'GMA's Michael Strahan grills director Greta Gerwig on why Ryan Gosling is perfect Ken in 'Barbie': 'His comedy is so truthful'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: ‘Good Morning America’ has been promoting ‘Barbie’ throughout the week leading up to its release on Friday. The studio has been decked up in pink at times with the morning show hosts continuously interviewing the cast members of the film. And just before the movie opens in the United States, Michael Strahan sat down with Greta Gerwig and spoke about the film, revealing that he too grew up with a Barbie doll.
However, Strahan was curious about Ryan Gosling playing Ken and asked director Greta Gerwig why did she think Gosling was the perfect actor to play Ken. Greta who had been quite candid in her interview about what ‘Barbie’ means to her simply revealed that Gosling “just made me and my writing partner laugh.” Strahan smiled at Greta’s confession and listened intently as the director explained her only choice for Ken.
Why is Ryan Gosling the perfect man to play Ken?
Strahan was quick to ask Greta, “Why is Ryan the perfect Ken?” Greta smiles, takes a small sigh, and says, “He just made me and my writing partner laugh.” However, she elaborated on her stance and further stated, “He’s funny because he takes it so seriously, that’s where his comedy comes from.” Strahan nodded along as Greta explained her choice to him but he later asked the ‘Barbie’ director whether Gosling was the only choice all along. Greta then responded, “I never saw it with anyone else because his comedy is so truthful and rooted in real feeling.”
Strahan had his answer and replied, “I think it’s perfect.” The ‘GMA’ host further asked Greta about the sleepover she had with the cast before they began filming. After describing what the sleepover was like, Greta mentioned that Gosling couldn’t make it but sent over a Bagpiper to the cast. Strahan was surprised to hear Gosling’s choice of gift, further certifying that Gosling was made to play the role of Ken in ‘Barbie.’
Greta is sympathetic to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike
Strahan brought up the topic of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike, looking for a comment from Greta. The director revealed that she is a member of all the unions including the Director’s Guild of Association (DGA) and stated that this is a critical inflection point in the entertainment industry and that the fight against the studios is totally justified. She further mentioned that she’s learning about the perils of Artificial Intelligence use in movies and hopes that the studio comes back to the table to discuss terms with writers and actors.