‘The Ken-ergy is nuts’: Ryan Gosling and Simu Liu on the joy of playing Ken in ‘Barbie’

As a cultural force, “Barbie” has reached fever pitch. Greta Gerwig’s film follows Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling), who dance, surf and suntan in the seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land until they enter the real world and discover the joys and perils of living among humans. From the movie’s rose-coloured hype machine, much think-piece ink has been spilled; Robbie’s press tour looks have entered the fashion Hall of Fame and brand partnerships seem to multiply by the day.

Few people are having more fun with the spectacle than Gosling and Simu Liu. The Canadian actors play different versions of Ken in the movie, which opens in theatres this Friday.

“This film has taught me a lot about Kenergy,” said Liu on the pink carpet at Toronto’s “Barbie” press tour. “It’s about embracing who you are, and not being afraid of the judgment and the opinions of others.”

Liu paused and grew serious. “I grew up in a time and place in society where it was like, boys play with these toys and girls play with these toys. It’s all a bunch of bullshit. You should be able to play with whatever toys you want to play with; you should be able to wear whatever colour you want to wear. You should be able to celebrate who you are.”

Gosling said that Gerwig, who co-wrote the film with her partner, the filmmaker Noah Baumbach, suggested that her actors tap into their formative years while on set.

“Greta encouraged all of us to remember that time in our life and to connect it to our characters,” said Gosling. Thinking about his younger self, he grinned. “That kid had his hustle! He hustled to get me here today. I was trying to give him time off. I retired him. I was like, ‘I’ll do it from here.’ But I had to pull him out of retirement one last time.”

Gosling joked that Ken, as the number two doll, needed some hustle too. “I’d love to see Ken get a house and a job,” he said. “Maybe I could get him a van that he could live in and work from.”

At the Toronto premiere, Gosling was joined by his sister, Mandi Gosling. “There’s joy everywhere — the Kenergy is nuts,” she said, gesturing to the sea of pink. Considering the personalities of her brother and his famous character, she added, “There’s a fine line between Ryan and Ken and Ken and Ryan.”

Without missing a beat, Gosling quipped: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Mandi laughed, then beamed at her brother. “It’s always fun to see the person you admire so much (sharing) his great qualities for the world to see. (In the movie), you get to see a lot of what we, as a family, love about him.”

Gosling grinned. “We used to sing at weddings together — she’s seeing that. There’s some Ken there.”

“We had a little set-list,” said Mandi. “We did six songs — it would be like a 20 minute act.”

In the movie, Gosling sings “I’m Just Ken” while wearing a headband, fingerless gloves and a full-length fur coat. He tosses off lines like, “Am I destined to live a life of blond fragility?” and “What will it take for her to see the man behind the tan?”

Liu said that he and Gosling brought a splash of their personalities to the screen.

“I love to dance as much as Ken does. The Kens and Barbies are always finding reasons to throw a perfectly choreographed block party, dance numbers and all,” said Liu. “The Kens are sometimes a bit of an idiot. So I like to think that I’m a little smarter, but maybe not by that much,” said Liu with a laugh.

While the “Barbie” press tour has created a pink mirage of fun and fashion, the movie itself wades into deeper waters. Self-aware, nuanced and funny, it addresses the problematic ideals, including unrealistic body image, that the doll itself has upheld for decades. “Barbie” is more than an entertaining watch, it’s a likely awards season contender.

Liu said that’s due to Gerwig and her instinct to turn Barbie from a plastic ideal to a fully realized character. “I’m really excited for people to see Barbie’s journey, not just Margot — who is obviously incredible in it — but all of the amazing actresses who play the different Barbies going on their journeys.”

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