In the same interview with Fallon, Stallone remarked that he and Ken in “Barbie” shared a similar taste in fur coats. In the early ’80s, the “Rocky” star was known to wear a flamboyant arctic fox coat, not unlike the one Gosling’s Ken wears in “Barbie.” According to Greta Gerwig, the fashion statement was no mere coincidence. “Ryan Gosling also loves Sylvester Stallone,” the director shared during a post-screening panel at the Directors Guild of America Theater in October 2023 (via PEOPLE). “His faux mink came from Sylvester Stallone’s amazing outfits.” She added, “When I think of adorned men, I think he’s probably the best one. And I feel like Ken was nothing if not a man in search of adornment.”

Indeed, Stallone is the ideal star for Ken to look up to during his patriarchal awakening. The “hard body” action star –- known for his hypermasculinity and grit –- is the paradigm of the sort of man’s man that Ken tries to embody in the second act of “Barbie.” It didn’t hurt that Gosling is a huge fan of Stallone’s, specifically his work in “Rambo.” Gosling had an obsession with the “Rambo” franchise, even dressing up as the embattled veteran before school. Stallone was heartened by Gosling’s affection for the character, even giving Gosling the go-ahead to star in a “Rambo” spin-off. “If I ever passed the baton,” Stallone told Fallon, “I’d pass it to him, because he loves the character.”