It’s basically impossible to imagine Greta Gerwig’s Barbie without Ryan Gosling’s intrepid performance of “I’m Just Ken”—but according to the song’s co-writer, Mark Ronson, the bit almost ended up on the cutting room floor.
Turns out the studio was unsure about the song, which went on to be nominated for an Oscar: “I thought, ‘God, I hope we don’t ruin it,’” Ronson told The Sunday Times. “At that first screening, the song wasn’t working. I panicked. The humor wasn’t translating, and Greta had to fight. The studio asked her how much she really needed it and she said ‘With every inch of my body.’ And then there was a big swing.”
Despite ample controversy of Gerwig and the film’s titular star Margot Robbie not receiving individual Oscar nominations, Barbie snagged eight nods total, including recognition for “I’m Just Ken” and for Gosling himself, who is nominated for Best Supporting Actor. For Friday’s Academy Award rehearsals—where presenters and performers alike prepared for the big show Sunday—Gosling brought the heat. And his turn as Ken has impressed even the crème de la crème, like Julia Roberts, herself a Best Actress Oscar winner in 2001 (for her titular role in the film Erin Brockovich).
“I met Ryan recently, a few times, and when you bring such dimension to a performance, it’s remarkable,” Roberts told People at a dinner in L.A. to celebrate the launch of her Chopard x Julia Roberts collection. (She is a global ambassador for the brand.) “Barbie was so unique and new.”
Robbie has high hopes for Gosling’s performance at the Academy Awards, telling Variety on Saturday night “He’s going to crush it. I’m so excited. I think he’s going to be the highlight of the whole night. I think a lot of people are going to be tuning in for this specific performance.”
Of the songwriting process, Ronson acknowledged that “Ken is ridiculous,” he said. “But Greta’s point was that nobody should ever be laughing at a character. We feel their pain, as crazy as that sounds about a guy wearing a white mink and two pairs of sunglasses. I never wanted to write a song for a cheap laugh. You want something to get under people’s skin.”
