Ryan Gosling’s significant and catchy role as Ken in Barbie was also offered to some other talented actors by the casting director, Allison Jones, of the blockbuster movie.
Besides Ryan, there were many other actors in Allison’s eyes who exuded Ken-enrgy.
Actors who had been a perfect fit for Ken’s role included Dan Levy from Schitt’s Creek, Ben Platt from Dear Evan Hansen, and Saturday Night Live star Bowen Yang.
But these actors refused to do the role as they were absolutely bummed by the character and felt that they couldn’t do it.
Barbie’s casting director told Vanity Fair: “They were, I’m not kidding, really bummed they couldn’t do it.”
There were not only competitors for Ken’s role, but also a list of actors who were considered to play Michael Cera’s role (Ken’s buddy) in Barbie.
According to E!, Margot Robbie, who played the lead in Greta Gerwig’s fantasy movie, always wanted Ryan to play Ken. She used to send him gifts every day inspired by his character.
Barbie is now running successfully in theatres all around the world, featuring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. The film has broken the domestic opening record of Wonder Woman by earning $155 million.
