Ryan Gosling’s Oscars Performance of ‘I’m Just Ken’ [VIDEO]

Ryan Gosling Oscars Performance

Heavy/Getty Ryan Gosling on the red carpet at the 2024 Oscars.

On March 10, 2024, Ryan Gosling took the stage at the 2024 Oscars to perform the song “I’m Just Ken” from the movie “Barbie.”

Pink lights poured over the crowd. Soon, Ryan Gosling was shown seated behind a laughing Margot Robbie as he started to sing “I’m Just Ken” from under a black cowboy hat. Gosling wore a matching pink rhinestone-covered suit and gloves for the number. He also wore a pair of sunglasses and remained in character for the entire performance. Several of his “Barbie” co-stars joined in on the performance as well. Gosling even had friend and former co-star Emma Stone singing into his microphone.

Before the awards ceremony, Ryan Gosling’s wife, Eva Mendes, posted a video outside Gosling’s Oscars dressing room, showing her support for her husband. The video was posted to Mendes’ Instagram account with a caption that read, “Always by my man.”

Mendes did not appear with Gosling on the Oscars red carpet, but other members of Goslings family did walk the carpet with him. Mandi Gosling, Donna Gosling, and Valerio Attanasio were at his side. Gosling sat with his sister at the awards show.

Heavy/GettyRyan Gosling with his family at the 2024 Oscars.


Gosling Lost for Best Supporting Actor But Won Over the Crowd

Gosling was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Ken in “Barbie.” The other nominees included Robert De Niro for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Robert Downey Jr. for “Oppenheimer,” Sterling Brown for “American Fiction,” and Mark Ruffalo for “Poor Things.” The win went to Robert Downey Jr. It was his first ever Oscars win. Downey started his acceptance speech by thanking his “terrible childhood.”

Earlier in the night, Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt teamed up to recognize stunt work in film. The two pretended to fight over their competing films – “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.” The bit was well-received by the audience.

Ryan Gosling Emily Blunt

GettyRyan Gosling and Emily Blunt getting laughs from the audience at the 2024 Academy Awards.

Two of Gosling’s “Barbie” co-stars also took the stage as presenters later in the night. Kate McKinnon and America Ferrera presented the awards for Best Documentary Short and for Best Documentary Feature.


Ryan Gosling Initially Thought It Was Too Risky to Perform the Song

Ryan Gosling Oscars 2024 Red Carpet

Heavy/GettyRyan Gosling takes selfies with fans on the red carpet at the 2024 Academy Awards.

Prior to the Academy asking him to perform “I’m Just Ken” at the Academy Awards, Gosling told Variety that the idea was a bit risky. Gosling stated, “It might be too much of a risk to have me do it. I don’t know how that would work. But I’m open to it.”

Mark Ronson, who co-wrote the song with Andrew Wyatt, also spoke with Variety and said that it was his “dream” for Gosling to deliver a performance of “I’m Just Ken” at the Oscars.

“I’m Just Ken” was nominated for Best Song at the 2024, as was another song from the “Barbie” movie soundtrack. The other nominated song from “Barbie” was “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell. “What Was I Made For?” took the win.

Eilish and O’Connell performed “What Was I Made For?” earlier on in the night, on a small, pink rotating stage. They were accompanied by an orchestra that appeared overhead shortly into the performance.

Eilish received a standing ovation at the end of her performance.

The other nominees for Best Song were “The Fire Inside” from “Flamin’ Hot” by Diane Warren, “It Never Went Away” from “American Symphony” by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson, as well as “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” from “Killers of the Flower Moon” by Scott George.