Ryan Gosling Says Eva Mendes and Daughters Gave Him ‘Tips' Ahead of ‘I’m Just Ken’ Performance (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Ryan Gosling at the SXSW premiere of ‘The Fall Guy’ on March 12, 2024 in Austin, Texas.Photo:Daniel Boczarski/Getty

Daniel Boczarski/Getty

Ryan Goslingis revealing more about his performance of “I’m Just Ken" at the2024 Oscars.

Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE at the world premiere ofThe Fall GuyatSXSWin Austin on Tuesday, Gosling, 43, opened up about how he got some crucial advice from his long-term partnerEva Mendesandtheir daughtersEsmeralda Amada, 9, and Amada Lee, 7, ahead of the show.

“It was great,” theBarbiestar tells PEOPLE. “It was so fun because they came to the dress rehearsal the day before and so they were in the front row. "

“They gave me some tips and some notes, all great notes,” he continues. “They are such a huge part of this for me…it was my girl’s interest in Barbie and disinterest in Ken that got me into this in the first place. It was beautiful to have them there at the end.”

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Ryan Gosling performs “I’m Just Ken” from “Barbie” onstage at the Academy Awards March 10.PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty

Gosling stole the show at the 96thAcademy Awardson Sunday with hislive performanceof “I’m Just Ken” whichlost outto theBillie Eilishsong “What Was I Made For?” for the award of Best Original Song.

Ryan Gosling the SXSW premiere of ‘The Fall Guy’ on March 12, 2024 in Austin, Texas.Daniel Boczarski/Getty

Fresh off his Supporting Actor nomination (bringing his total with the Academy to three), Gosling leads the action-comedyThe Fall Guyas Colt Seavers.

Appearing atThe Fall Guyworld premiere alongside co-starEmily Blunt, the actor also opened up about the craziest stunt he’s ever had to do while filming.

“They dropped me twelve stories off of a building and I have a fear of heights,” he tells PEOPLE. “I mean I did a few more things and I would have been happy to say I did none of my own stunts in this movie but it was important that I do a few, especially the actor that starts the film.

“It helped me to understand exactly on some small level what they do every day,” he adds.

Stunts take center stage in Universal Pictures’ new movie version ofThe Fall Guy, which revolves around an explosive sci-fi-Western. Blunt, 41, plays the movie-in-a-movie’s director, forced to hire Gosling’s character to oversee its wild stunt sequences.

Costarring isWinston Dukeas a stunt coordinator,Hannah Waddinghamas a producer,Aaron Taylor-Johnsonas a cocky leading man — who mysteriously disappears — andStephanie Hsuas his beleaguered assistant.

source: people.com