Ryan Gosling Says Slash Just Got It On 'I'm Just Ken' Oscars Performance: 'It Was Very Tense'

Slash was one of the highlights of Ryan Gosling's 'I'm Just Ken' performance at the 2024 Oscars, but according to the actor, the Guns N' Roses guitarist barely made it to the event.

During the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show on Wednesday night (May 1), Gosling revealed that before the show, he was nervous about the flamboyant number, which included dozens of backup dancers, severed Barbie heads and audience participation, in addition to Slash shredding on guitar to end.

“You were nervous about how it would turn out, right?” Kimmel asked, to which Gosling jokingly replied, “I wonder why.”

“We had to have Slash,” o La La Land continued the star. “It's an enigma. It was very tense. He had a concert in China the night before and then one in Thailand the next night. So it was like, “Slash will never be able to be here.” He wasn't in rehearsal.”

As viewers saw on Oscar night on March 10, Slash finally made it to the show. Backstage, Gosling says he's relieved — but he didn't get a chance to chat with the rock star after it was all over. “All of a sudden, on my way to rehearsal, I saw a guitar case and it had a skull with a hat on it,” he recalls. “And I knew Slash had arrived. Then, after the show, he left.”

“I'm Just Ken” was one of five songs nominated for best original song at this year's Oscars, where another Barbie The track, 'What Was I Made For?' of Billie Eilish and Finneas, ended up with the award. The brother-sibling duo were the first to appear on stage at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, while Gosling, Slash, Mark Ronson and Co. it was the last show.

Gosling's next project after-Barbie is Autumn type, which opens in theaters on Friday (May 3). He recently revealed his favorite Taylor Swift song in honor of his character in the film's love affair with the pop star, as did actress Emily Blunt.

“'All Too Well' right now has a real soft spot in my heart,” he said Fandango in April, while Blunt said: “The harsh summer is enough for me.”

See the full Gosling Jimmy Kimmel Live! interview below.