🎧 How They Made the Oscars Fun Again

Showrunner Raj Kapoor and choreographer Mandy Moore tell Debbie Allen about 'I’m Just Ken' and other iconic moments

GOOD TIMES From left: Robert Downey Jr., Jimmy Kimmel and John Cena from the Oscars. (Photo illustration by The Ankler; Richard Harbaugh/AMPAS. via Getty Images)

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“It was a celebration of us being back together,” says first-time Oscars showrunner and executive producer Raj Kapoor. He’s talking about the instant classic showstopper “I’m Just Ken” that electrified audiences during the 96th Academy Awards, but as he notes, he’s also talking about the joy of returning to the movies. During this intimate conversation alongside choreographer Mandy Moore and led by the inimitable Debbie Allen (who choreographed the Oscars a record 10 times), Kapoor and Moore share innumerable backstage tidbits that bring to life how they pulled off the “glamorous Hollywood take” on the Oscar-nominated song with the help of Ryan Gosling. (Just how many Kens can you fit on stage? 64!) Plus: How Kapoor kept the show moving, brought energy to the production and just how John Cena ended up in that modesty pouch.

TURNAROUND ARTISTS From left: Debbie Allen interviews Raj Kapoor and Mandy Moore. (All Getty Images: Kevin Winter; Mike Coppola; Amy Sussman)

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