Greta Gerwig’s Barbie starring Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Simu Liu and a whole host of other actors, opened to a historic weekend at the box office this summer. Facing stiff competition from Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, the film created a huge stir to become one of the year’s biggest blockbusters, thanks to Gerwig’s unique vision for the characters and the strong performances of the ensemble cast.
Barbie also worked owing to the positive dynamic and the healthy competitive spirit that Gerwig instilled on set with the actors. Apart from specific rituals for the Barbies to bond, the director ensured that Simu Liu and Ryan Gosling also took their ‘kenergies’ to the next level by creating physical competitions to determine the fittest of the group.
Simu Liu Could Not Keep Up With Ryan Gosling’s Extreme Fitness On Barbie Set
Apart from playing the character of Ken, Hollywood stars Simu Liu and Ryan Gosling also share another commonality. Both actors have their roots in Canada which helped them bond on set while also spurring each other to be better than the other. One of the ways in which they brought their ‘kenergies’ to the fore, was to have physical competitions that involved director Greta Gerwig putting the characters through rigor in the gym through various contests to determine the fittest of the group. Speaking to Men’s Health, the Shang-Chi star recalled Ryan Gosling’s amazing levels of fitness which he was unable to reach.
“I could not beat Ryan to the gym. 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.”
Liu recalled the various competitions in the gym that included a pull-up challenge in which Gosling was declared the undisputed winner. The Marvel alum revealed that these workout routines with his co-star worked wonders to develop their camaraderie off-screen while enhancing the competitive spirit of their characters on-screen.
Simu Liu Was Is In Awe Of Ryan Gosling’s Improvisation Skills
Simu Liu and Ryan Gosling who played sparring Kens in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, may have been competitive rivals on-screen, but got along famously off-screen. The two Canadian actors shared a wonderful camaraderie on set which included pushing each other during workouts in the gym. Apart from admiring Gosling’s high levels of fitness, Liu admitted that he was completely floored by the La La Land star’s natural ability as an actor. Speaking to Men’s Health, the actor said,
“Ryan is such a natural improviser, and he improvises in so many different ways, sometimes with words, but also he could say the exact same words on a script but in totally different and fresh and exciting ways. It just really forced anybody playing opposite him to be fully present, and to listen.”
Liu went on to add that this quality of Gosling kept him on his toes and forced him and other actors to bring their A-Game to the set to ensure that they could keep up with The Notebook star through the film.
Source: Men’s Health
