Ryan Gosling’s charming presence was one of the eagerly awaited moments of yesterday’s Oscars night. The Hollywood heartthrob took to the stage to perform I’m Just Ken — one of the nominated Barbie song by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt.
Billie Eilish’s What Was I Made For? was another one. Decked out in a sparkly pink suit, a cowboy hat, and pink gloves, Gosling kicked off his performance by serenading his Barbie co-star Margot Robbie.
Robbie couldn’t help but laugh at the playful gesture. Later, the 43-year-old actor took the stage with a group of Ken dancers, including Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Ncuti Gatwa, and Scott Evans — all suited up in black.
Mark Ronson joined him onstage, while Slash from Guns N’ Roses made a surprise appearance to shred on the guitar. However, there was also one special request that the Oscars had to fulfill for Gosling.
Oscars Fulfill Ryan Gosling’s One Request in I’m Just Ken Performance
Choreographer Mandy Moore explained in a post-Oscars interview that Ryan Gosling‘s idea influenced various elements of the performance, such as the pink suit, the black attire of others, the staircase backdrop, and even the inclusion of “Ken-delabra” men as a nod to the original. Gosling also had one specific wish for the Oscars that he wanted to make happen.
In his performance, there was a moment where he returned to the crowd and led a singalong. Margot Robbie, director Greta Gerwig, and another Barbie actress, America Ferrera, joined in singing along with him.
Moore revealed that he wanted the involvement of Robbie, Gerwig, and Ferrera in the front rows. The Canadian actor wanted the ladies to join in singing, so he made sure to include them in his performance. The choreographer told Variety:
“It was really important for him to jump down and include Margot [Robbie] and Greta and America [Ferrera]. He said, ‘I really need those ladies in the front, because I’m gonna go over to them. I want them to sing.’”
Gosling’s La La Land co-star, Emma Stone also participated, even though she wasn’t part of Barbie.
Ryan Gosling had every A-list celeb on their feet. he turned the entire Oscars theater into a full-on concert. that man has so much charisma and star power wow pic.twitter.com/f4Mv4rEq1G
— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) March 11, 2024
Everything was meticulously planned, including Gosling’s kiss of the cameraman’s hand. The rehearsals of the performance started around four weeks before the big day. It involved Gosling’s vocal team and Moore’s associate choreographer, Gillian Myers.
Ryan Gosling’s Oscars Performance was Looming in Uncertainty For Weeks
In the weeks leading up to the Oscars, there was uncertainty about whether Ryan Gosling would perform I’m Just Ken live. Hollywood kept his involvement in the Oscars performance under wraps until just a few weeks before the ceremony.
Before I’m Just Ken became an official Oscar nominee, Gosling himself was evasive about singing live during the awards show. He told W Magazine last month:
“Well, I haven’t been invited. And I wasn’t thinking about it until now, and now it’s all I’m going to think about. Do you get paid to sing at the Oscars? Do you have to drive yourself? What kind of scratch is involved? They pick you up at least, right?”
Even though his Oscar performance hung in the balance, the actor finally took the stage and stole the show. Gosling attended the 2024 Oscars as a nominee in the Best Supporting Actor category for his role in Barbie. Overall, Gerwig’s comedy received eight Oscar nods, including Best Picture.
