Ken's job is just beach—but the world was his oyster at the Oscars.
Ryan Gosling transformed back into a Ken doll at the 2024 Academy Awards on March 10, performing the nominated song "I'm Just Ken" from the Barbie movie alongside his Ken costars.
Gosling, 43, started his performance from the audience wearing a hot pink suit, matching gloves and sunglasses, prompting Margot Robbie and Billie Eilish to suppress giggles as he sang the emotional ballad.
"'Cause I'm just Ken, anywhere else I'd be a 10," he sang moodily at the Dolby Theatre. "Is it my destiny to live and die a life of blonde fragility?"
Gosling then joined his fellow Kens, including Simu Liu and Kingsley Ben-Adir, who were dressed in suits inspired by Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, for an extravagant dance number onstage. After using props like pink chopping blocks and giant Barbie cutouts, Ryan was carried through the air like a hero.
The song is nominated for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song) at the 2024 Oscars alongside fellow Barbie track "What Was I Made For?" performed by Billie, as well as American Symphony's "It Never Went Away" performed by Jon Batiste; Flamin' Hot's "The Fire Inside" performed by Becky G and Killers of the Flower Moon's "Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)" performed by Scott George and the Osage Singers.
Should "I'm Just Ken" take the prize, it would mark the second Oscar for songwriters Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, who also took home Best Original Song in 2019 for co-writing "Shallow" with Lady Gaga for A Star is Born. (See all the winners from the 2024 ceremony here.)
And while Gosling has previously performed on movie soundtracks including La La Land, he was surprised to see his Barbie track get an Oscar and a Grammy nomination. The Drive actor even earned his first-ever spot on the Hot 100 with "I'm Just Ken," calling its success on the charts "so surreal."
One person who never doubted he was Kenough? Partner Eva Mendes, who recently defended Gosling from "hate" over his role.
"So many people trying to shame him for doing it," she wrote on Instagram in January. "Despite all the #Notmyken ridicule and articles written about him, he created this completely original, hilarious, heartbreaking, now iconic character and took it all the way to Oscars."
She added, "So beyond proud to be this Ken's Barbie."
See more stars who brought the Kenergy to the 2024 Oscars:
Zendaya
In Armani Privé and Bulgari jewelry.
Florence Pugh
Del Core SS24 RTW and Bulgari jewelry.
DaVine Joy Randolph
In custom Louis Vuitton.
Jennifer Lawrence
In custom Christian Dior Haute Couture with Swarovski jewelry.
Carey Mulligan
In custom Balenciaga Couture and Fred Leighton.
Lily Gladstone
In Gucci x Joe Big Mountain.
Greta Lee
In Loewe.
Kate McKinnon
In Bucherer Fine Jewellery.
Greta Gerwig
In Gucci.
Robert Downey Jr.
In Saint Laurent and Tiffany & Co.
Margot Robbie
In Versace FW24 RTW and Fred Leighton.
Ariana Grande
In custom Giambattista Valli Haute Couture with Tiffany & Co. jewelry.
Dwayne Johnson
In Dolce & Gabbana.
Charlize Theron
Christian Dior Haute Couture.
Ryan Gosling & Mandi Gosling
Ryan Gosling in custom Gucci.
Mark Consuelos & Kelly Ripa
Kelly Ripa in archive Donna Karan New York.
Becky G
In custom Vera Wang and custom Zales jewelry.
Emma Stone
In custom Louis Vuitton.
Lupita Nyong'o
In custom Armani Privé.
America Ferrera
In custom Atelier Versace.
Hailee Steinfeld
In Elie Saab SS24 Couture and Chopard jewelry.
Kirsten Dunst & Jesse Plemons
Kirsten Dunst in Gucci with Fred Leighton jewelry.
Jodie Foster
In Loewe, Kwiat and Fred Leighton.
Billie Eilish
In Chanel.
Ke Huy Quan
In Giorgio Armani.
Gabrielle Union & Dwyane Wade
Gabrielle Union in Carolina Herrera PF24 with Tiffany & Co. jewelry and Dwyane Wade in custom Ateliee Versace.
Matt Bomer
In custom Brunello Cucinelli.
Roger Federer
Jessica Lange
Tamsin Egerton & Josh Hartnet