How Ryan Gosling Crafted a Sublime Ken for the Ages

CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Cynthia Littleton

Barbie has been shaking up the world of entertainment since last summer — but this week, our issue turns its gaze to the man behind America’s favorite doll: Ken. Or, more accurately, the man playing him. We’ve long wanted to speak to Ryan Gosling about his latest on-screen transformation, a far cry from his serious work in movies like “Blue Valentine” and “The Place Beyond the Pines,” but the SAG-AFTRA strike meant that we had to sit tight through the summer and fall. When Gosling finally agreed to talk to us, he made it worth the wait by countering our offer to photograph him in a dream house in the Hollywood Hills with his own concept: Gosling wanted to know if we’d be open to meeting him at the Warner Bros. lot.

The actor, who first moved to L.A. as a teenager, has always wanted to stand at the top of the famous water tower. And the studio that released “Barbie” obliged.

“When I was 16 and I moved to Los Angeles and was auditioning at Warner Bros., they wouldn’t have let me climb the water tower,” Gosling says. “Ten years ago, when I shot ‘La La Land’ here, they wouldn’t have let me climb the tower. For whatever reason, right now, at this stage in my life and my career, they’re

Ramin Setoodeh

letting me climb the water tower. So climb it while you can, because I don’t know if I’ll be able to climb it tomorrow.”

“Barbie’s” $1.4 billion in box office receipts certainly helped make Gosling’s wish come true. But while he’s been the perfect movie boyfriend, standing dutifully in Barbie’s shadow, Gosling’s untold story of bringing a plastic doll to life deserves its own chance to shine. As a former child star who got his start on “The All-new Mickey Mouse Club,” Gosling tapped into his own memories of seeking the spotlight in order to give Ken an identity.

The comedic, mink-coat-wearing metamorphosis has earned Gosling his third Oscar nomination and made him the star of one of our favorite magazine photo shoots in memory. What did Gosling see when he finally got to the top of the Warner Bros. tower? “My whole life flashing before my eyes,” he says, laughing. He whistles the sound of someone falling — “There are so many holes in the actual walkway.”

This was nothing new to a star who dances past every pitfall: With Gosling’s guidance, Ken finally made it to the pinnacle of the business.