He’s hung up Ken’s Stetson, but Ryan Gosling’s apparent passion for the plastic could go beyond playing Barbie’s boyfriend.
With a waxy glow and seemingly inflated cheeks, Gosling, 43, is causing something of a stir among his bemused fans on social media.
Has he been preening and pumping, some wonder. She looks more like Amy Schumer than the fine-featured leading man we all adore, others say.
And while it’s unknown whether he’s resorted to his usual arsenal of injectables in an attempt to turn back the clock, he’s certainly not the only A-list man who’s looking more chipmunk than chiseled lately.
In fact, as a circle of Hollywood heartthrobs reach a certain age, it seems like fittings and adjustments are no longer the exclusive domain of our favorite female stars.
Too many big screen kids are now united in the mistaken belief that being padded and inflated equals youthful bloom.
As a result, unnecessary upgrades tend to turn our superstars into pale imitations of their once exquisite selves, sucking the character and charm out of their rugged looks.
Some wonder if Gosling has been grooming himself and working out. He looks more like Amy Schumer than the fine-featured leading man we all adore, others say.
While it’s unknown whether he’s resorted to his usual arsenal of injectables in an attempt to turn back the clock, he’s certainly not the only A-list man who’s looking more chipmunk than chiseled lately.
Whatever happened to the golden generation of movie men who stayed warm while growing rugged and gracefully gray?
Steve McQueen, Harrison Ford, Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood, Richard Gere: a collective appeal not marred by a wrinkled forehead and squinting eyes.
In fact, as seriousness and worn determination replaced youthful charm, many became better and better as the years went by.
Would Steve McQueen have remained an icon if every fine line of fast living and chain-smoking had been erased with a puffy pillow face?
What about Harrison Ford in his ’80s heyday? Imagine your eyes frozen and alarmed instead of sensual and knowing.
Today’s artists are standing firm (and quieter) about exactly what they’ve done and that’s leading to endless, unwanted scrutiny.
Tom Cruise, 61, still at the top of his game and doing his own stunts, is a case in point.
Blame his own self-imposed time warp for producing another Mission Impossible or resurrecting his 1986 hit Top Gun, but rumors about efforts to preserve his youthful appearance may have led to drastic measures.
At a 2021 basketball game in San Francisco, the actor’s face seemed more animated than any action on the court.
Blame his own self-imposed time warp for producing another Mission Impossible or resurrecting his 1986 hit Top Gun, but rumored efforts to preserve Cruise’s youthful appearance may have led to drastic measures. (Pictured: Cruise in 2021)
High School Musical star Zac Efron, just 36, blamed a collision with a granite fountain at his home for the new face he appeared in 2022 (pictured: Efron in 2022).
Some suggest that the apparent swelling could have been an allergic reaction. Others wondered about weight gain during lockdown.
And for a man with access to the world’s best practitioners and personal trainers, it was safe to say the butt stare hadn’t been intentional.
Then there’s James Bond star Daniel Craig, whose most recent appearance in the film franchise, No Time to Die, revealed he had no time for a double chin.
Famous for bringing some much-needed masculinity to the role of Bond, a pre-publicity makeover appeared to have given the 56-year-old a serious attack of facial rigor mortis.
Although everything is small compared to the saga of Zac Efron.
The High School Musical star, just 36, attributed the new face that appeared in 2022 to a collision with a granite fountain at his home. In truth, such a mishap could only affect the rich and famous of La La Land.
Some may be inclined to put a progressive spin on the current crop of groomer male stars.
Hollywood men ultimately face the same aging pressures as their female counterparts. Equal pay should be right around the corner!
Brad Pitt’s raised contours have been the subject of repeated rumors for good reason. With a jawline as sharp as when he modeled Levi jeans when he was in his twenties, the 60-year-old doesn’t seem to have any plans to give up the look.
Additionally, there is growing concern about age gaps in on-screen relationships: The dynamic between older men and much younger women that was the norm for decades is now more problematic in a post-MeToo era.
But whatever these guys are doing, it just doesn’t look good.
Aligning yourself with the vapid vanity of the time-rich juvederm addicts who plague our social media seems a little unworthy of a major Hollywood actor.
Of course, some perennial male stars are setting the bar high.
Brad Pitt’s raised contours have been the subject of repeated rumors for good reason.
With a jawline as sharp as when he modeled Levi’s jeans in his twenties, the 60-year-old appears to have no plans to give up his looks. (Could his silky complexion have something to do with his own skincare brand, Le Domaine?)
As for Mr Gosling, he almost won an Oscar for his moving song ‘I’m just Ken’ in the film Barbie, a macho celebration of the world’s most famous male doll.
However, after his recent appearances, I fear that life is in danger of imitating art.