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Ryan Gosling’s Oscars Performance of ‘I’m Just Ken’ Was ‘Perfection, Stunning...Kentastic’

Cue the standing ovation

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ryan gosling im just ken oscars
Scott Kirkland/Disney via Getty Images

Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie may have been snubbed from the 2024 Oscars, but that didn’t stop Ryan Gosling from taking the stage. 

Tonight, the 96th annual Academy Awards took place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. During the ceremony, Gosling, 43, performed his character’s now-famous song from Barbie, “I’m Just Ken.”

Gosling started his performance in the audience, singing over Margot Robbie’s shoulder before taking the stage. The actor was joined by 75+ Kens dancers, along with Mark Ronson and Slash (who provided musical accompaniment). Naturally, Gosling was wearing a bedazzled pink suit

Our editors called the performance: “Perfection, Stunning...Kentastic.”

The production was inspired by Marilyn Monroe.

“I’m Just Ken” is co-written by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, and it’s nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. It was up against “The Fire Inside” by Becky G (Flamin' Hot), “It Never Went Away” by Jon Batiste (American Symphony), “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” by Osage Tribal Singers (Killers of the Flower Moon) and “What Was I Made For” by Billie Eilish (Barbie), which won the award.

im just ken ryan gosling oscars
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Gosling was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor alongside Robert DeNiro for Killers of the Flower Moon, Sterling K. Brown for American Fiction, Mark Ruffalo for Poor Things and Robert Downey Jr. for Oppenheimer (who won the award).

ryan gosling im just ken oscars pink suit
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Gosling’s live performance may surprise some fans, since he’s known for his acting skills (and not his singing abilities). Back in February, the actor appeared on the cover of Variety and expressed interest in performing at the Oscars, even though he hadn’t been asked by the Academy (at the time.)

“It might be too much of a risk to have me do it,” he said. “I don’t know how that would work. But I’m open to it.”

His performance was a ten out of ten in our book. 

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greta

Senior Editor, News and Entertainment

  • Writes and edits news and entertainment content
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