How does one become the Ken to Margot Robbie’s Barbie? By finding one’s Ken-ergy of course! Ever since Ryan Gosling walked off the set of Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Barbie movie, the actor has been using the term a lot to talk about playing the role that had him bleach his hair, shave his legs, wear fake tanner and neon outfits. Now the actor is also sharing one cute thing Robbie did on set to help the actor maintain his desired ken-ergy.
With less than two months between us and Barbie hitting theaters, there’s an exciting air about the release. It feels like the movie is already seeping into our pop culture, between tons of celebrities dressing in Barbiecore throughout 2023 and the internet getting all over the meme-able Barbie cast posters. In Margot Robbie’s Vogue cover, Gosling said this about Robbie’s role in him finding his character:
It would be very un-Ken of me to talk about Ken. … She left a pink present with a pink bow, from Barbie to Ken, every day while we were filming. They were all beach-related. Like puka shells, or a sign that says ‘Pray for surf.’ Because Ken’s job is just beach. I’ve never quite figured out what that means. But I felt like she was trying to help Ken understand, through these gifts that she was giving.
Well, this is adorable.As Ryan Gosling shared, Robbie actually sent her co-star presents from Barbie to Ken every day during filming to help the pair stay in character. Apparently a huge part of Gosling’s Ken is his love for the beach, so it would primarily be beach-themed objects. It does very much sound like something Barbie would do for Ken – perhaps the cute gesture helped the actress get in character for the role?
Last month, we got an exciting look at Barbie with the full trailer that sets up what life is like in Barbie Land, below. And it seems like Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are not the only Barbie and Ken in the movie. All the female characters seem to be named Barbie, whilst all the male characters are Ken. What’s up with that? Suffice to say we have questions about Barbie Land.
That’ll of course be the fun of seeing Greta Gerwig’s vision of the popular doll and friends. Ryan Gosling has faced some early criticism surrounding his age, but Robbie told the magazine her confidence in Gosling’s performance, saying the role is the “greatest version of Ryan Gosling ever put to screen.” We can’t wait to see what Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling put into their Barbie and Ken roles. Greta Gerwig’s hot pink-fueled movie comes out in theaters on July 21.
