Ryan Gosling will be performing “I’m Just Ken” from “Barbie” at the Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced. Gosling joins several other performers announced Wednesday for the 2024 Academy Awards.
Gosling, who earned a best supporting actor nomination for his portrayal of Barbie’s long-term boyfriend, performed “I’m Just Ken” in the box office hit. Written by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, it’s one of two tracks from “Barbie” up for best original song at the award show, which will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre on Sunday, March 10, at 7 p.m. EDT.
“What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell is the other song from “Barbie” up for the Oscar. It’s already won a Golden Globe and a Grammy. At the Critics Choice Awards, “I’m Just Ken” took the best song award.
This is Gosling’s third time nominated for an Academy Award (he was previously up for “La La Land” and “Half Nelson”).
Before the Oscar nominations came out in January, Gosling was asked if he was going to perform his character’s song at the Academy Awards.
“I wasn’t thinking about it until now, and now it’s all I’m going to think about,” he told W Magazine with a smile. “… Do you get paid for that? What do you get paid to sing at the Oscars? … They pick you up at least, right? Do you have to self-drive?”
When the nominations were revealed without nods for Gosling’s co-star Margot Robbie in the best actress category or for Greta Gerwig for best director, Gosling spoke out against the academy’s decision.
“There is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally celebrated film,” he said in a statement. “… To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement.”
The movie received a total of eight Oscar nominations, including a best supporting actress nod for America Ferrera. Gerwig was nominated for best adapted screenplay with her partner, Noah Baumbach, and Robbie is also a producer for the movie, which is up for best picture.
