Much has been said about Chris Evans’ mustache for The Gray Man, but when push comes to shove, Ryan Gosling’s Barbie look simply takes precedence. As such, despite being on the press circuit for the Netflix action film, Gosling has been fielding a lot of questions about Ken.
Speaking with Variety on the red carpet of The Gray Man premiere, the actor addressed the bleach-blonde set photo that sent the Internet into a tailspin. “Finally, it’s happening. This has been coming my whole life,” he said. “I felt like I was seeing myself. I felt seen. I think a lot of Kens will feel seen when they see this. Gotta do it for the Kens. Nobody plays with the Kens.”
And this is why they say representation matters! This is clearly an issue near and dear to Gosling’s heart, as he identifies strongly with the role. “I have that Ken-ergy that he can feel, obviously,” Gosling shares, referencing Evans’ insult that his Gray Man character is a “Ken doll” in another interview with Entertainment Tonight. “I still feel like the Ken-ergy is alive.” What is Ken-ergy, you may ask? “You have a Ken in your life, and you know that Ken has Ken-ergy.” Okay, sure!
Many apologies to the big bosses at Netflix, but Gosling even went so far as to compare his characters in Barbie and The Gray Man: “That Ken life is even harder than the ‘Gray Man’ life, I think.” The Gray Man, as you may recall, is about a secret agent who has a bounty placed on his head. And yet: “Ken’s got no money, he’s got no job, he’s got no car, he’s got no house. He’s going through some stuff.”
Asked about star Margot Robbie’s comments that no one will be able to guess the Barbie plot, Gosling replied reverently, “I would never correct Barbie. I would never dream of it. Whatever Barbie says is exactly right.” As eager as he is to talk about his Ken-ergy, he won’t give any further details on the plot. “It’s not what you think it is, unless it is. And then you know what it is, but I don’t think that’s what you think it is.” A true Ken-undrum, one might say.
“I can’t wait for people to see the film. It’s not what you expect,” he allowed. “That’s all I can say, otherwise Mattel will come in and box me up.” That’s what an excess of Ken-ergy will get you.