News | Entertainment
17 Feb 2026 17:43
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Ryan Gosling said "100 per cent no" when asked to sing 'I'm Just Ken' at the 2024 Oscars

    The 43-year-old actor, who played Ken in director Greta Gerwig's 'Barbie' movie, said he feared there was too much that could "wrong" with the performance when he was approached by the producers of this year's Academy Awards with the idea he should perform it on stage


    He said on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon': "(It was) 100 per cent no.

    "There's a lot of ways that could go wrong."

    When host Jimmy, 49, read positive reviews about Ryan's performance, he referenced the talk show host's house band when he jokingly replied: "Imagine the reviews I would have had if I'd have had The Roots."

    Ryan's 'I'm Just Ken' performance saw him dancing in a pink suit and black cowboy hat while joined onstage by the song's writer and producer Mark Ronson as well as his fellow movie 'Kens' - Simu Liu, Scott Evans, Ncuti Gatwa and Kingsley Ben-Adir.

    Ryan was also joined by Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash and Wolfgang Van Halen, and at one point the actor handed his mic to audience members Margot Robbie - who played 'Barbie' in Greta's blockbuster - as well as Emma Stone, America Ferrera and Greta.

    Ryan - who has daughters Esmeralda Amada, nine, and Amada Lee, seven, with his long-time partner Eva Mendes, 50 - said his kids' reaction to his Oscars performance was: "Dad's Kenning again."

    He added about how his girls inspired him to take the Ken role: "I mean it was their interest in Barbie and their disinterest in Ken that sort of started all of this.

    "It's really been a team effort. They were on the film and they came to set when I filmed the number but it's also been like a lot of this has no context for them.

    "You know it's just like a lot of fake tan stains around the house, bleached hair.

    "So I wanted to them to come to the dress rehearsal just to give it some kind of context for what had been going on."

    Ken also said his Oscars performance was his girls' first experience of live music, adding: "They knew all the choreography better than I do. And the songs, oh my God, they're backstage kind of like showing me (jazz hands), you know."

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     17 Feb: Gordon Ramsay has insisted Victoria Beckham did not behave "inappropriately" at her son's wedding
     17 Feb: Halle Berry "never thought she'd get married again"
     17 Feb: Brooks Nader was "chasing perfection" during her teenage years
     17 Feb: Part star, part supporting actor, Robert Duvall lit up 1970s American cinema – and kept going
     17 Feb: Rupert Grint has been able to "pick and choose" his roles thanks to the success of Harry Potter
     17 Feb: James Van Der Beek's family have thanked fans for their recent show of support
     17 Feb: Megan Thee Stallion feels "comfy" with Klay Thompson
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Irish rugby to investigate racial abuse towards Test debutant Edwin Edogbo More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    New Zealand lamb is still a premium product in the UK, 144 years since the first shipment of 5000 carcasses sailed out of Port Chalmers in 1882 More...



     Today's News

    Cricket:
    The Black Caps don't believe the loss to South Africa will derail their T20 World Cup campaign 17:27

    Entertainment:
    Gordon Ramsay has insisted Victoria Beckham did not behave "inappropriately" at her son's wedding 17:27

    Politics:
    Parliament's approving major changes to employment law 16:57

    Entertainment:
    Halle Berry "never thought she'd get married again" 16:57

    Business:
    New Zealand lamb is still a premium product in the UK, 144 years since the first shipment of 5000 carcasses sailed out of Port Chalmers in 1882 16:47

    Entertainment:
    Brooks Nader was "chasing perfection" during her teenage years 16:27

    Business:
    The Finance Minister's accusing Labour of scraping the barrel with its questions in Parliament 16:17

    Rugby League:
    Three Breakers players have been nominated for awards in the Australian basketball league gongs 16:07

    Entertainment:
    Part star, part supporting actor, Robert Duvall lit up 1970s American cinema – and kept going 16:07

    Law and Order:
    Louvre tour guides accused of orchestrating $16m ticket fraud ring over a decade 16:07


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd