Oscars 2024: Ryan Gosling Reunites With Barbie's Kens for "I’m Just Ken" Performance
Ken's job is just beach—but the world was his oyster at the Oscars.
Ryan Gosling transformed back into a Ken doll at the 2024 Academy Awards on March 10, performing the nominated song "I'm Just Ken" from the Barbie movie alongside his Ken costars.
Gosling, 43, started his performance from the audience wearing a hot pink suit, matching gloves and sunglasses, prompting Margot Robbie and Billie Eilish to suppress giggles as he sang the emotional ballad.
"'Cause I'm just Ken, anywhere else I'd be a 10," he sang moodily at the Dolby Theatre. "Is it my destiny to live and die a life of blonde fragility?"
Gosling then joined his fellow Kens, including Simu Liu and Kingsley Ben-Adir, who were dressed in suits inspired by Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, for an extravagant dance number onstage. After using props like pink chopping blocks and giant Barbie cutouts, Ryan was carried through the air like a hero.
The song is nominated for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song) at the 2024 Oscars alongside fellow Barbie track "What Was I Made For?" performed by Billie, as well as American Symphony's "It Never Went Away" performed by Jon Batiste; Flamin' Hot's "The Fire Inside" performed by Becky G and Killers of the Flower Moon's "Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)" performed by Scott George and the Osage Singers.
Should "I'm Just Ken" take the prize, it would mark the second Oscar for songwriters Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, who also took home Best Original Song in 2019 for co-writing "Shallow" with Lady Gaga for A Star is Born. (See all the winners from the 2024 ceremony here.)
And while Gosling has previously performed on movie soundtracks including La La Land, he was surprised to see his Barbie track get an Oscar and a Grammy nomination. The Drive actor even earned his first-ever spot on the Hot 100 with "I'm Just Ken," calling its success on the charts "so surreal."
One person who never doubted he was Kenough? Partner Eva Mendes, who recently defended Gosling from "hate" over his role.
"So many people trying to shame him for doing it," she wrote on Instagram in January. "Despite all the #Notmyken ridicule and articles written about him, he created this completely original, hilarious, heartbreaking, now iconic character and took it all the way to Oscars."
She added, "So beyond proud to be this Ken's Barbie."
See more stars who brought the Kenergy to the 2024 Oscars:
In Armani Privé and Bulgari jewelry.
Del Core SS24 RTW and Bulgari jewelry.
In custom Louis Vuitton.
In custom Christian Dior Haute Couture with Swarovski jewelry.
In custom Balenciaga Couture.
In Gucci x Joe Big Mountain.
In Loewe.
In Bucherer Fine Jewellery.
In Gucci.
In Saint Laurent and Tiffany & Co.
In Versace FW24 RTW.
In custom Giambattista Valli Haute Couture with Tiffany & Co. jewelry.
In Dolce & Gabbana.
Christian Dior Haute Couture.
Ryan Gosling in custom Gucci.
Kelly Ripa in archive Donna Karan New York.
In custom Vera Wang.
In custom Louis Vuitton.
In custom Armani Privé.
In custom Atelier Versace.
In Elie Saab SS24 Couture and Chopard jewelry.
Kirsten Dunst in Gucci with Fred Leighton jewelry.
In Loewe.
In Chanel.
In Giorgio Armani.
Gabrielle Union in Carolina Herrera PF24 with Tiffany & Co. jewelry and Dwyane Wade in custom Ateliee Versace.
In custom Brunello Cucinelli.
The 2024 Academy Awards air live Sunday, March 10, from 7 to 10:30 p.m. ET/4 to 7:30 p.m. PT on ABC. And don't miss E!'s Oscars red carpet starting at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT on E!.