An Intense Competition Among Barbie's Cast Led To A Memorable Ken Scene
When it comes to the battle for Barbie's affection, the competition between the Kens is fierce. The blockbuster "Barbie" movie makes this incredibly clear, but as it turns out, the Kenergy on set wasn't so different. In fact, some of the competition between the actors that took place behind the scenes even made their way into the film.
If there's one thing that Kens care about — besides Barbie — it's maintaining their Greek physique. Working out became as intense and regular a ritual for the actors playing the Kens as it was for their characters. Director Greta Gerwig was very insistent on cast bonding activities like "movie church," a weekly screening of films that inspired aspects of "Barbie," per Vogue. The Barbies also had a girls' night sleepover, much like their characters do in the film. The Kens, on the other hand, had their workout regimen.
"It was just like, let's work out, because that's what I think 'Kenergy' is about. Kens would really care about that," said Simu Liu, who plays a sort of second-tier Ken under Ryan Gosling, told Men's Health. "So, just as an excuse to bring us all together and get us doing man things, Greta put us in a gym together, and we worked out every day leading up to the start of principal photography. And it was really fun."
Liu's character is in constant competition with Gosling's. At the very beginning of the film, he challenges his fellow Ken to a "beach off," a moment brimming with palpable homoerotic tension through the layers of comedy and camp. Their offscreen dynamic acted as a source of inspiration for the film and carried over into their characters, who consistently butt heads — even going to war on the beach during a climactic musical number. But one moment in particular was drawn directly from the gym.
A pull-up competition got worked into the film
Working out together while shooting "Barbie" was a great place for competition to brew among the Kens. Their trainer David Higgins fueled this Kenergy by introducing challenges for who could do the most pull-ups and push-ups or who could hold a plank the longest.
"No one wanted to be the first person to drop, which kind of spurred everyone on at the same time," he revealed to Insider. Despite being one of the top-billed actors on set and a huge star in his own right, Gosling did not opt out of this bonding ritual. In fact, he got "really involved," according to Higgins. He even joked that he was "going to absolutely smash" his male co-stars in their fitness battle. The actor wasn't bluffing, either — he ended up winning the pull-up challenge.
The image of a shirtless Gosling doing pull-ups even inspired a brief moment in the film where his character is seen doing pull-ups. "They took his pull-up challenge and put it in the film," Higgins added. It might only be a moment, but it's a pivotal one for Stereotypical Ken — he's just returned from the real world, he is reclaiming his power as a man, and he's found a sick new Stallone-inspired look — shirtless with a fur coat.
Simu Liu tried and failed to beat Ryan Gosling in the gym
Gosling's intense work ethic applied not only to his acting but to his commitment to fitness. This impressed even his co-star Liu, who plays the titular hero in Marvel's "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" — and has the abs to prove it. According to Liu, Gosling's pull-up competition win was well-earned. When it comes to athleticism, the "Drive" actor is unmatched.
"I could not beat Ryan to the gym," Liu admitted to Men's Health. "He was always there earlier than me and he always stayed later. It just speaks to the discipline that this guy has, and I think it really pays off in the movie. He's got a couple scenes where you get to see a bit of that Ken body, and it's pretty shredded."
If you're sensing a bit of jealousy there, you're not totally off-base. The two Kens are constantly at odds throughout the film, and the actors' off-screen dynamic isn't so different. By Liu's own admission, there is a real tension between him and Gosling that plays into their characters' rapport on camera.
"Ryan and I definitely got to do a lot together, because our relationship is so much of that kind of passive-aggressive, off-handed jabs," the actor continued. "Just very veiled jabs at one another, and it was such a delicious dynamic to play. He's obviously just an incredibly talented performer, but from the first rehearsal we ever did, I was like ... he absolutely blew me away. And I was like, Oh my god, I'm really gonna have to bring it for the shoot, because this guy is going to eat my lunch if I'm not fully 100% prepared for anything. It was such a joy to get to play that dynamic."
Gosling and Liu's competitive Kenergy fuelled rumors
There might have been a bit of healthy aggression between the Kens on the set of "Barbie," but that doesn't mean that there was any real drama. Overall, the set was an incredibly positive environment, even in the overwhelming cloud of masculine Kenergy that was those all-Ken workouts. "It was a real fun and competitive environment for everyone involved," the on-set trainer told Insider.
Liu and Gosling might have had some real antagonism under the surface, but it was played up for the sake of the film. At the end of the day, both of these actors are professionals, and they didn't walk away with any bad blood between them. Liu described acting opposite Gosling as "such a joy" in his interview with Men's Health, a glowing review that he certainly wouldn't have given if he and Gosling had any true conflict.
Some curious fans have taken it upon themselves to analyze a strange encounter between the actors on the red carpet, where Gosling appears to move away from Liu as they pose for a picture together, per ET Canada. Although the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike prohibited Liu from responding to the circulating video and subsequent backlash at length, he did post on Instagram in an effort to de-escalate rumors, assuring fans that he would "beach off with [Gosling] again in a heartbeat."
Just like the film itself, this fateful pull-up competition was light-hearted, with just a sprinkle of darkness brewing under the surface. Life has been known to imitate art, and the set of a meta film like "Barbie" only blurs the lines even more than usual. But from what Liu has to say about the film set and his co-stars, it seems like there was nothing but good Kenergy.