Ryan Gosling Slams Barbie Critics For One Good Reason

Ryan Gosling has been attacked by Barbie critics for being too old to play Ken.

By TeeJay Small
| Updated 12 hours ago

After facing backlash from critics due to his age, Ryan Gosling has snapped back, explaining that his attachment to the character of Ken in the upcoming Greta Gerwig-helmed Barbie movie has made the doll more relevant than ever before. According to a recent interview with Variety, Gosling explained that he was hurt by critics who deemed his casting to be poorly thought out, especially regarding a social media debate that chided the 42-year-old actor as too old. Barbie fans have stormed the web in droves to announce their excitement for the upcoming film, with Gosling’s dramatic acting chops taking center stage in fans’ hearts.

Though many women have faced criticism for their age in Hollywood’s highly judgmental and appearance-based world, Ryan Gosling likely didn’t expect to be made fun of for committing the heinous crime of getting older with time. When discussing the upcoming Barbie movie, Gosling explained that Ken exists almost entirely as an ancillary character whose role is to serve Barbie as a sidekick, boyfriend, and male foil, with the focus of the film and toy franchise resting at the plastic feet of the titular doll, as portrayed for the screen by Margot Robbie. Margot Robbie also faced a number of negative comments online, seemingly hurled by terminally online internet trolls who can’t be pleased by anything, citing that the 32-year-old actress was not a good fit for the Barbie character either.

Of course, comedian Amy Schumer was originally set to portray the lead in Barbie, though the film bounced around from studio to studio for years, struggling to finally get made until the role had been recast. While there is no way of knowing exactly when Ryan Gosling initially signed on to portray Ken in the Barbie movie, perhaps the long-standing production delays led to the main cast aging out of the role, as far as some fans are concerned.

Though Ryan Gosling’s original point about Ken aimed to point fun at how little anyone paid attention to the character historically speaking, he explained that his role in the film had created its own attachment to the character within his own mind. With the Barbie film set to arrive in theaters this Summer, perhaps fans will see past factors such as age and dive into the heart of the character Gosling has brought to life for the big screen. At this time, not much is known about the plot of the film, leading some to assume that the main actor’s ages are relevant to the story being told by the Warner Brothers-produced film.

Regardless, this story could serve to teach us all a valuable lesson regarding our treatment of Hollywood stars and remind us that they have feelings too. Though Ryan Gosling doesn’t seem to be weeping in the fetal position over these comments, we can surely recognize that it isn’t polite to attack a man for his age while unfavorably suggesting he lose his job over it, especially when that man has been playing Hollywood heartthrobs as long as Gosling has, proving his ability to perfectly embody the character from day one.