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It seemed like a glaring omission. When the Academy Awards nominations were announced, fans were stunned that Margot Robbie hadn’t cracked the nod for her performance in the Barbie movie.
Neither did Greta Gerwig, who directed the smash-hit film.
However, Ryan Gosling, who played Ken, earned a nomination for best supporting actor and America Ferrera for best supporting actress.
Everyone was wondering how Margot (33) was feeling about the snub and while appearing with her Barbie co-stars at a Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) discussion recently, the actress broke her silence on the matter. Although an Oscar nomination would've been nice, she's not allowing herself to feel bitter about being overlooked.
“There’s no way to feel sad when you know you’re this blessed,” she said, according to Variety magazine.
“Obviously, I think Greta should be nominated as a director. What she did is a once-in-a-career, once-in-a-lifetime thing."
The actress recalled that when the movie was in the making, the goal was “to do something that would shift culture, affect culture, just make some sort of impact”.
“It's already done that, and some way more than we ever dreamed it would.”
But her “biggest reward” is how well the movie was received.
“Whether it's seeing what people are writing online or even just seeing how much pink I can see in this room right now . . . I’ve never been a part of something like this," she added.
“I’ve done comic book stuff and that gets a big reaction, but this felt very different. I can’t think of a time when a movie’s had this effect on culture."
While Ryan has expressed disappointment that Greta and Margot weren't nominated some fans are hoping Barbie will "pull an Argo" and walk away with the best picture Oscar.
Argo director and star Ben Affleck was snubbed by the Academy in the directing and acting categories in 2013, but the movie surprised everyone when it won the best picture award.
While Ryan (43) says he was "honoured" to be nominated, he points out that "there is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie".
“Against all odds with nothing but a couple of soulless, scantily clad, and thankfully crotchless dolls, they made us laugh, they broke our hearts, they pushed the culture, and they made history.
"Their work should be recognised along with the other very deserving nominees. Having said that, I'm so happy for America Ferrera and the other incredible artists who contributed their talents to making this such a groundbreaking film.”
America (39) also shared her “incredible disappointment” that Greta and Margot weren't nominated for their work.
"Perhaps people got fooled into thinking that the work seems easy," she commented in an interview with Variety.
“What Margot has achieved as an actress is unbelievable. One of the things about her as an actress is how easy she makes everything look.
"Greta has done just about everything a director could do to deserve it.”
READ MORE| How Greta Gerwig went from playing with hand-me-down Barbies to Hollywood’s hottest director
Margot and Greta were, however, nominated in other categories – they are contenders in the best picture category as the film's producers and Greta, with her husband Noah Baumbach, are nominees for best adapted screenplay for Barbie.
Margot has twice been nominated as an actress for her roles in I, Tonya and Bombshell, and Greta has been nominated once for a directing Oscar, for her debut, Lady Bird, and twice for her screenwriting for Lady Bird and Little Women.
Greta is also the first director in Hollywood history to have three best picture nominations for her first three movies – Lady Bird, Little Women and Barbie.
Since the announcement of the 2024 Oscar nominations, many celebrities have responded to the way Greta and Margot were overlooked.
“You know, joy and disappointment, it seems to go hand in hand,” said Michelle Yeoh, last year's best actress Oscar winner.
“It’s just, for us, it’s like, it’s not enough nominations to go around,” she told the Today Show.
“The only take is like, it’s so competitive out there and there is no guarantee because you’re not the only voter, you know? It’s widespread. Thank God the movie got nominated for best picture. But you do think, ‘How do you get nominated for best picture but not best director and not best actress?’”
“Greta and Margot,” wrote former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Instagram, “While it can sting to win the box office but not take home the gold, your millions of fans love you. You’re both so much more than Kenough. #HillaryBarbie.”
Whoopi Goldberg took a slightly different view, saying, "Everybody doesn’t win. It’s not the elites; it’s the entire family of the Academy Awards who vote for best picture nominations. We all vote for best picture, everybody . . . You don’t get everything you want to get.”
“There are no snubs,” she added. “That’s what you have to keep in mind: Not everybody gets a prize, and it is subjective. Movies are subjective. The movies you love may not be loved by the people who are voting.”
The Academy Awards will be held on 11 March.
SOURCES: PEOPLE.COM, INSTAGRAM.COM, CONSEQUENCE.COM, IMDB.COM, HUFFPOST.COM, JUSTJARED.COM, BBC.COM,HOLLYWOODLIFE.COM, VARIETY.COM
