(Clockwise) Images of actors Ryan Gosling as Ken in Barbie, Alexa Demie, and Meryl Streep | Photo Credit / Warner Bros. / MERON MENGHISTAB / POPSUGAR
A live-action film of the beloved doll franchise Barbie is scheduled for release on July 21, 2023. A new trailer for the film surfaced this month and had the internet in a frenzy. One of the world’s favorite heartthrobs Ryan Gosling will be playing Ken, Barbie’s boyfriend. The role of Barbie will be played by Margot Robbie of the Suicide Squad movies and recently Babylon. Although Margot Robbie received great reception for her acting and appearance in the first look of the movie, Ryan Gosling received mixed reviews.
Critics on social media deemed him “too old” to play Ken in the upcoming live-action film. One went as far as comparing Gosling to Ellen DeGeneres, according to media outlet Wonderwall. This goes to show that ageism in society, especially Hollywood, is a big issue that isn’t talked about. How old is “too old,” and why is there an age limit to play a role? It should be about the talent and skills a person possesses to showcase a story to the big screen.
Ryan Gosling isn’t the only victim of ageism. Euphoria star Alexa Demie and countless other actresses and actors experienced the outrageous tail end of it. Alexa Demie was accused of hiding her age, which led some fans of Euphoria to eventually solve the mystery of how old Demie really was. Most fans believed she was 25 as was previously stated, but in reality she is actually 32 years old. It’s not inconceivable that Alexa kept her age a secret since Hollywood believes being a certain age can be viewed as a crime, especially for women.
Most stars peak in their late teens and early twenties, but once the fountain of youth starts to wash away as they enter their forties, the demand for roles decreases and are available to young upcoming actors. According to the Washington Post, iconic actress Meryl Streep feared once she was hovering 40, each movie would be her last. Luckily her time wasn’t up, and she is still pushing the odds at age 73.
Considering all of this, age shouldn’t be a deciding factor in Hollywood. It is all about how a person dedicates their time and efforts to their craft.
