The Barbie movie showcases the idealized lives of the dolls living in Barbie Land, but the film never discloses the ages of its iconic characters.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Barbie movie!
The Barbie movie showcases Barbie and Ken's journeys of self-discovery and self-actualization but skirts around revealing the ages of its protagonists. A major hit, Barbie's staggering opening weekend box office totaled $162 million. Weeks later, the film continues to sell out theaters and dazzle moviegoers. Penned by Academy Award nominees, co-writers, and partners, Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, Barbie answers a lot of questions about the titular doll but leaves some elements up for discussion.
Margot Robbie plays Stereotypical Barbie, a doll who undergoes a profound transformation as she ventures into the human world with all of its joys and imperfections. Despite the allure of Barbieland, she chooses to embrace a life filled with purpose, even if it means confronting the inevitability of human mortality. Throughout the Barbie movie, the exact ages of Barbie and Ken (Ryan Gosling) aren't disclosed, leaving viewers to ponder the ageless essence of these iconic characters — though Barbie's ending certainly complicates this unknown age factor.
The Barbie Doll Was Originally Supposed To Be 19-Years Old
The original Barbie doll made its grand debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York City on March 9, 1959. Meant to be a 19-year-old woman, the doll was named after 18-year-old Barbara, the daughter of American businesswoman and Barbie inventor Ruth Handler. Today, the doll itself is 64 years old; in 2023, Barbie would technically be 83 years old if she aged. However, toy company Mattel has said that she's perpetually frozen in time at the age of 19.
Despite her ageless appearance, Barbie holds a wide array of adult careers. Barbie Media stated that the character has over 250 inspirational careers; she's an astronaut, surgeon, computer scientist, president, pilot, and dentist, among many other things. Many of these professions require years of education and experience, highlighting Barbie's ability to transcend time. Plus, her diverse roles inspire young women and girls to pursue their own unique passions. Despite the passage of time, Barbie's charm and relevance shine brightly.
Barbie & Ken In The Barbie Movie Are Obviously Older (But Also Ageless)
In the Barbie movie, the ages of Barbie and Ken aren't explicitly mentioned. The first chunk of the narrative unfolds in Barbieland, a realm that Will Ferrell's Mattel CEO character says is akin to, "a town in Sweden" — existing as an abstract concept rather than a tangible reality. Barbieland allows for all the Barbie and Ken iterations to coexist. Although these iconic dolls represent ideas detached from the real world, they remain profoundly impactful. People from the real world can influence various aspects of the Barbies' lives too, as seen with Kate McKinnon's Weird Barbie. Soon enough, the real world seeps in, causing Stereotypical Barbie to contemplate mortality.
Despite being played by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, the lead characters are ageless within Barbieland. In the ethereal domain, the Barbies and Kens are almost suspended in time, waking every morning to a picture-perfect existence. They embody ideals for real-world individuals to aspire to; Barbie's goal is to inspire people to pursue their dreams, after all. Barbie Land serves as an idealized version of life: everything is flawless. It's always the best day ever. However, Stereotypical Barbie's end-of-movie decision to leave Barbieland and become human results in her relinquishing her immortality, a move that allows her to be full-fledged being instead of just an ideal.
How Old Margot Robbie & Ryan Gosling Are In Barbie
When the Barbie movie started filming, Margot Robbie was 31 years old. Later, the actor celebrated her 32nd birthday on set with a delightful pink Barbie doll cake (via People). Ryan Gosling was 41 throughout the duration of his time as Ken. Shooting, which began in March 2022, took place at Warner Bros.' Leavesden Studios in England and the Venice Beach Skate Park in Los Angeles. Although filming wrapped in July 2022, Barbie wasn't released until a full year later. By its theatrical debut on July 21, 2023, Robbie was 33 and Gosling was 42.
Barbie Proves Ryan Gosling Was Never Too Old For Ken
Ryan Gosling received criticism for being cast as Barbie's "perfect" boyfriend in the Barbie movie. With bleach-blonde hair, a spray tan, and six-pack abs, he looks the part, but many viewers took issue with his age. Given that Gosling was 41 when filming began, there was a noticeable 10-year age gap between him and Robbie. However, this divide matters less in the film: Barbie and Ken exist outside of time while in Barbieland, making their actors' ages pretty irrelevant. In an interview with GQ Magazine, Gosling addressed the critics who claimed he was too old to play Ken saying:
"But suddenly, it’s like, ‘No, we’ve cared about Ken this whole time.' No, you didn’t. You never did... That’s the point. If you ever really cared about Ken, you would know that nobody cared about Ken. So your hypocrisy is exposed. This is why his story must be told.”
The beauty of Ken's story is found in his exploration of his individuality and agency. By Barbie's ending, Ken discovers an identity separate from being Barbie's boyfriend. Unlike Barbie, he stays in the ever-timeless Barbieland. In addition to resembling the iconic doll, Gosling skillfully conveys Ken's emotional journey, all while stealing the show with his zany one-liners and catchy musical numbers. Despite the actors' age discrepancy, the fact that Barbie and Ken are abstract ideas makes Gosling's portrayal of the timeless Ken pitch perfect. There's no denying that Gosling brings Ken to life like no one else could, further solidifying that, in Barbie's immortal realm, age is just a number.
Sources: Barbie Media, People, GQ Magazine
