Ryan Gosling Became Ken Thanks to Old Viral Video and Margot Robbie's Bribery
Ryan Gosling became Ken in the new Barbie movie for two most random reasons ever: being a hero years ago and Margot Robbie’s promise to shower him with gifts.
Barbie was going to become a huge movie, and it was designed with that in mind. A-list actors, a hefty budget of $100M, and a talented director — when Mattel approved Barbie, the company was aiming for the stars.
However, getting everyone on board was not as easy, and even Ryan Gosling wasn’t initially too supportive.
When Margot Robbie became part of the project, however, she only wanted to work with him: a viral video from an eternity ago convinced her that he was the perfect fit.
“There’s a video from years and years ago…two people are about to get in a fight and you, like, just come in like a hero but a humble hero, and like save the day. <...> And I remember thinking, ‘He must be a really good guy,’ and we need a good guy to play Ken. <...> You gotta be pretty secure in your masculinity to go on the Barbie ride the way that Ryan did,” shared Margot Robbie.
However, while that heroic video convinced Robbie she wanted to work with Gosling, it took some effort to make him feel the same way. In the end, the Wolf of Wall Street actress simply resorted to promising to shower Ryan with gifts, and it worked.
“I bribed him, essentially. I felt his hesitation and I said, ‘If you do do this movie with us, I’ll buy you a present every single day. Every single day, there was this pink wrapped present from Barbie to Ken in order to, I think, encourage Ken-ergy. They were all beach-related or horse-related,” Gosling and Robbie explained together.
That must have been quite an enjoyable ride for The Notebook actor, overall: he got invited because he was seen as a hero, and then, he was receiving special gifts from his co-star each day on the set. How could you say no to that? That’s the perfect job!
Sources: Associated Press via YouTube, Heart Radio via YouTube