, which was subsequent to Barbie’s inception in 1959. Vogue elucidates that the reason for Ken’s creation was a public demand for a companion for Barbie.
Margot Robbie praised Gosling’s portrayal of Ken, describing it as the “most iconic display of Ryan Gosling on film.”
However, Gosling was primarily a passenger in this journey.
Ryan Gosling Weighs in on His Role as Ken
Taking on the role of Ken was never a specific aspiration for me,” Gosling shared with Vogue. “Honestly, I’ve never compiled a list of life goals. Still, I was intrigued to explore this character.”
In the preview of Barbie shown to Vogue’s writer Abby Aguirre, a voiceover by Helen Mirren offers insight: “While Barbie experiences joy every day, Ken finds happiness only when he captures Barbie’s attention.”
While Barbie takes on countless roles, Gosling mentions that Ken’s primary and only job is to “simply beach.”
Discussing his character further, Gosling remarked, “It’s not in Ken’s nature to delve deep into his persona.” He didn’t share the process of getting into his character’s skin, but he did express gratitude towards Robbie for aiding him in tapping into Ken’s beachy essence.
“Every filming day, she’d surprise me with a pink-wrapped gift, a token from Barbie to Ken. Each gift was beach-themed, whether it was puka shells or a ‘Pray for surf’ sign. I’ve always pondered over the depth of Ken’s single-minded beach pursuit. However, through these presents, I sensed she was guiding Ken, helping him grasp his essence,” he recalled.