Ryan Gosling Says Notebook Character Would Be Jealous of Barbie’s Ken
This song is proving to be more than Kenough.
Ryan Goslingjust reached a new professional milestone—landing a song on the Billboard Hot 100.
This musical accomplishment is thanks toBarbie‘s “I’m Just Ken,” which features Ryan’s character singing an emotional, 80s-inspired ballad bemoaning his lot in life as only a counterpart to Barbie before turning into an epic, choreographed number including all the Kens (and even featuringSlashandWolfgang Van Halenon guitar). The song has become a huge hit, with its popularity landing it at number 87 on the chart.
“I’m just Ken / Anywhere else I’d be a ten,” the tormented doll-come-to-life sings. “Is it my destiny to live and die a life of blonde fragility?”
Of course, Ryan’s musical prowess should come as no surprise to fans. Not only has the 42-year-old showed off his singing and dancing skills in 2016’sLa La Landbut the actor was also one of two frontmen for the rock duoDead Man’s Bones along with fellow actor Zach Shields. The group released its first, and only, eponymous album in 2009.
So who penned the now-iconicBarbieballad? Grammy Award-winning producerMark Ronsonstepped up to the plate, or should we say beach, along withAndrew Wyattto bring “I’m Just Ken” to life.
“I don’t read a lot of scripts, but it was just everything I want in a movie,” Mark toldRolling Stone June 26. “I was like, ‘If I don’t get this gig, this is gonna be my favorite movie of the year.”
And indeed, since its July 21 premiere, theGreta Gerwigfilm is turning out to be most people’s favorite movie of the year, if box office reports are any indication.
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In its opening weekend,Barbiebrought in a whopping $155 million—making it not only the biggest premiere of the year so far, but also setting the record as the biggest opening ever for a film directed by a woman.
But the film had to take a long road to Barbie Land. In fact, there was a period of time where Margot Robbiewasn’t even set to be cast in the titular role.
To find out who almost landed on the big screen in Margot’s place as well as other secrets behind the film, keep reading.
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How Ryan Gosling Was Convinced to Join
Margot Robbiewho stars as Barbie and also produced the film, admitted in an interview that she always wanted Ryan Goslingto be her Ken. She said he was written into the script—as the character “Ken Ryan Gosling”—and joked, “We pretty much wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“We just kept bothering you,” writer/directorGreta Gerwig admitted to Ryan in an SXM interview. “Margot was like, ‘Is it weird if I go to his house?’ I was like, ‘Don’t go to his house. We’re just gonna stay put.’ Send a follow-up text.” As Margot teased, “I would see a sea of blue on my phone.”
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Ryan Gosling Received Daily Presents
Ryan revealed that Margot gave him daily gifts inspired by his character Beach Ken.
“She left a pink present with a pink bow, from Barbie to Ken, every day while we were filming,” Ryan toldVogue. “They were all beach-related. Like puka shells, or a sign that says ‘Pray for surf.'” He said that he’s “never quite figured out” what Ken’s job as “Beach” means, “But I felt like she was trying to help Ken understand, through these gifts that she was giving.”
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Why Amy Schumer Left the Project
Amy Schumer explained the real reason she dropped out of the Barbie movie.
“I think we said it was scheduling conflict, that’s what we said,” she said on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohenin June 2023. “But yeah, it really was just, like, creative differences. But you know what? There’s, like, a new team behind it, and it looks like it’s very feminist and cool. So, I will be seeing that movie.”
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Actresses That Almost Played Barbies
These Barbies were almost movie stars—or, rather, these movie stars were almost Barbies. After Amy left the movie, Anne Hathawaywas signed up to take the lead, but it was later reported that she was no longer involved. When Margot got on board, she tried to recruit Gal Gadotto join as another Barbie, but the Wonder Woman star wasn’t available.
Greta Gerwig’s former Lady Birdand Little WomenmuseSaoirse Ronan was also supposed to appear in Barbiebut had to cancel. “I was supposed to do a cameo because I live in London and they were [filming] there,” the actress admitted toPeople. “There was a whole character I was going to play—another Barbie. I was gutted I couldn’t do it.”
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A Fart Opera Scene Was Cut From the Final Movie
“We’ve always tried to get in a proper fart joke and we’ve never done it,” Greta told IndieWire. “We had like a fart opera in the middle[of[of Barbie]. I thought it was really funny… And that was not the consensus.”
But her editor Nick Houy has hope she’ll let one rip in a future film, adding, “We need to work it into a more significant narrative moment next time.”
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There’s No Place Like Home in Barbieland
While the script comedically name-drops other shows and movies—including the The Godfather,Pride and Prejudice and Zack Snyder’s Justice League—there are multiple Easter eggs to The Wizard of Oz hidden in the set. A movie theater marquee shows that the 1939 film is playing in the doll world, but the inspiration didn’t stop there.
“[[TheWizard of Oz]does something that I wanted to emulate,” Greta said in an interview“which it’s using these incredible sound stages and these painted skies and this sense of ‘authentic artificial,’ which I think is very beautiful and emotional.”
The 39-year-old explained, “I think of the painted backdrop of the Emerald City as they go towards it, and we put in our movie, we have the pink brick road, instead of the yellow brick road. We also have beautiful painted backdrops of horizons. We executed it like they would have done in the ‘30s and ‘40s.”
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Head of Mattel or Buddy the Elf?
Spreading Christmas cheer in July, Will Ferrellmade some cheeky nods to his beloved Elf character Buddy while playing the Mattel CEO in the Barbie movie.
Among the discreet references to the 2003 comedy? He demands to be the one to press a button in the Mattel office elevator (calling back to the Elf scene where he presses every button in his dad’s office building elevator, because the lights look “like a Christmas tree.”) In Barbiehis suited character also starts a tickle fight—just like Buddy the Elf does with his dad Walter (James Canaan) while being tuckedinto bed one night.
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This Classic Film Reference
Going where no Barbie has gone before… The opening scene of Barbie pays homage to the 1968 Stanley Kubrick film 2001: A Space Odysseywhich shows a group of hominins discovering a futuristic monolith. In Barbiea group of girls are shocked by a giant version of the original 1959 Barbie doll, wearing a black and white striped swimsuit.
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A Secret Bratz Cameo?
Fans speculate that Gloria’s daughter Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) and her friends in the cafeteria were inspired by Barbie’s rivals, the original Bratz dolls: Sasha, Chloe, Yasmin and Jade.
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The Kens That Almost Were
Casting director Allison Jones revealed Saturday Night Live star Bowen Yang, Schitt’s CreekactorDan Levi and Dear Evan Hansen actor Ben Platt almost played Kens in the movie but weren’t able to make it work. She added, “They were, I’m not kidding, really bummed they couldn’t do it.”
Todd Owyoung/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank; Warner Bros. Pictures
Allan Was Almost Played By…
According to the casting director, before Michael Cera came on board as Ken’s buddy Allan, the part almost went to a certain Frozen actor.
“Dear, dearJonathan Groffwas like, ‘I can’t believe I’m typing this,'” Allison Jones told Vanity Fair“‘but I can’t do Allan.'”
Jed Cullen/Dave Bennett/WireImage
Onscreen and Offscreen Couple
America Ferrera‘s IRL husband Ryan Piers Williams plays none other than her character Gloria’s husband in Barbie. Ryan—whose past work includes producing, writing and acting inX/Y with America in 2014—is credited as “El Esposo de Gloria.”
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The Truth About How John Cena Was Cast
“It was a happy accident,” John Cena told Today of his casting as a Mermaid Ken. He said he “kind of” pitched himself to join the film “in an accidental run-in with Margot Robbie.” As he recalled, he told the actress, “‘I would do, pretty much, whatever you guys need ’cause I really enjoy the movie,’ and they asked me if I wanted to be a merman.”
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Breaking Down the Naughty French Poster
The French version of Barbie’s poster went viral after social media users pointed out the double entendre of the translation. The tagline, “She can do everything. He’s just Ken,” was translated to, “She can do anything. He’s just Ken.”
However, fans went wild after pointing out that “ken” has a slang meaning in French as “f–k” and would translate to, “He can only f–k.” Bonjour, Ken!
Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images for Warner Bros.
Inside the Cast Bonding Nights
The Barbie actresses revealed they had a cast sleepover at London hotel Claridge’s to get close. “We all shared beds and wore our pajamas, and ordered room service,” Margot revealed on The Kelly Clarkson Show“and played games, and found out that America is exceptionally competitive.”
Ame rica had her own tea to spill about the evening. “Nobody told me that it was a sexy Barbie sleepover,” she quipped. “So everybody was in like really pretty silky nightgowns, and I was in like the most grandma floral twin set you can imagine.”
As for the Kens? “Greta was very deliberate in what she wanted the Kens to do to bond,”Simu Liu exclusively told E! News, “which was to gym together.”
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The Story Behind Nicola Coughlan’s Brief Appearance
Though Nicola Coughlanonly appeared for a few moments in the film, it was very important to her that she experience life in plastic.
“I auditioned for Barbie back in January 22 when I was on holiday with friends,” she wrote on Instagram. “I’d packed one random hot pink dress I hadn’t worn at all and when I had to make my audition tape I thought—this is fate, I have a dress in Barbie Pink!”
Admitting she’s “obsessed” with Greta Gerwig, the Bridgerton star said that “the prospect of working with her was something I couldn’t even have imagined.”
“When I found out she wanted to have me be part of @barbiethemovie, and then that I probably wouldn’t be able to make it work because of my schedule I was firstly elated and quickly heartbroken,” Nicola continued. “So when I was asked if I wanted to pop into Barbieland even briefly my answer was an immediate, and very emphatic yes.”
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The Ending Explained
The film concludes with Margot Robbie adopting a new life as a human named Barbara Handler, a reference to Barbie inventorRuth Handler‘s real-life daughter. Barbie enters an office building and delivers her final line to a receptionist: “I’m here to see my gynecologist.”
Why did Greta end on that note? “With this film, it was important for me that everything operated on at least two levels,” she told USA Today. “I knew I wanted to end on a mic drop kind of joke, but I also find it very emotional. When I was a teenage girl, I remember growing up and being embarrassed about my body, and just feeling ashamed in a way that I couldn’t even describe. It felt like everything had to be hidden.”
The director said she hoped the way Margot delivered the line with a “big old smile on her face” and with “such happiness and joy” would help de-stigmatize conversations about women’s health and “give girls that feeling of, ‘Barbie does it, too’—that’s both funny and emotional.”
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