Barbie has found her Ken.
Canadian actor Ryan Gosling has reached for the platinum blond hair dye and donned a denim vest to star as Barbie’s boyfriend in the coming movie about the world-famous Mattel doll.
Gosling, 41, joins Australian actress Margot Robbie, 31, in the film, scheduled for release in the US on July 21, 2023. It will also star Issa Rae, Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Michael Cera and America Ferrera.
Sporting bleached blond hair, a double denim outfit and a pair of underpants with the word “Ken” along the waistband, Gosling showed off his six-pack and winning smile as he prepares to bring the doll to life on the big screen.
Is Ryan Gosling’s look based on Earring Magic Ken?
Ken was introduced as Barbie’s boyfriend by toymaker Mattel in 1961, at the American International Toy Fair, and was dressed in red swimming trunks with a yellow towel and sandals.
Over the years, his hair was changed from moulded plastic to synthetic strands, and the first African-American version was introduced in 1982. As with Barbie, different versions of Ken have been released, including SuperStar Ken, Sun Lovin Malibu Ken, Shave N Style Ken, and Dream Date Ken in a tuxedo complete with cummerbund and rose.
Eagle-eyed fans have taken to social media to express their belief that Gosling’s look has been styled on 1993’s Earring Magic Ken, which became a collector’s item thanks to his earring, purple mesh T-shirt and purple PVC jacket.
Gosling’s 2022 version of the doll has already sparked an online frenzy by fans desperate to get their hands on a pair of Ken-emblazoned underwear.
‘Barbie’s story comes with a lot of baggage’
Back in April, Warner Bros released the first image from the film of Oscar-nominated actress Robbie as the titular character, sitting in a pink Chevrolet Corvette convertible. The star later told Vogue: “People generally hear ‘Barbie’ and think, ‘I know what that movie is going to be.’ And then they hear that Greta Gerwig is writing and directing it, and they’re like, ‘Oh, well, maybe I don’t.'”
The actress said that bringing the doll’s story to the big screen “comes with a lot of baggage … and a lot of nostalgic connections.”
Rumours about a Barbie movie first began back in 2014. Over the years, many famous actresses, directors and writers have been attached to the project.
Sex and the City writer Jenny Bicks was touted as a possible writer back in 2014, a post later taken over by the Oscar-winning writer of Juno, Diablo Cody.
With Cody onboard, comic actress Amy Schumer signed on to star as the real-life doll, but dropped out in 2017 citing scheduling conflicts.
After Schumer left, Anne Hathaway was signed on to step into the rubber heels, after which Cody left the project. It was left to gather dust until Robbie came onboard.
Scroll the gallery below to see Margot Robbie's style evolution:
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Margot Robbie, in a mullet-hem dress, arrives for the TV Week Logie Awards at the Crown Towers Hotel and Casino on May 3, 2009 in Melbourne, Australia. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in a tiered maxi, arrives at the Screen Worlds exhibition at Federation Square on September 17, 2009 in Melbourne, Australia. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in a patterned mini, arrives for the Australian Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards at Hisense Arena on November 13, 2009 in Melbourne, Australia. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in a one-shouldered gown, arrives at the TV Week Logie Awards at Crown Casino on May 2, 2010 in Melbourne, Australia. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in a khaki jumpsuit, arrives at the 'Tomorrow When the War Began' premiere on August 11, 2010 in Melbourne, Australia. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in Ermanno Scervino, and Rachel McAdams attend the 'About Time' premiere at Somerset House on August 8, 2013 in London, England. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in Oscar de la Renta, attends the premiere of 'The Wolf Of Wall Street' at Odeon Leicester Square on January 9, 2014 in London, England. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in Gucci, arrives for the 71st annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton, in Los Angeles, California, on January 12, 2014. EPA -
Margot Robbie, in Paper London, attends the Jameson Empire Awards at Grosvenor House on March 30, 2014 in London, England. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in Vionnet, attends the One For The Boys charity ball on June 15, 2014 in London, England. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in Ellery, at the Swisse Marquee on Stakes Day at Flemington Racecourse on November 8, 2014 in Melbourne, Australia. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in a Blumarine jumpsuit, attends a screening of 'Focus' at Vue West End on February 11, 2015 in London, England. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in Saint Laurent, arrives for the 87th annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, on February 22, 2015. EPA -
Margot Robbie, in a sheer-trimmed LBD, attends British Airways's launch of its new Boing 787-9 Dreamliner on its daily London-Abu Dhabi-Muscat service on November 6, 2015 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in Tom Ford, arrives for the 88th annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, on February 28, 2016. EPA -
Margot Robbie, in Miu Miu, attends the premiere of 'The Legend Of Tarzan' at Odeon Leicester Square on July 5, 2016 in London, England. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in Gucci, and Will Smith attend the 'Suicide Squad' premiere on August 3, 2016 in London, England. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in Prada, attends the Time 100 Gala at Frederick P Rose Hall in New York on April 25, 2017. EPA -
Margot Robbie, in Brock Collection, attends the 'Goodbye Christopher Robin' premiere at Odeon Leicester Square on September 20, 2017 in London, England. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in a cami and printed maxi, attends Nissan's Futures 3.0 event on September 2, 2017 in Oslo, Norway. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in Miu Miu, arrives for the 24th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Exposition Centre in Los Angeles, California, on January 21, 2018. EPA -
Margot Robbie, in Michael Lo Sordo, arrives at the premiere of 'I, Tonya' on January 23, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in Louis Vuitton, attends the 'I, Tonya' premiere at The Curzon Mayfair on February 15, 2018 in London, England. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in Givenchy, attends the Baftas at Royal Albert Hall on February 18, 2018 in London, England. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in Chanel, attends the 'Peter Rabbit' premiere on March 17, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in Rodarte, attends the premiere of 'Mary Queen of Scots' at Cineworld Leicester Square on December 10, 2018 in London, England. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in Chanel, attends the Baftas at Royal Albert Hall on February 10, 2019 in London, England. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in Chanel, attends the 'Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood' party at JW Marriott on May 21, 2019 in Cannes, France. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in Oscar de la Renta, attends the 'Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood' premiere at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on July 30, 2019 in London, England. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in Ralph Lauren, attends the 26th annual Elle Women in Hollywood party in Beverly Hills, California, on October 14, 2019. EPA -
Margot Robbie, in Chanel, arrives for the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Los Angeles, California, on January 5, 2020. EPA -
Margot Robbie, in Dries Van Noten, attends the 'Birds of Prey' premiere at the BFI Imax on January 29, 2020 in London, England. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in Chanel, attends the Baftas at Royal Albert Hall on February 2, 2020 in London, England. Getty Images -
Margot Robbie, in Chanel, arrives for the 92nd annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, on February 9, 2020. EPA -
Margot Robbie, in Chanel, virtually attends the Chanel show at the Grand Palais on October 6, 2020 in Paris, France. Getty Images
