‘Barbie’s Greta Gerwig Brought to Tears by Ken Flash Mob Sent by Ryan Gosling for Her Birthday (Video)
“Barbie” director Greta Gerwig turned 40 on Friday, and actor Ryan Gosling knew exactly how to celebrate. The official Barbie social media channels shared a video of a flash mob that Gosling sent to Gerwig in honor of her big day (and their big movie).
In the clip, Gerwig is filmed laughing and crying all at once as dancer after dancer files in to the room and begins a routine set to Gosling’s big-screen musical number “I’m Just Ken.”
The video opens with a lone Ken extending his arms toward Gerwig, who holds her face in her hands. More Kens enter as the song progresses, ultimately blending with Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” as Barbies follow out behind the original group. They join together in a joint dance routine, including the iconic double-claps used in the film ahead of Barbie revealing her existential dread.
Gerwig’s emotional response shows just how connected the “Barbie” crew still is after the movie’s release. The emotional impact of the flash mob isn’t lost on the film’s much-lauded social media team, who captioned the video, “As Kens know…. Sometimes the only way to express your feelings is through song & dance. Ken Ryan sent these special Barbies and Kens to start Greta’s birthday with all the feelings!!”
The director has been effusive in her praise of both Gosling and the film’s Barbie herself, Margot Robbie. While speaking on the “SmartLess” podcast in June, Gerwig shared the moment that she knew Gosling was the Ken the movie needed.
Gerwig said that, when she saw Gosling on “Saturday Night Live” in 2017, everything clicked into place. As she put it, “You know those actors you can… just sort of feel that they know what’s funny, and I always felt that about him. And then I’m a big fan of all of his ‘SNLs,’ I always thought he was great on ‘SNL’… He did ‘Guy That Just Got a Boat’ on ‘Weekend Update,’ and it’s so good.”
She was so set on casting Gosling as “Beach Ken” that Gerwig went ahead and put his name into the script. She continued, “We wrote his name into the script and everything… and [Gosling’s name] was everywhere. And then when we handed them the script, the studio was like, ‘Oh, it’s so wonderful that you know Ryan.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know Ryan. I’ve never met Ryan, I have no idea.'”
If metrics are anything to go by — and “Barbie” recently crossing $400 million at the U.S. box office makes a strong case — Gosling’s casting in the biggest movie of the summer was just meant to be.
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