Eva Mendes has gushed over partner Ryan Gosling in a rare public display of love as she shared her excitement for his upcoming live-action Barbie film.
The actress, 48, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a first look photo of Ryan, 41, portraying the beloved Mattel Ken doll for the Warner Bros film.
The snap showed the Canadian actor sporting an orange tan and a glossy chiseled chest in a revealing double denim ensemble, and debuting his bleached white hair for the role.
Cute: Eva Mendes gushed about her partner Ryan Gosling in a rare public display of love as she shared her excitement for his upcoming live-action Barbie film
“That’s my Ken!”: In a caption accompanying the snap, Eva gushed over her partner’s performance as she revealed she was “so excited” that fans would be seeing the highly-anticipated Barbie movie
In a caption alongside the snap, Eva gushed over her partner’s performance as she revealed she was “so excited” that fans would be seeing the highly anticipated Barbie movie.
In a very rare public post about her boyfriend, she wrote: “So. F Funny. So. F. Good. I’m so excited for you to see this… #Thatsmyken.
Eva and Ryan rarely post about each other on social media as they mostly keep their romance private and under wraps.
The pair began dating in September 2011 after working together on the film The Place Beyond The Pines, but were friends for a “long time” prior to their romance.
Private: Eva and Ryan (both pictured in March 2013) rarely post about each other on social media as they mostly keep their romance under wraps
At the time, a source told Us Weekly that “there’s always been this strong chemistry between them… it was just a matter of time.”
In early September 2011, the duo was spotted packing on the PDA during a date night at Disneyland in Anaheim.
The following September, the couple made their red carpet debut at the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of The Place Beyond The Pines.
In September 2014, Eva and Ryan welcomed their first child together, Esmeralda Amada, now seven.
Movie: They started dating in September 2011 after working together on The Place Beyond The Pines (pictured in the movie), but before their romance they were friends for a “long time”.
They welcomed their second child, daughter Amada Lee, now six, in April 2016.
Eva’s post came just hours after Warner Bros. revealed a first look picture of Ryan as Ken preparing to star alongside Margot Robbie in the Barbie movie.
The snap was released via a tweet simply with the film’s title and a July 21, 2023 release date, which was previously announced when they shared the first picture of Margot, 31, as Barbie in April.
It appears Ryan was dressed up as the Earring Magic Ken version of the doll that Mattel introduced in 1993 to complement its Earring Magic Barbie character.
Family: In September 2014, Eva and Ryan welcomed their first child together, Esmeralda Amada, now seven, and their second child, daughter Amada Lee, now six, in April 2016
This special version of Ken doll featured an updated look with blonde highlights instead of his traditional brown hair.
The doll also included a lavender mesh shirt, purple leather jacket and jewelry including an earring and necklace.
Upon its release, it became the best-selling Ken doll in history and caused a stir when some people speculated designers were inspired by the gay clubbing scene in New York and Los Angeles in the early 1990s.
Meet Ken! Eva’s post came just hours after Warner Bros. revealed a first look picture of Ryan as Ken preparing to star alongside Margot Robbie in the live-action Barbie film
Stunning: The Australian actress looked absolutely iconic behind the wheel of a pink classic Chevrolet Corvette in front of what appeared to be the Barbie mansion
Ryan is known for his serious acting work in acclaimed films such as Drive, Blade Runner 2049, Blue Valentine and Half Nelson.
Sporting a cheesy grin and white underwear branded with his character’s name, the role of Ken certainly seems like something of a left turn for the actor.
Certainly, Twitter seemed to agree as movie fans took to the microblogging site to react to the startling image of Ryan showing off his muscular physique.
Initial Reactions: Fans flooded social media as they reacted to Ryan at first sight
“Damn Ryan you nailed it,” one fan wrote, while another declared, “OMG! The perfect Ken casting!’
Others noted the pic’s “camp” aesthetic, with one Twitter user joking, “Brb is going back in the closet real quick so I can come out for it.”
Writer Evan Ross Katz captioned his post, “Looking the camp straight in the eye, here’s the first still of Ryan Gosling as Ken.”
One die-hard Barbie fan wrote, “I was hoping for golden blonde hair but I think that’s satire.”
Some pointed out that Ken is said to be younger, with one fan writing: “Hollywood has not invested in young male stars for the last fifteen years and this is a perfect example. Why is Ken in his forties?’
Another joked: “Why did I think this was a Love Island promo?”
Greta Gerwig, filmmaker of Little Women and Ladybird, is leading the project and wrote the screenplay for the film with her longtime partner Noah Baumbach.
Cheeky replies: Fans couldn’t resist sharing their thoughts on Ryan’s role in life
Ryan’s Look: This special version of Ken doll featured an updated look with blonde highlights instead of his traditional brown hair
The film features an all-star cast including Will Ferrell, Issa Rae, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera, Michael Cera and Alexandra Shipp.
A synopsis of the upcoming movie on IMDB reads: “A doll living in Barbieland is expelled for not being perfect enough and embarks on an adventure in the real world. A live-action feature film based on the popular Barbie toy series.’
Long slated to play the world’s most iconic fashion doll in a live-action film, Margot vowed in December 2020 to offer audiences “something completely different.”
Heartthrob: Ryan’s pin-up status was cemented in the 2011 rom-com Crazy, Stupid, Love
When it comes to her portrayal of the Mattel doll, she opts for something “a little left of center,” and the project is being produced by her LuckyChap Entertainment Company, whose motto is, “If it ain’t af**k, yes it is a no ‘
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about the project, Robbie said, “Something like Barbie, where the IP, the name itself, people immediately have an idea, ‘Oh, Margot is playing Barbie, I know what that is.’
“But our goal is to say, ‘Whatever you think, we’re going to give you something completely different — the one you didn’t want.’
The live-action Barbie flick is slated for release on July 21, 2023.
Barbie girls: Margot has long been set to play the world’s most iconic fashion doll in a live-action film, and in December 2020 she vowed to bring audiences “something completely different.”
Coming soon: The live-action Barbie flick is scheduled for release on July 21, 2023