Insider Shares How Ryan Gosling Reportedly Feels About Performing 'I'm Just Ken' At The Oscars, And It Made Me Even More Excited To See The Kenergy On Stage

From left to right: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Ryan Gosling and Ncuti Gatwa as Kens during the Ken War in Barbie.
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

While the biggest questions surrounding the 2024 Oscar nominees obviously regard who will take home the gold, the biggest question surrounding supporting actor nominee Ryan Gosling was about whether he’d perform the nominated original song “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie on the Academy Awards stage. Now, it’s been confirmed that he’ll be bringing the Kenergy to one of the biggest nights in movies, and after hearing an update about how he’s reportedly feeling about the performance, I’m even more excited!

As the Oscars swiftly approach on the 2024 TV schedule – they’ll air Sunday, March 10 on ABC at 7 p.m. ET – the performers are rehearsing and getting ready for the big show. This includes Ryan Gosling, who was at the rehearsal on Friday preparing to sing “I’m Just Ken.” While the Ken actor had questions about signing his ballad at the Oscars in the past, according to People, now he’s reportedly feeling excited about his big moment, as a source said:

Ryan was in great spirits, and he was a total pro. He was joking around and having a great time.

It makes sense that the vibes are high, and the Kenergy is flowing, because everyone seems excited about this. Before it was confirmed, Mark Ronson, who is nominated for Best Original Song for “I’m Just Ken,” said performing it with Gosling is his “dream.” He also noted that if the La La Land actor didn’t want to sing at the ceremony, they wouldn’t have done it. 

Margot Robbie was also an “I’m Just Ken” proponent, as she said she had been “poking Ryan” whenever she could to do the Oscars performance. So, I think everyone involved and everyone who will be watching is thrilled that the Oscar-nominated actor agreed to sing his iconic ballad from the billion-dollar blockbuster Barbie.

Continuing to explain how Gosling is feeling about his upcoming Oscar moment, the source said:

Ryan was relaxed, his spirits were high, and everyone was having fun.

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Margot Robbie in front of a mirror in the Barbie movie

(Image credit: Warner Bros)

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Considering how fun this number is in the movie, it brings me so much joy to know that it’s translating to the Academy Awards stage. Personally, seeing Ryan Gosling sing this song live is my most anticipated moment of the upcoming ceremony. 

While we know the Kenergy is high, currently, we don’t know much about the “I’m Just Ken” performance. According to the source, it will involve “many dancers,” so I think it’s safe to assume that we’re going to get a big moment that’s on the same level as the Ken war and the dream ballet. Hopefully, it includes the Barbie cast too. Fellow Ken, Kingsley Ben-Adir said he’d be “down” to sing and dance on the Oscar stage, and I’m sure other Kens would be too.

So far, we’ve gotten three remixes of “I’m Just Ken,” the clip from the movie has gone viral, and the discussion about Gosling performing the nominated track at the Oscars has been nonstop. The demand for this performance is high, and it’s wonderful to know that the team behind Ken is having a blast figuring out how to bring the Kenergy to the Academy Awards. 

Riley Utley
Weekend Editor

Riley Utley is the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. She has written for national publications as well as daily and alt-weekly newspapers in Spokane, Washington, Syracuse, New York and Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated with her master’s degree in arts journalism and communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Since joining the CB team she has covered numerous TV shows and movies -- including her personal favorite shows Ted Lasso and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She also has followed and consistently written about everything from Taylor Swift to Fire Country, and she's enjoyed every second of it.