What Was It Really Like Performing Barbie’s ‘I’m Just Ken’ At The Oscars? Simu Liu Fesses Up: ‘It Was Not Looking Good’

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The Barbie movie dominated 2023. It sparked a widespread love for pink fashion and delivered a powerful message about the pressures faced by women, while also offering a fun reminder to men that they are valued. A standout moment celebrating the film was Ryan Gosling’s performance of “I’m Just Ken” at the Oscars, but Simu Liu has revealed that the performance was surprisingly challenging to put together.

Everyone was wondering if Ryan Gosling would sing “I’m Just Ken” at the 96th Academy Awards. According to Simu Liu, who played Rival Ken in Barbie, the decision wasn’t finalized until almost the very last moment. He explained to Collider:

Honestly, that performance is easily in my top five favorite moments ever. The way it all came together, especially considering how ‘live’ it felt, was incredible. Looking back, it was almost a disaster – things really weren’t clicking during Saturday’s dress rehearsal. So, to see it all come together and be executed so brilliantly on Sunday felt like a real accomplishment, a total feat of teamwork and skill.

It was a truly exceptional performance. From Ryan Gosling subtly positioning himself to highlight Margot Robbie at the beginning, to Emma Stone’s inclusion in the moment, the energy – even dubbed “Kenergy” – captivated everyone, including Martin Scorsese.

Given the famous faces in attendance and the large live audience, was Simu Liu anxious before his performance? He explained:

Absolutely. Especially for me, Scott, Ncuti, and Kingsley – we all play different Kens in the movie. Since we have smaller roles, our main focus was supporting Ryan [Gosling] and making sure we didn’t let him – or the film – down. We really didn’t want to be the one person who ruined it for everyone.

It was definitely a high-pressure situation. The number came together very fast and went through many revisions, but thankfully, with help from Ryan Gosling and the choreographer, they managed to avoid any major problems. The actor went on to say:

It was a huge production, but we had fantastic support. Mandy Moore’s choreography was incredible, and we were joined by seventy other talented Kens and the legendary Slash. Everyone really brought their A-game.

Mandy Moore is the same actress who collaborated with Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone on La La Land, and she’s also the choreographer behind Taylor Swift’s hugely successful Eras Tour. So, Simu Liu might be overreacting a bit.

It’s understandable, though. Ryan Gosling, Simu Liu, and the other actors aren’t Taylor Swift, and they’re not accustomed to the pressure and quick changes that come with live shows. Ultimately, they rose to the occasion and were fantastic as Ken.

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2025-11-26 00:08