Ryan Gosling was one of the many to pick up a 2024 Oscar nomination, as he earned a Best Supporting Actor nod for his performance as Ken in the critically lauded Barbie. The star has received massive acclaim for his turn as the chiselled and misunderstood doll. With that, a number of notable names have been weighing in on his work and providing honest thoughts. The latest to do so is Denis Villeneuve, who notably directed the leading man in Blade Runner 2049. The filmmaker caught up with our own ReelBlend podcast, during which he reviewedGosling’s performance and recalled how he was funny while they made the sci-fi epic.
The Canadian actor’s turn as hardened replicant K in Denis Villeneuve’s 2017 flick is a far cry from the campy and heartfelt turn he gives as Ken in Greta Gerwig’s fantasy film. Of course, Ryan Gosling was able to pull off both flawlessly, though some may have wondered whether Denis Villeneuve thought he had the latter performance in him. Well, after our own Sean O’Connell asked for his thoughts on Gosling’s work, the French-Canadian auteur dropped some highly positive sentiments on Gosling's role as Ken. Not only that, but he also explained why Gosling’s comedic sensibilities in the blockbuster aren’t all that shocking to him:
I love when actors do that. I love when they are taking a risk. And, honestly, Ryan is a comical genius. I don’t know if you remember Nice Guys, the bathroom scene. He has, like, an incredible sense of timing. And I remember when we were doing Blade Runner – which is a bit far away from any comedy – but as we were rehearsing, I remember how he was very often making jokes or playing with Harrison Ford, and it was cracking me all the time.
The notion of the Arrival director busting a gut while Ryan Gosling did his thing amid rehearsal makes me laugh. I'm not surprised to hear about those BTS 2049 tidbits, though, Gosling has shown on more than one occasion that he’s a true pro when it comes to making people laugh. Moviegoers have been able to see his funnier side in films like Lars and the Real Girl, Crazy, Stupid, Love and The Big Short. And, of course, 2016’s The Nice Guys is one of his greatest cinematic outings. And we'll see those acting muscles in motion again when he stars in The Fall Guy, which opens later this year. When Denis Villeneuve spoke with the ReelBlend podcast for his latest feature, Dune: Part Two, he shared even more thoughts on his former collaborator’s talents:
He’s really someone that has an incredible sense of humor, kind of a bit, like, a Peter Sellers – someone who knows how to create visual gags that will be cinematic and surprising. I’m not surprised that he did Ken. I was very excited by this idea of seeing him in plastic [laughs]. I think he did a fantastic job.
The actor was definitely one of the standouts amid the star-studded Barbie cast. And that’s saying a lot considering that ensemble also includes the likes of Margot Robbie, Kate McKinnon, Kingsley Ben-Adir and America Ferrera, who’s also nominated for an Academy Award What may be the actor’s defining moment as the Mattel doll as the sequence that sees him sing the rock ballad “I’m Just Ken,” which he’ll perform at the Oscars. As you can imagine, there’s much anticipation surrounding that particular portion of the telecast.
I’d like to think that Denis Villeneuve is one of the many who’ll be tuning in to see how Ryan Gosling does and whether he manages to win that coveted gold statuette. Whatever happens in that case though, it just delights me to no end that Villeneuve not only enjoyed Gosling’s performance as Ken but was also able to see his comedic personality up close while making Blade Runner.
Max subscribers who want to see the star’s take on Ken can stream Barbie now and, if you’re looking for something darker from the star, stream Blade Runner 2049 with a Hulu subscription. Also, check out Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two – one of the biggest entries on the 2024 movie schedule – in theaters now.
