Ryan Gosling says he’s thrilled Barbie’s Ken has become an inspiration to boys

Ryan Gosling is thrilled that Ken has become an inspiration to boys.

The 43-year-old actor starred as the Mattel doll in Greta Gerwig’s satirical comedy Barbie in 2023 opposite Margot Robbie in the title role and heard about a kid who used his character’s Oscar-nominated song I’m Just Ken to deal with a breakup.

He told The Sunday Times: “I’ve heard those stories and, of course, I love them. I think Greta had more affection for Ken than any other character. Even though she made a Barbie film, she was very conscious that she has two little boys, and so wanted to start a conversation.

“I heard about a kid whose girlfriend broke up with him and he’d watch ‘I’m Just Ken’ to make him feel it was OK. Like, ‘I just wasn’t the right person for her, but that doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with me …'”

But The Fall Guy star mused that perhaps people are “sick” of the character when it was noted by the outlet that there is “very little left to ask” about Barbie’s famous boyfriend.

His co-star Emily Blunt — who earlier this month declared that “Ken is dead” as part of a Saturday Night Live sketch quipped: “You see, everyone’s sick of him.”

Ryan said: “I understand.”

I’m Just Ken lost out the award for Best Original Song to Billie Eilish’s What Was I Made For? — which appears during the ending sequence of Barbie — and Ryan previously revealed that he initially turned down the chance to perform it at the Oscars.

Speaking on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, he said: “(It was) 100 per cent no.

“There’s a lot of ways that could go wrong.”

When host Jimmy, 49, read positive reviews about Ryan’s performance, he referenced the talk show host’s house band when he jokingly replied: “Imagine the reviews I would have had if I’d have had The Roots.”

Ryan’s’ I’m Just Ken performance saw him dancing in a pink suit and black cowboy hat while joined onstage by the song’s writer and producer Mark Ronson as well as his fellow movie Kens – Simu Liu, Scott Evans, Ncuti Gatwa and Kingsley Ben-Adir.

Ryan was also joined by Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash and Wolfgang Van Halen, and at one point the actor handed his mic to audience members Margot Robbie — who played Barbie in Greta’s blockbuster — as well as Emma Stone, America Ferrera and Greta.