Ryan Gosling: They could feel my Ken-ergy
Heartthrob Ryan Gosling on returning to the big screen in The Gray Man and what his kids think of him playing Ken in the Barbie movie…
Canadian Ryan Gosling stars alongside Ana de Armas and Chris Evans in new spy film The Gray Man. You need to concentrate on the plot, where Ryan plays Court Gentry, aka Sierra Six, a highly skilled former CIA operative, who was once the agency’s best ‘merchant of death’. After his escape from prison and recruitment by former handler Donald Fitzroy, Gentry is now on the run from the CIA with agent Lloyd Hansen (Evans) hot on his trail. Aided by Agent Dani Miranda (Armas), Hansen will stop at nothing to bring Gentry down. But that isn’t the only film, Ryan is about to star in. He’s playing the Ken doll in the much-anticipated Barbie film, too. Here, The Notebook actor, 41, whose partner is Eva Mendes – with whom he shares daughters Esmeralda, seven, and Amada, six – opens up about being a dad, getting into shape after years of lockdown and how they felt about his new role…
So Ryan, The Gray Man is the first film we’ve seen you in for a while...
Well, I got kids. So I was, you know, hanging out with them. And then at some point, I was like, ‘Wait a second, I got kids, I gotta go to back to work!’ I’ve got cereal to buy, you know? But I always wanted to make an action movie. And when this came about, I knew it was the one. Because, obviously, there’s lots of action movies, lots of action characters, it sort of took me a while to get one that I thought I could do. And with the combination of the Russo brothers, who’ve been doing this for a decade, and then this character, I knew this was the one.
How, in general, do you choose your projects?
Do you know who Marie Kondo is? That show on Netflix – ‘if it sparks joy’ [laughs].
Did taking a step back from your career change your view of life?
No. When I was home I watched a lot of Netflix.
What did you watch?
I think I watched what everyone else watched, you know, there’s a lot of stuff. But yeah, I was watching a lot of Netflix and appreciating what they were doing. And having kids, not being able to go out to the theatre as much. And obviously, all of us spending a lot more time at home over the last few years. So just really seeing the value in what they were doing and wanting to make something like
this, which is like a roller coaster that you can, you know, ride from your couch.
The action in this movie is so spectacular and your character seems so fearless – what are your fears in real life?
I’m afraid of answering questions about my fears. No, I love this character for that reason. I always liked, growing up, characters that just didn’t give up, they kept swinging no matter what obstacles were thrown in their way, somehow they managed to persevere. I got a lot of inspiration from that. And I loved this character for that reason. He falls out of a plane without a parachute and he still has hope that he can get out of it, you know? There’s something about that spirit that
I love in characters, and I really loved and was excited to play with this character.
You said you spent your time off watching a lot of Netflix – was it hard to get into shape for the movie?
Yeah, it was hard. But, you lift heavy things and then, you know, you don’t eat a lot of other things. I had so much help, so many stunt performers helping me, training me, getting me into shape, teaching me how to fight. I had an amazing, kind of like the real ‘Gray Man’, this ex-Delta Force member who was with me every day on set for every scene, giving me advice.
Did you learn something from playing Ken in the upcoming Barbie movie?
Oh yeah, I can’t share it – but I can’t wait for it.
In the film, Chris Evans’ character has a line ‘You look like a Ken doll’ – was that already…?
That wasn’t in the script. But they could feel my, what I like to call, Ken-ergy. They felt it, the Russos did, at least.
As a kid did you play with Barbies or action figures?
Yeah, I played with action figures.
Are your kids impressed by what you do?
It’s funny, like we went to France and we went everywhere. We went to the Louvre and all these things. And I wonder, if I asked them, ‘What was your favourite part about France?’ They will say, ‘The fruit plate at the hotel’. They’re impressed but by things you wouldn’t imagine them being impressed by.
How will you introduce them to your body of work?
Well, Barbie was a way to do that. Not necessarily like I’m making it for them, but it’s the first time I think they are kind of understanding. Although they can’t for the life of them understand why I want to play Ken, because nobody plays with Ken! But that’s why we must tell his story.