Ryan Gosling Says His Wife & Kids Helped With His Oscars Performance

Ryan Gosling is sharing behind-the-scenes details of his Oscars performance. The actor’s rendition of Barbie’s “I’m Just Ken” was one of the standout moments of the 2024 Academy Awards on March 10, and Gosling was given some “great” tips from his nearest and dearest.

Speaking to People, the actor revealed that his wife, Eva Mendes, and their two daughters, Esmeralda Amada and Amada Lee, offered advice before the big performance, having stopped by rehearsals the day before.

“They gave me some tips and some notes, all great,” he said. “They are such a huge part of this for me...it was my girl’s interest in Barbie and disinterest in Ken that got me into this in the first place. It was beautiful to have them there at the end.”

“I’m Just Ken” was nominated for Best Original Song at the 96th annual ceremony, but lost out to Billie Eilish’s Barbie track, “What Was I Made For.”

During the performance, Gosling, who was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor, was joined on stage by special guests Mark Ronson, Slash, Wolfgang Van Halen, and some of his Barbie castmates, Ncuti Gatwa, Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and Scott Evans.

“I’m Just Ken” Almost Didn’t Happen

The advice offered by his wife and daughters paid off for the actor, whose rendition of the Barbie track became one of the most talked about moments of the night. However, as revealed by the song’s co-writer Ronson, “I’m Just Ken” almost didn’t make it into the movie at all.

Speaking recently to The Sunday Times, Ronson disclosed that during a first screening of Barbie, Gosling’s solo number didn’t hit the right note with studio bosses.

“The song wasn’t working. I panicked. The humor wasn’t translating, and Greta [Gerwig] had to fight,” he revealed. “The studio asked her how much she really needed it and she said, ‘With every inch of my body.’”