Ryan Gosling Wants Greta Gerwig's Barbie To Be A Redemption For Ken

Ever since the "Toy Story" films made us think of our toys as sentient (or at least confirmed it for some people), a small part of the brain feels bad for the ones who don't get played with. You are not alone if you have a soft spot in your heart for Ken, the companion of Barbie (and understand why his name has to be qualified by his relationship with her). 

Poor Kenneth Carson — yes, he has a full name — was created in 1961, two years after his future girlfriend. He's had many professions, like hamburger cook, astronaut, drum major, and rapper, to name a few. It's not a great quality in a mate, but Barbie has worked in many places as well. They're made for each other. Sadly, Ken dolls usually end up as an afterthought for kids who love Barbie. 

Ryan Gosling is here to change all that. He's starring as Ken in the upcoming Greta Gerwig-directed film "Barbie," and it's his mission to redeem Ken and make him relevant, according to an interview on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." During the interview, he made us aware of the sad fate of a Ken doll in his own home and revealed what he told Gerwig (who also co-wrote the script with Noah Baumbach) when she offered him the role. 

First, Fallon teases Gosling about how much he loves denim, referring to a 2018 Vanity Fair article pointing it out. Gosling jokes that Fallon is "denim-shaming" him and then tells the story of how and why he took the role of Barbie's arm candy. When Fallon showed the picture of Gosling as Ken in a denim vest over a bare chest (seen at the top of this article), Gosling was (fake) outraged:

"I was surprised by how some people were sort of clutching their pearls about my Ken, as though they ever thought about Ken for a second before this. Nobody played with Ken."

He feels like his character is underappreciated. "He's an accessory and not even one of the cool ones." To be fair, Barbie has a lot of accessories, from houses to cars to dogs to horses. How could one very blond and smooth (ahem) man doll compare to that? Gosling also praised "Barbie" as the "best script I've ever read." 

He said that Gerwig called to offer him the role, and he got a sign from the universe. He explains, "I walk out in the backyard, and do you know where I found Ken, Jimmy? Facedown in the mud, next to a squished lemon."

Oh, the humanity! One can only assume this lemony, abandoned Ken doll is owned by one of his own children. I hope they've developed a new appreciation for poor Kenneth Carson now that dad is playing him on the big screen. Gosling texted the pic to Gerwig and said, "I shall be your Ken, for his story must be told." Justice for Ken.

"Barbie" will hit theaters on July 21, 2022.