'Barbie' Star Simu Liu Says The Sexual 'Kenergy' With Ryan Gosling Is Real & It Hits A 'Climax'

You can act out the rest with dolls.

Simu Liu and Ryan Gosling, who both play Ken, face off as Kens in the 'Barbie' movie.

Simu Liu and Ryan Gosling, who both play Ken, face off in the 'Barbie' movie.

Warner Bros. Pictures | YouTube
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Barbie's leading Ken characters Simu Liu and Ryan Gosling have some serious sexual "Kenergy," and what you see in the trailer is just a hint of what's to come in the film.

Liu told Narcity on Toronto's pink carpet that the tension between his and Gosling's Kens "comes to a head" in the film and it may be a "rivalry or something more."

If you watched the trailer for the upcoming film, you know that Gosling and Liu's characters threaten to "beach" each other off in a cheeky turn of phrase during an argument at the beach that feels oddly erotic.

Whether or not these two Kens give it an old college try is still up in the air, but Liu did say that, in a manner of speaking, they do have an enemies-to-lovers arc.

"Let's say this, whatever goes on between us definitely comes to a head in the climax of the movie," said Liu.

"There's only one way for people to know what that is, and that's by buying a ticket and seeing it when it comes out in theatres."

However, if the film leaves you dissatisfied with the Ken-on-Ken dynamic, Liu says he has no problem with fans writing their own endings or even acting it out with Ken dolls.

"You know, what's really great is that you know, Ryan has a Ken doll, and my character also has a Ken doll, and so people can buy our Ken dolls and make them do whatever they want and whatever their imagination will allow for them," Liu said.

"If you're not satisfied with the ending of the movie, write one for yourself and use our dolls. I give you full permission."

Barbie stars Margot Robbie as a disenchanted Barbie who leaves Barbie Land to discover the truth of the real world. The film is directed by Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) and features Gosling and Liu as different versions of Ken, along with Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Emma Mackey, John Cena, Michael Cera, Nicola Coughlin and many more.

The plot of the Barbie movie has been kept pretty hush-hush, so fans will just have to wait to see what happens between these Kens.

Barbie is out in theatres on July 21, 2023.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

  • Brooke Houghton (she/her) was a Toronto-based writer for Narcity Media. Brooke has written for publications such as blogTO, Post City, Vitalize Magazine and more.

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