Margot Robbie broke her silence on the notable absence of her Best Actress nomination for the blockbuster film 'Barbie' at the upcoming 96th Academy Awards.
Despite the film securing an impressive eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, Robbie's omission from the Best Actress category prompted fan outcry and raised questions about the recognition of her outstanding performance.
Robbie's Optimistic Response
Robbie, a nominee for Best Picture due to her role as a producer on 'Barbie,' remains unfazed by the perceived snub. Addressing the concerns during a SAG-AFTRA discussion with her 'Barbie' co-stars, she stated, "There's no way to feel sad when you know you're this blessed."
Expressing her joy over the film's overall success, Robbie acknowledged the wild ride of receiving eight Academy Award nominations. However, she believes that Gerwig should have been nominated for the Best Director award.
"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," she said. "But it's been an incredible year for all the films."
Robbie highlighted the film's significance, stating that it is "bigger than us" and "bigger than our industry."
With the movie surpassing $1 billion at the box office, she expressed gratitude for the success that exceeded their expectations, considering it the most significant reward amid the nominations controversy.
Support From Co-Actors
Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken in the film, echoed Robbie's sentiments, emphasizing the pivotal roles of Robbie and Gerwig in making 'Barbie' a history-making and globally celebrated phenomenon.
In contrast to Robbie's lighthearted reaction to the Oscar snubs, Gosling, who is nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the prestigious awards, expressed profound disappointment.
"There is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally celebrated film," the actor said. "To say that I'm disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement."
Similarly, America Ferrera, who got her first Oscar nomination for her role as Gloria in Barbie, also expressed disappointment over the snubs.
"I was incredibly disappointed that [Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig] weren't nominated," Ferrera told Variety in an interview.
In the Best Actress category, nominees include Annette Bening ('Nyad'), Lily Gladstone ('Killers of the Flower Moon'), Sandra Hüller ('Anatomy of a Fall'), Carey Mulligan ('Maestro'), and Emma Stone ('Poor Things').
Meanwhile, vying for the Best Director title are Justine Triet ('Anatomy of a Fall'), Martin Scorsese ('Killers of the Flower Moon'), Christopher Nolan ('Oppenheimer'), Yorgos Lanthimos ('Poor Things'), and Jonathan Glazer ('The Zone of Interest').
Released in July 2023, 'Barbie' grossed an astounding $1.4 billion globally, becoming Warner Bros. Pictures' highest-grossing domestic release to date. Despite the disappointment over individual nominations, the film's cast and crew express their pride in contributing to a groundbreaking cinematic achievement.
The 96th Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will be held on March 10, 2024.
