Barbie may have found its stereotypical Ken in the form of Ryan Gosling, but Barbieland had a large variety of other Kens to remember. We see some hilarious beef between Simu Liu’s Ken and Gosling’s Ken at the beach, as well as all of the Kens of Barbieland dancing the night away in Barbie’s Dreamhouse. The Trip’s Rob Brydon also played a part in Barbie as Sugar Daddy Ken, who shared that his feelings got hurt when fans were questioning why he was cast in this Hollywood film.
Welsh actor Rob Brydon has been known for playing Uncle Bryn in the BBC series Gavin & Stacey, as well as co-starring with Steve Coogan in The Trip television show and film series. His role as Sugar Daddy Barbie, however, did not meet with a glowing reception from fans. Brydon did an interview with The Times (via Longview News-Journal) where he admitted his feelings were hurt that fans felt the Supernova actor was out of place in Greta Gerwig’s movie:
I won’t say it annoyed me because that will end up being the headline but . . . it does slightly sting that some people are saying, ‘What’s he doing in such a big Hollywood movie?’ I am resigned to the fact that it’s the price I pay for not taking the big acting roles in America and doing quiz shows and voiceovers here instead.
Based on what Rob Brydon is saying, it looks as if fans believe he sold out to Hollywood. Because of the number of shows he’s done for the BBC, fans probably couldn’t picture him doing any big work outside of that. It’s just strange for this actor to get such negative feedback from fans since there were a lot of British actors who were part of the Barbie cast. You have Sex Education’s Emma Mackey playing Physicist Barbie, Peaky Binder’s Kingsley Ben-Adir as Basketball Ken, Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan as Diplomat Barbie and Dua Lipa making her acting debut as Mermaid Barbie, to name just a few. You would think fans would want to see an actor branch outside of their usual work and make a name for themselves in bigger markets all for the sake of more exposure.
Fans might be thinking that Rob Brydon’s fame should stay inside of the realms of the United Kingdom, but he’s apparently attracted attention from A-listers like Margot Robbie herself. The Would I Lie to You? presenter explained how he got the part as the discontinued Ken.
You never know who’s watching, do you? Margot loved Gavin & Stacey and a few years ago a friend of hers asked me to record a video message for her as Bryn. To be honest I’d forgotten all about it, and then I get the call for Barbie, and the response to it has been extraordinary.
The Times interview also mentioned that Greta Gerwig loved Brydon’s multiple roles in the British black comedy series Human Remains. Unfortunately, the Welsh comedian’s part was cut short, as he said in his interview he recorded two scenes for the Box Office Queen flick, only for one scene to be used, which got edited. However, Brydon said he was fortunate that his short appearance in Barbie still made an impact.
I feel bad that Rob Brydon got hate from his fans for starring in the Hollywood movie Barbie, but I don’t believe you’re selling out if you decide to take on a variety of film and TV projects that are filmed on a larger scope. It is, after all, expanding your horizons and increasing your visibility. As Barbie continues to dominate at the weekend box office, everyone will know Sugar Daddy Ken and the talented actor who plays him in the 2023 movie release playing in theaters now.
