Ryan Gosling sent the Kenergy through the roof at the Oscars Sunday night with a dazzling performance of “I’m Just Ken” from last summer’s blockbuster “Barbie.”
Gosling, a Best Supporting Actor nominee for his portrayal of Ken in “Barbie,” seemingly brought the sleepy ceremony back to life by delivering a high-octane rendition of the Best Song contender.
Dressed in a hot pink suit and a pair of sunglasses, Gosling was joined onstage by songwriters Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, as well as a troupe of tuxedoed Kens in an homage to Marilyn Monroe’s iconic performance of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” from the 1953 movie musical “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”
There were a few more surprises in store, too. As “I’m Just Ken” reached its crescendo, Guns ’N Roses guitarist Slash and Wolfgang Van Halen, son of late rocker Eddie Van Halen, appeared onstage to accompany Gosling for the remainder of the song.
While “I’m Just Ken” was, without question, one of the ceremony’s most buzzworthy moments, Gosling’s performance wasn’t announced until late February ― long after performers of other Best Song contenders, including Jon Batiste and Billie Eilish, had been confirmed.
Though Gosling had previously showcased his musical chops in 2016’s “La-La Land,” he told Variety in an interview published early February that he hadn’t yet been asked to perform at the Oscars.
“It might be too much of a risk to have me do it,” he said at the time. “I don’t know how that would work.”
One person who had no doubts about Gosling’s ability to command the stage, however, was his “Barbie” co-star, Margot Robbie.
Speaking to Variety ahead of Sunday’s ceremony, Robbie said Gosling was “going to crush it.”
“I’m so excited. I think he’s going to be the highlight of the whole night,” she said. “I think a lot of people are going to be tuning in for this specific performance.”
Watch Ryan Gosling perform “I’m Just Ken” at the Oscars below.