“There is no Ken without Barbie,” Ryan Gosling said in a statement following Tuesday morning’s Oscar nominations announcement. The “Barbie” star, who received a nomination for best supporting actor, spoke out against the Academy’s snubs of Margot Robbie in the category of best actress and Greta Gerwig in best director.
“I am extremely honored to be nominated by my colleagues alongside such remarkable artists in a year of so many great films. And I never thought I’d being saying this, but I’m also incredible honored and proud that it’s for portraying a plastic doll named Ken,” Gosling’s statement begins. “But there is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no ‘Barbie’ movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally-celebrated film.”
Gerwig and Robbie were two major contenders heading into Tuesday’s nominatons, with many pundits and awards enthusiasts projecting the pair would receive recognition. Robbie was nominated as a producer for the film in the best picture category, while Gerwig received a nod in best adapted screenplay. But the pair’s respective omissions from the actress and director fields were two of the most talked-about snubs of the day.
“No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit and genius. To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement,” Gosling continues. “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 recognized along with the other very deserving nominees. Having said that, I am so happy for America Ferrera and the other incredible artists who contributed their talents to making this such a groundbreaking film.”
Gosling nods to Ferrera, who scored a nomination for best supporting actress for her performance in “Barbie.” The comedy racked up eight noms in total, including costume design, production design, and two original songs (“I’m Just Ken” and “What Was I Made For?”).
Gosling is nominated alongside Sterling K. Brown (“American Fiction”), Robert De Niro (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), Robert Downey Jr. (“Oppenheimer”) and Mark Ruffalo (“Poor Things”). It’s the actor’s third Oscar nom, after two previous bids for “Half Nelson” (2006) and “La La Land” (2016).
During an interview with Variety, Ferrera also expressed disappointment in Gerwig and Robbie’s misses in their respective categories.
“Greta has done just about everything that a director could do to deserve it,” she said. “Creating this world, and taking something that didn’t have inherent value to most people and making it a global phenomenon. It feels disappointing to not see her on that list.”
Regarding Robbie, she added: “What Margot achieved as an actress is truly unbelievable.”
