By Nell Geraets
Barbie star Margot Robbie has publicly acknowledged her lack of a nomination for best actress at this year’s Oscars for the first time, praising the film for its significant cultural impact.
Robbie, 33, received a nod from the Academy for her producer role in the blockbuster hit Barbie, nominated for best picture in January, but not in the best actress category for her acclaimed performance in the title role.
Margot Robbie has responded to the outrage over her perceived Oscars snub.Credit: AP
Ryan Gosling, whose role as Ken landed him a best supporting actor nod, expressed his disappointment following the nominations. “There is no Ken without Barbie,” he said in a statement.
He also expressed dismay at the exclusion of Barbie’s director, Greta Gerwig, who missed out on the best director category, though she received a nod for best adapted screenplay. “To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement,” he said.
This sentiment was shared by his co-star America Ferrera and stars beyond the Barbie universe, including Oppenheimer’s Robert Downey Jr.
“Margot Robbie is not getting enough credit, in my opinion,” the actor, nominated for best supporting actor alongside Gosling, said in a recent SAG-AFTRA Foundation roundtable. “America [Ferrera] has this amazing speech. And, by the way, she nails it … But it’s the cuts away to Robbie so actively listening that I realise Greta is really onto something here.”
Both Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie were shut out of their respective categories at the Oscars this year.Credit: AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
However, Robbie handled the apparent snub with grace while speaking at a panel this week.
“There’s no way to feel sad when you know you’re this blessed,” she said at a SAG screening. “Obviously, I think Greta should be nominated as a director because what she did is a once-in-a-career, once-in-a-lifetime thing, what she pulled off, it really is. But it’s been an incredible year for all the films.”
Robbie said she was “beyond ecstatic” about the eight Oscar nominations Barbie received, noting that each nod indicates the film achieved what it set out to accomplish.
“We set out to do something that would shift culture, affect culture, just make some sort of impact,” she said. “And it’s already done that and some – way more than we ever dreamed it would. And that is truly the biggest reward that could come out of all of this.”
The film has so far grossed over $2 billion worldwide, making it the first billion-dollar film solely directed by a woman. It also became a cultural phenomenon, transforming cinemas into hot pink Barbie Dreamworlds upon its release in July.
“I just suspect it’s bigger than us. It’s bigger than this movie; it’s bigger than our industry,” Robbie said of the reaction to the film. “People’s reactions to the movie have been the biggest reward of this entire experience, whether it’s having a moment like that, or whether it’s listening in the bathrooms, or whether it’s seeing what people are writing online, or even just seeing how much pink I can see in this room right now.”
Those who were nominated for best actress include Emma Stone (Poor Things), Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall), Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon), Carey Mulligan (Maestro) and Annette Bening (Nyad).
The Oscars will take place on March 11.
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