April 10, 2023
Ryan Gosling 'Too Old' to Play Barbie's BF Ken?
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 1 MIN.
Is Ryan Gosling too old, at age 42, to play Barbie's well-preserved boyfriend Ken, who is is fully 20 years older than the human actor? Some say yes, according to BuzzFeed.
Following the release of the trailer for the upcoming film – which debuts this July – fans took to Twitter to say that Gosling is "too old, calling out his wrinkles and appearance," the outlet relayed.
One commenter suggested that Henry Cavill – at 39, just a little younger than Gosling – or Chris Evans, who, at 41, is a year younger than the 42-year-old Gosling – should have gotten the part.
But others rose to Gosling's defense, not least because Ken has been around a lot longer than Gosling (two decades, in fact). Ken was introduced by Mattel in 1961, making him 62 years old.
Of course, if age is just a number, so is the hotness index.
Others decried a perceived double standard, given that ageism directed at women in Hollywood is frequently a topic of discussion.
Some called out ageism in general.
And some treated the controversy as a joke.
But still others had a very different – and more inclusive – take on the subject of who should play Barbie's boyfriend... namely, maybe Barbie shouldn't even have a boyfriend.
Have another look at the trailer and decide for yourself.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
