Ryan Gosling’s live rendition of “I’m Just Ken” stole the show at the 2024 Oscars, and fans can partially thank his two daughters for how it turned out. “It was so fun because they came to the dress rehearsal the day before and so they were in the front row,” Gosling, 43, gushed to People on Tuesday, March 12. “They gave me some tips and some notes, all great notes.”
Gosling, who starred as Ken in the 2023 movie Barbie, shares daughters Esmeralda, 9, and Amada, 7, with partner Eva Mendes. He earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, with his character’s breakout musical number, “I’m Just Ken,” earning its own nod for Best Original Song. Unfortunately, both Gosling and “I’m Just Ken” lost their categories on March 10.
During the broadcasts, Gosling sang alongside Barbie costars Simu Liu, Scott Evans, Ncuti Gatwa, and Kingsley Ben-Adir, all accompanied by a swarm of backup dancers. The performance also featured songwriter Mark Ronson and legendary guitarist Slash, and was conceived as homage to Marilyn Monroe’s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Gosling channeled his inner Marilyn by donning a hot pink, bedazzled suit and sunglasses, taking Esmeralda and Amada's suggestions to heart.
“They are such a huge part of this for me … it was my girls’ interest in Barbie and disinterest in Ken, which got me interested,” Gosling revealed at the SXSW premiere of his upcoming film, The Fall Guy. “It was beautiful to have them there at the end.” Although Esmeralda, Amada, and Mendes, 50, were Gosling’s biggest cheerleaders leading up to the Oscars, the kids stayed home on big night. Mendes, meanwhile, watched from backstage, posting on Instagram, “You took Ken all the way to the Oscars, RG. Now come home; we need to put the kids to bed.”
Gosling was instead joined by his parents and sister Mandi during the awards ceremony, which only added to the family's presence. His Oscars performance reinforced his so-called “Kenergy.” Interestingly, Gosling wasn’t initially on board with singing for the film; director Greta Gerwig mentioned, “He has a beautiful voice, and he’s a beautiful dancer. We got there organically.” She continued, “If I had said, ‘I want you to sing and dance,’ he would not have necessarily done it for me. It was sort of like boiling a lobster; by the time he was singing and dancing, he didn’t even know how we had gotten there.”
Meanwhile, Mendes has been a vocal supporter of her longtime partner during the awards season, making her absence at public events notable. At the Oscars, Gosling walked the red carpet with his sister instead of Mendes. Posting from backstage, Mendes shared a video of herself dressed casually, captioning it, “Always by my man.”
Notably, Mendes, who has cheered on Gosling from afar, later explained her absence from red carpet events. She told her Instagram followers, “Magic is real. We did not meet on set. The magic started way before, but here’s little magic captured on camera,” referring to the film The Place Beyond the Pines.
Despite fans' hopes to see Mendes support Gosling at his events, she has consistently remarked, “We don’t do those things together.” Last year, Mendes responded to supporters on Instagram, encouraging them to recognize her comfort level with sharing their moments online. “I’m only comfortable posting because it’s already out there,” Mendes began, aiming to establish clarity about their public appearances. She added, “For those who may catch me in ‘a lie’ - we only were on the red carpet together once when promoting this film.”
Nevertheless, Mendes has been unequivocally proud of Gosling throughout this awards season. Following his nomination for Best Supporting Actor, she took to social media again, expressing, “So proud of my man. So much hate when he took on this role. So many people trying to shame him for doing it. 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.”
Gosling's performance and Mendes’ unwavering support epitomize the balance of family life and career ambitions as the couple navigates their roles as partners and parents. With artistic endeavors continually intersecting with the personal, both Gosling and Mendes contribute unique pieces to their family narrative. This dynamic only adds layers to the excitement surrounding Gosling’s recent accolades, as family remains central to both of their lives.