The 96th Academy Awards was nothing short of cinematic history, thanks to the Barbenheimer box office showdown that had the entire world in a headlock
summer of 2023. For an entire year, every award show, gala, and industry handshake felt like an atomic detonator ready for Oppenheimer
coronation. But this year’s Oscars battlefield? No Barbie
dreamhouse. No pink-tastic contender. Just a sea of black tuxedos until Jimmy Fallon pulled out a familiar Ken from his magician’s hat before the red carpet could even roll out. Before you clutch your pearls though, this was not Ryan Gosling.
While Jimmy Kimmel’s Barbie
Land entrance still lives rent-free in every mind, Fallon’s unexpected Ken-nection is giving a plot twist Greta Gerwig
Who is Jimmy Fallon’s known Ken Doll if not Ryan Gosling?
The Barbenheimer showdown may have been last year’s most explosive Oscar pill to swallow. But before the big night rolls around again, Jimmy Fallon may have summoned an Oscar 2024 déjà vu with “Ken doll”
No. 2 in the spotlight. Simu Liu recently stopped by The Tonight Show
, and things quickly turned into a backstage Ken-ergy test laboratory. The show’s official X handle shared a snippet where a plastic-perfect challenge ensued.
It’s giving Ken doll
@SimuLiu #FallonTonight pic.twitter.com/0DkZFlt2N0
— The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight) February 27, 2025
Fallon dared Liu to sit down without bending his knees. And Liu, ever the method actor, went full-on Mattel mode, stretching his legs and face-planting onto his chest like a pro. However, his tuxedo twirl on the way down truly sealed his Dreamhouse destiny—Ken, but make it dapper. As for Fallon, his attempt did not quite snap into place. Instead of serving limited knee mobility, he delivered full-on pratfall plasticity, proving that some Kens are built for the spotlight and others just hit the floor.
Read More: Ryan Gosling Could Finally Get His Dream Marvel Role, Reveals Recent Reports
Though the 97th Academy Awards may not see the Ken-ergy taking center stage, the 2024 Oscars were delightful in summoning the entire Mattel house of Kens.
Simu Liu and Ryan Gosling served a double dose of Ken-ergy at the 96th Academy Awards
Simu Liu played one of the Kens in the smash-hit Barbie
movie whose Best Director snub turned the world into cynics
. But when the Oscar-nominated Ryan Gosling took to the stage last year to perform an Oscar rendition of the nominated song, ‘I’m Just Ken,’ he was not the only Ken doll who stole the show. Liu joined Gosling on stage despite struggling with a foot injury at the time.
Ryan Gosling brings the “Kenergy” at the #Oscars as he performs ‘I’m Just Ken.’ pic.twitter.com/tmI4Y59uEO
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) March 11, 2024
Liu tore his Achilles tendon during a getaway with friends in October 2022 (via PEOPLE). Although he had to attend red-carpet events with a brace on his leg, he was not ready to give up the dancing segment as Ken No. 2 at the Academy Awards. “I think that song really actually applies to me, more than it does Ken,”
Liu said, speaking of his personal connection with the track. However, this revisit may have been just the pill the Oscars need to ensure it does not fall short of Ken-ergy the night calls for.
What do you think of Simu Liu’s Ken theatrics with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show
? Let us know in the comments below!