Ryan Gosling’s Barbie Looks Have Been Making A Splash, But His Co-Star Has A Less Flattering Take On The Kens

He's Just Ken
(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Ryan Gosling’s boyish good looks have made him a Hollywood heartthrob for years, but he is not afraid to transform himself for roles, even gaining 60lbs for Peter Jackson’s Lovely Bones. His latest project has taken his chameleon-like abilities to a whole new level, though. The suave actor’s Barbiecore fashion looks for Greta Gerwig's upcoming movie have made splashes online. Still, his co-star, Kingsley Ben-Adir, had a humorously less flattering take on seeing all the Kens in costume on set for the first time

While joining his fellow MCU cast members on the red carpet, Ben-Adir caught up with Variety at the star-studded premiere of the highly anticipated Disney+ series, Secret Invasion. The actor, who plays a key role in the show currently hitting the 2023 TV schedule, didn't hold back his comedic commentary on the wardrobe choices for Barbie. He jokingly stated:

We all looked like absolute losers in a funny way. It was hilarious.

Barbie stops a "Beach-off" between Kens, Barbie 2023

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

It's evident that the actor didn't have the same childhood experience of playing with the famous doll and dreaming of being a part of that iconic "Barbie girl, in a Barbie world" fantasy like many of us. Let's face it, not everyone can pull off Ken's bold pink jumpsuit and matching rollerblades! It takes an actor as talented as Ryan Gosling to embody that unique "Ken energy." But putting jokes aside, Ben-Adir expressed that joining the film was an easy decision once he read the quirky script written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. In fact, he continued to emphasize the script's quality and how it instantly captivated him, saying:

From the first page, I was like, ‘Wow, this is really, really funny!' I just heard such great things about Ryan and Margot. Then me and Greta went out for some whiskey. We spoke for two or three hours. There was a really strong sense from early on, like she was trying to do something a little bit different.

It’s been clear from the bonkers full Barbie trailer that the director captured something different and unique. The film will hit theaters this summer, marking a highly anticipated event for fans of the Mattel toy line and the cast alike. 

The upcoming Warner Bros. Pictures production sees Margot Robbie play one version of the titular doll, who has an existential crisis. With that, she and and Ryan Gosling's iteration of Ken travel to the real world in search of true happiness. There's a stacked cast at play here, as Robbie, Gosling and Kingsley Ben-Adir are joined by Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, America Ferrera, Michael Cera, John Cena and many more. There's sure to be plenty of madcap humor and adventure, and it'll surely be hilarious to see how Ben-Adir and his fellow Kens interact -- and possibly coordinate outfits.

If you want to see the British actor bring his best “Ken Energy,” you’ll have to wait until Barbie opens on July 21 as part of the schedule of 2023 new movie releases. However, right now, you can catch him looking suave on Secret Invasion, which drops new episodes on Thursdays for Disney+ subscription holders.

Ryan LaBee
Writer

Ryan graduated from Missouri State University with a BA in English/Creative Writing. An expert in all things horror, Ryan enjoys covering a wide variety of topics. He's also a lifelong comic book fan and an avid watcher of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon.