Barbie's Ryan Gosling Will Sing I'm Just Ken At The Oscars - What We Know So Far
The day "Barbie" fans have hoped for is finally here. Variety reports that Ryan Gosling, the Oscar-nominated supporting player from Greta Gerwig's successful "Barbie" movie, will perform his beloved song "I'm Just Ken" at the 2024 Oscars.
The outlet received this information from anonymous sources; as of press time, neither Gosling nor the Academy shared an official comment. Previously, the actor expressed some hesitation about performing the song during the ceremony. Earlier this month, he was the subject of Variety's cover story, and when asked if he'd storm the stage as Ken during the Oscars, he said, "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."
As of this writing, it's unknown if Gosling will be up there solo or if any of his fellow Kens — like Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Ncuti Gatwa, and others — will join him. What we do know is that this number will bring down the house, no matter how it's staged ... because it's a great song and one of the best sequences in all of "Barbie."
I'm Just Ken is a major centerpiece of Barbie
If you're somehow unfamiliar with "I'm Just Ken" — or it's been a little while since you've seen "Barbie" — here's a quick refresher. As the movie begins, unseen narrator Helen Mirren tells us that Barbie (Margot Robbie) "has a great day every day ... but Ken only has a good day if Barbie looks at him." The movie is stocked with plenty of Kens, but the lead one is played by Ryan Gosling, whose attempts to woo and impress Barbie are played for constant laughs. Then, the two journey to the real world — and Ken has a startling revelation.
Barbie and the audience are shocked when Barbie returns to the matriarchal Barbieland and discovers that Ken has staged a coup, installing a hastily-formed patriarchy and transforming it into his own "Kendom." Barbie begs for her home back, but Ken stands firm before experiencing another revelation; he feels like he's nothing compared to Barbie. This is where "I'm Just Ken" comes in, beginning with Ken crooning alone in Barbie's former bedroom before entering a liminal space where he sings and dances with his fellow Kens ... as they collectively wonder if they'll ever be enough. It's a clear highlight of the movie — and, not for nothing, the song is incredibly catchy.
Both Ryan Gosling and the song I'm Just Ken are up for big awards on Oscar night — will they win?
Ryan Gosling is set to perform "I'm Just Ken" at the 2024 Academy Awards because the song is nominated for an Oscar. It's competing against another song from the "Barbie" soundtrack — the emotional ballad "What Was I Made For?" sung by Billie Eilish — for best original song. Eilish's track is the favorite to win in the category, having scooped up a Grammy in early February and a Golden Globe last month. Mark Ronson worked on both tunes as a producer, but he's nominated as a writer for "I'm Just Ken" (Eilish and her brother Fineas O'Connell penned "What Was I Made For?" separately).
Gosling is, of course, nominated as well. His turn as Ken was so impressive that it earned the actor his third Oscar nomination, but unfortunately for him, the supporting actor category seems locked up. Gosling's competitor, "Oppenheimer" actor Robert Downey Jr., has been winning precursor awards like the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards in the buildup to the Oscars; it seems inevitable that the former "Iron Man" star will take home his first Academy Award. Still, Gosling's performance merited a nomination, and it'll be amazing to watch him perform "I'm Just Ken" at the ceremony.