Martin Scorsese’s grand Western masterpiece ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ might not have clinched any Oscars at the 96th Academy Awards, but the revered director found himself captivated by something unexpected: Ryan Gosling’s mesmerising Kenergy.
Scorsese appeared thoroughly engrossed by the Barbie actor’s rendition of the Oscar-nominated song ‘I’m Just Ken,’ as captured in videos shared by his daughter Francesca Scorsese.
Also Read: Ryan Gosling Finally Performs ‘I’m Just Ken’ at The 2024 Oscars With Surprise Guests!
Despite being nominated for ‘Best Director’ for ‘Killers,’ a category won by Christopher Nolan, Scorsese’s face lit up with joy as Gosling delivered a buzz-worthy performance of the song. In one clip, the filmmaker flashed repeated smiles at the camera and chuckled to himself, clearly entertained by Gosling’s energetic rendition.
Another clip showed Scorsese appearing surprised by the Ken backup dancers in the aisle, followed by moments where he gleefully pointed at the stage.
Meanwhile, Gosling’s partner Eva Mendes shared one of Francesca Scorsese’s videos on her Instagram story, expressing her excitement over Scorsese’s reaction. She wrote, “[I’m] living for this major moment of your Dad!!!! How F cool!”
Although Mendes didn’t accompany Gosling on the red carpet, she posted a video from outside his dressing room just before the ceremony began, with the caption, “Always by my man.” Following the ‘I’m Just Ken’ performance, Mendes shared a picture of herself inside what appeared to be Gosling’s dressing room, donning the same pink jacket and black cowboy hat worn by Gosling during his performance. “You took Ken all the way to the [Oscars], RG,” she wrote. “Now come home, we need to put the kids to bed.”
Despite Gosling’s captivating performance, he ultimately lost the ‘Best Supporting Actor’ award to Robert Downey Jr. for Oppenheimer and ‘I’m Just Ken’ missed out on the ‘Best Original Song’ award, which went to fellow ‘Barbie’ nominee ‘What Was I Made For?’ by Billie Eilish.