Ryan Gosling will be attending the Oscars tomorrow (March 9) as one of the many acting greats who stand a chance at taking home an Academy Award—the now three-time nominee earned a nod for playing Ken in Barbie. We’re still laughing about the random “sign” that led him to take the role.
Ryan has earned plenty of praise for staring as the love-lorn plastic doll since the movie debuted in July. But the highest praise yet was getting an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Accepting the role was likely an easy choice, but when director Greta Gerwig gave him an offer, he still asked for time to mull it over.
However, he didn’t need much time to decide because the fates gave him a clear sign that he was meant for the role. He shared the hilarious story while visiting The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon in early 2023.
“Best script I ever read,” Ryan began. “I walk out in the backyard, and do you know where I found Ken, Jimmy? Face down in the mud next to a squished lemon.”
Of course, Jimmy had a photo of the sight readily available.
“You took a photo of it, and this is a sign that you gotta do this movie,” Jimmy laughed. “The utter disrespect.”
“I texted it to Greta and I said, ‘I shall be your Ken, for his story must be told.'”
Considering Ryan Gosling said the Barbie script was “the best” he ever read, we’re sure he would have played Ken whether he stumbled upon the doll or not. But the funny and ironic dose of kismet is still a story of a lifetime.
This story’s feature image is by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images.
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