Ryan Gosling’s portrayal of Ken in the Barbie Movie sparks controversy | Here’s why

Ryan Gosling Barbie Ken old controversy

While there’s more than a month before the live-action Barbie movie releases, Ryan Gosling’s Ken has already become a pop culture phenomenon but not without controversy. It’s not all fun and games for his character as some fans don’t appreciate the casting choice. In a recent interview, the 42-year-old Canadian actor directly addressed critics and joked at their expense. 

The crux of the controversy seems to be Ryan Gosling’s age, as social media users claimed that he was too old to play Ken in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. The iconic boy toy may not have an official age, but from the looks of all his variations, Ken can be placed in his 20s. As a result, #NotMyKen started trending on Twitter, and haters ensured Ryan Gosling heard it loud and clear. 

Ryan Gosling responds to the ‘Barbie’ Ken backlash

As a part of promotions for Barbie, Ryan Gosling was the summer cover story for GQ Magazine, where he addressed the age controversy in an interview. He even discussed the broader context and history of the Ken doll’s character.

The actor pointed out people’s hypocrisy and the irony that no one really cared about Ken before. He claims that everyone cares about Ken’s character all of a sudden. And Gosling is correct: Before the movie, Ken’s relevance stuck to being laid-back on beaches with no work.

Barbie Ken Ryan Gosling Margot Robbie controversy
Image courtesy of Warner Bros.

Ryan Gosling joked that if people don’t want to play with his Ken, there are many other Kens to play with. He referred to actors like Simu Liu who are playing alternate versions of the doll in the same movie. 

Social media reactions to #NotMyKen

Twitter users were divided on whether Ryan Gosling’s age was an actual factor in figuring out if he’s a good Ken or not. Some users came to his defense, praised his looks, and called the age-related hate unnecessary. 

There still seem to be a lot of skeptical fans who are disappointed over Ryan Gosling being cast as Ken in the Barbie movie. They are unsure if the La La Land actor would be able to project the youthful energy that Ken is synonymous with. 

Way before Ryan Gosling’s response, Twitter took digs at the actor with terms like Grandpa Ken. Gen Z netizens called him too old and dry to play the beach doll.

All details about the upcoming live-action Barbie movie

The latest trailer for the upcoming movie showed Margot Robbie’s Barbie and Ryan Gosling’s Ken stepping outside Barbie Land into the real world. Since then, the film has raised expectations as it attempts to explore themes like sexuality and mortality in the plastic world of dolls.

Even if people are unimpressed with Ryan Gosling’s Ken, they have other Ken dolls to look forward to in the Barbie movie like John Cena and Simu Liu. Apart from them, the cast also includes big names like Will Ferrell, Emma Mackey, Michael Cera and Dua Lipa.

Directed by Greta Gerwig and co-written by her partner Noah Baumbach, the film releases worldwide in theaters on July 21, 2023. Barbie has been a long-awaited project and it took several years of development and over $100 million to bring the doll universe to life.


You can share questions about Ryan Gosling’s Ken in the Barbie movie controversy. For more content, stay with us here at Spiel Times. Make sure you subscribe to our push notifications and never miss an update. You can also follow us on Spiel Anime, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Until next time!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *