Ryan Gosling's daughters' mistreatment of Ken doll is why he signed on to 'Barbie'
On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Thursday, the host couldn't resist asking Ryan Gosling about playing Ken in the upcoming Barbie movie, especially since Gosling practically broke the internet in June, when the first photo of him as the iconic Barbie counterpart was released.
When asked if he was surprised by the reaction the first photo got, Gosling shared, "I was surprised how, you know, some people were, kind of, clutching their pearls about my Ken as though they ever thought about Ken for a second before this."
"They never played with Ken," exclaimed Gosling. "Nobody plays with Ken, man." And to further his point, Gosling shared the story of the exact moment he decided to say yes to playing the iconic role.
After Greta Gerwig, who is directing the film, offered Gosling the role, the actor stepped outside into his backyard to think about it for a second. Gosling shared, "Best script I've ever read. I walk out in the backyard and you know where I found Ken, Jimmy? Face down in the mud next to a squished lemon."
The blame for the mistreated Ken doll likely falls on Gosling's two daughters, whom he shares with actress Eva Mendes. However, it was then that the actor realized he needed to say yes to Gerwig. So Gosling took a picture of the disrespected Ken doll and texted it to the director saying, "I shall be your Ken. For his story must be told."
Video Transcript
JIMMY FALLON: Were you surprised by the great reaction this photo got?
RYAN GOSLING: I was surprised how some people were kind of clutching their pearls about my Ken, as though they ever thought about Ken for a second.
KYLIE MAR: Ryan Gosling stopped by "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" Thursday to promote his new Netflix film "The Gray Man", but while he was there, Fallon couldn't not ask him about playing Ken in the upcoming "Barbie" movie, which also stars Margot Robbie and is directed by Greta Gerwig, and why he wanted to take on the iconic role.
RYAN GOSLING: Best script I've ever read. I walk out in the backyard, and do you know where I found Ken, Jimmy? Face down in the mud next to a squished lemon.
JIMMY FALLON: This is the photo. You took a photo of it. This is a sign that you've got to do this movie.
KYLIE MAR: The blame for the mistreated Ken doll likely falls on Gosling's two daughters, whom he shares with actress Eva Mendes.
RYAN GOSLING: I never played with Ken. Nobody plays with Ken, man.
JIMMY FALLON: You don't really play with Ken.
RYAN GOSLING: Did you play with Ken?
JIMMY FALLON: Uh.
RYAN GOSLING: Exactly. Exactly.
JIMMY FALLON: It was available.
RYAN GOSLING: And yet.
JIMMY FALLON: He stayed in the toy box.
RYAN GOSLING: He's an accessory, and not even one of the cool ones.
KYLIE MAR: But it was the fact that the Ken doll always seems to get neglected. That inspired Gosling to take his big Kenergy and tell Gerwig he's in.
RYAN GOSLING: I texted it to Greta, and I said, I shall be your Ken.
[LAUGHTER]
For his story must be told.
JIMMY FALLON: Yeah, his story must be told. I want to hear this guy. What happened to the situation here?
