Watch Ryan Gosling’s Kenergetic Performance of ‘I’m Just Ken’ at the Oscars 2024

Did you tune in to the 96th Academy Awards? Like every other year, the top film actors, directors, writers, editors, and more dressed their best for a night of glamour and celebration of cinema. What set this year apart has to be the incredibly entertaining performance by Barbie star Ryan Gosling.

Dressed in an all-pink suit bedazzled with sparkly crystals, the multitalented actor took to the stage to perform his Oscar-nominated song “I’m Just Ken” from the movie Barbie. In true Ken fashion, Gosling embodied the character throughout the number. He began in the audience, right behind Barbie herself (Margot Robbie) and made his way to the main stage, where he was met with a group of other “Kens” that were fully suited up with cowboy hats on. The following choreography really took the performance to another level.

Harkening back to the set design, costuming, and routine of Marilyn Monroe’s “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” from Gentleman Prefer Blondes, Gosling was the beautiful blonde at the center of it all. After bearing his soul through song with his fellow Kens—including co-stars Simu Liu, Scott Evans, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and Ncuti Gatwa—Gosling was lifted by his patriarchy pals and then joined by iconic guitarist Slash. Finally, he hopped off the stage to join his Barbie team—Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, and America Ferrera—in the audience for a sing-along. As he made his way through the crowd of his creative peers, he stopped by his La La Land co-star (and now two-time Oscar winner) Emma Stone, before heading back on stage for an explosive end to the performance.

Though “I’m Just Ken” didn’t wind up winning the Academy Award for Best Music (Original Song), Gosling definitely won the night with this performance. And his wife, Eva Mendes, who did not attend the ceremony, took to Instagram right after, saying: “You took Ken all the way to the Oscar’s, RG. Now come home, we need to put the kids to bed.”

Ryan Gosling performed his Oscar-nominated song “I'm Just Ken” at the 96th Academy Awards.

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The super-pink performance was arguably the most entertaining of the night.

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Mark Ronson and some of Gosling's Barbie co-stars popped up on stage.

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Including Simu Liu.

And even famed rocker Slash made an appearance.

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The set, costuming, and choreography clearly took inspiration from Marilyn Monroe's “Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend” from the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes:

But once the song and dance was done, Gosling's wife Eva Mendes made sure to post on Instagram: “You took Ken all the way to the Oscar’s, RG. Now come home, we need to put the kids to bed.”

 

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A post shared by Eva Mendes (@evamendes)

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Pinar

Pinar Noorata (she/her) is the Editorial Director at My Modern Met. She is a writer, editor, and content creator based in Brooklyn, New York. She earned her BA in Film and Media Studies from CUNY Hunter College. She has worked at major TV, film, and publishing companies as well as other independent media businesses. She also runs her own art & culture newsletter called The High Low. She first joined the My Modern Met team in 2011 as a Contributing Writer, pitching and publishing articles about a wide range of topics. Her expertise in visual media lends itself to in-depth analysis of varied art forms, including but not limited to painting, illustration, sculpture, installation, design, and photography. Pinar has a particular affinity for spotlighting up-and-coming artists, affording them a platform and offering a voice to lesser-heard individuals looking to break through, especially BIPOC creatives. She has helped multiple artists make a name for themselves and reach a wider audience over 10+ years as a writer and editor (both through long-form articles and short-form videos). When she isn’t writing, editing, or creating videos herself, Pinar enjoys watching films and TV, reading, crafting, drawing, frequenting museums and galleries, and volunteering at her local animal shelter.
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