Ryan Gosling's "I'm Just Ken" Oscars Secrets Revealed: Emma Stone Moment, Marilyn Inspiration and More
Ryan Gosling brought the Kenergy—but not without some major planning.
In fact, the Barbie star's "I'm Just Ken" performance at the 2024 Oscars at Dolby Theatre required months of preparation alongside producers, choreographers, dancers and more to bring the extravagant production to life.
"Ryan Gosling is a true professional, that man—we met with him on Zooms months ago, talking about that performance," show producer Molly McNearney told Variety in an article published March 11. "Greta Gerwig weighed in creatively as well. He was so committed to it."
But the inspiration behind the spectacle, which was a tribute to Marilyn Monroe's song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, was all Ryan. And it only took a 40-piece orchestra, 62 dancers, over 24 massive Barbie heads, a cameo from Guns N' Roses and four Kens from Barbie.
"That's where the pink suit, and everybody else in black came from—and the stairs in the back," choreographer Mandy Moore explained. "And we had an homage to the candelabra girls: We had Ken-delabra men."
While the song was all about Ken, Ryan was set on highlighting the leading ladies from the film, including Margot Robbie, America Ferrera and Greta, along with longtime friend Emma Stone, who won Best Actress in a Leading Role.
"It was really important for him to jump down and include Margot and Greta and America," Moore recalled to Variety. "He said, ‘I really need those ladies in the front, because I'm gonna go over to them. I want them to sing.'"
Greta's biggest wish, however, was to see the crowd dancing and singing along. So, the producers projected the lyrics on the screen for the audience to sing along.
Rehearsals for Ryan and Mandy began a month before the Academy Awards, but the rest of the performers—including Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Ncuti Gatwa, and Scott Evans—only had two days to prepare. And Simu admitted he's still processing the iconic moment.
"I kind of blacked out up there," he joked. "I didn't know if I did any of the choreography right? I just knew vaguely where I had to be. Greta was screaming, she was so happy."
While Ryan's performance was one to remember, the 2024 Oscar wins were too. Keep reading to see who took home gold before and after Ken took the stage.
American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
WINNER: Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
Annette Bening, NYAD
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan, Maestro
WINNER: Emma Stone, Poor Things
Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
WINNER: Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction
Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
America Ferrera, Barbie
Jodie Foster, NYAD
WINNER: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction
Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon
WINNER: Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things
Anatomy of a Fall, Justine Triet
Killers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorsese
WINNER: Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan
Poor Things, Yorgos Lanthimos
The Zone of Interest, Jonathan Glazer
WINNER: The Boy and the Heron
Elemental
Nimona
Robot Dreams
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Best International Feature Film
Io Capitano, Italy
Perfect Days, Japan
Society of the Snow, Spain
The Teachers' Lounge, Germany
WINNER: The Zone of Interest, United Kingdom
Bobi Wine: The People's President
The Eternal Memory
Four Daughters
To Kill a Tiger
WINNER: 20 Days in Mariupol
Best Documentary Short Film
The ABCs of Book Banning
The Barber of Little Rock
Island in Between
WINNER: The Last Repair Shop
Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó
The After
Invincible
Knight of Fortune
Red, White and Blue
WINNER: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Letter to a Pig
Ninety-Five Senses
Our Uniform
Pachyderme
WINNER: War Is Over! Inspired by The Music of John & Yoko
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
WINNER: Poor Things
"The Fire Inside," Flamin' Hot
"I'm Just Ken," Barbie
"It Never Went Away," American Symphony
"Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)," Killers of the Flower Moon
WINNER: "What Was I Made For?," Barbie
American Fiction
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Killers of the Flower Moon
WINNER: Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Creator
Maestro
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
WINNER: The Zone of Interest
Golda
Maestro
Oppenheimer
WINNER: Poor Things
Society of the Snow
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
WINNER: Poor Things
WINNER: Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Maestro
May December
Past Lives
WINNER: American Fiction
Barbie
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
The Creator
WINNER: Godzilla Minus One
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon
Best Film Editing
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
WINNER: Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Best Cinematography
El Conde,
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
WINNER: Oppenheimer
Poor Things