‘Live’: Simu Liu Recalls Disastrous Rehearsal For “I’m Just Ken” Oscars Performance, Admits It “Went So Poorly” They Had To Practice The Day Of The Awards Show

Nearly two months after Hollywood’s biggest night, Simu Liu is opening up about the Oscars‘ biggest performance: “I’m Just Ken.”

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos spoke with the Atlas star on this morning’s Live with Kelly and Mark, where Ripa told Liu that she and Consuelos were backstage at the awards ceremony and witnessed him and his fellow Kens assembling for their Barbie-inspired performance.

“We watched you guys all running. We saw all the Kens all running to get into place backstage,” she said. “It was bedlam. It was craziness. Tell us what it was like from the performance aspect.”

Liu shared that “it was very nerve-racking” to perform live, especially in front of such an A-list crowd.

“To do it with like Robert Downey Jr., and Emma Stone in the front row, Cillian Murphy… like that’s just a little added layer of, you know, you’re not performing to an audience that’s just happy to see a show,” he shared. “They’re like the greatest entertainers on the face of the earth. So yeah, you’re like OK, I shouldn’t mess this up.”

He also noted the “logistical nightmare that’s like seventy dancers rotating with a steady cam.”

“The camera work on stage has to be so intricate,” he added.

Consuelos asked him how long they spent rehearsing the number, to which Liu replied, “Not that long.”

“Like, shockingly little,” he continued. “Not long enough, definitely.”

Liu explained that they “had a Saturday night dress rehearsal that was supposed to be the last run-through.”

“And then we were supposed to go home, get a good night sleep, and go to the Oscars well-rested,” he recalled. “And the run-through went so poorly that they called us in and they were like, you have to come in on Sunday.”

Ripa chimed in, “On Oscar Sunday?”

Liu confirmed as much, revealing that they “booked hotel rooms” for all of them at the Dolby Theater.

“I didn’t even know there was a hotel attached,” he added. “And obviously it’s like a big operation with myself and my date and all of our grooming and styling. So we had to move everything to the hotel. And then I ran downstairs, went to rehearse, came back up, had eight minutes to get ready for the Oscars — you know, to do the actual red carpet — and you know, we made it work.”

That last-minute rehearsal certainly paid off, as the performance has garnered a ton of praise. Stone even teased that her dress malfunction took place during the notable number while accepting the award for Best Actress.

Live with Kelly and Mark airs on weekdays. Check out their website for your local listings.