Greta Gerwig was determined to cast Ryan Gosling in ‘Barbie’: “I wouldn’t take no for an answer”
Greta Gerwig has shared her unwavering determination to cast Ryan Gosling in the much-anticipated Barbie movie. In a shared vision with Margot Robbie, who stars as the live-action incarnation of the titular Mattel doll, Gosling was the only choice for Ken’s character from the very beginning.
“It was only ever Ryan Gosling, and it was a long journey. Margot and I just wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Gerwig confessed to Rolling Stone before further shedding light on her rock-solid conviction about Gosling being the right fit.
“From the moment that Margot came to me and I knew we were making this for Margot, I equally knew we were making this for Ryan,” she explained. The director emphasised that she had not even met Gosling before but was adamant about how perfect he was for the role.
While speaking to the publication, Gerwig passionately described her vision for Gosling’s character, drawing parallels between him and other acting greats, stressing how the Blade Runner actor is “some combination of Marlon Brando meets Gene Wilder meets John Barrymore meets John Travolta.”
She also pointed out Gosling’s knack for comedy, stating, “I’ve always thought of him as a secretly comedic actor. His comedy goes back to taking it incredibly seriously as an actor, where he never is doing it just for the laugh.”
Gerwig continued to emphasise how, despite playing a doll, their discussions about Gosling’s character were anything but surface-level. “The way we talked about Ken,” the director stressed, “was as in-depth character work as I’ve ever done with anyone about anything.”
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.