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.”
