Barbie’s Ryan Gosling is speaking out after star Margot Robbie and director Greta Gerwig were left out of big categories for the 2024 Oscar nominations.
Gosling — who is up for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Ken — said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter that he’s “incredibly honored and proud” to see his work recognized by the academy but can’t fully enjoy the nomination while Barbie herself and the film’s leader are left out.
“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,” Gosling said. “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.”
He added: “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.”
While Robbie and Gerwig have been deemed two egregious Oscar snubs by many, Gosling does at least take the time to celebrate America Ferrera’s nomination for Actress in a Supporting Role as well as “the other incredible artists who contributed their talents to making this such a groundbreaking film.” Barbie managed to nab a total of eight noms, including Best Picture, Production Design, and Costume Design.
Gosling was far from the only one to share their disappointment online.
“No nom for Greta Gerwig?” Stephen King said on X (formerly Twitter). “Can that actually be true?”
“Greta Gerwig & Margot Robbie were as crucial to Barbie’s critical & commercial success as Nolan & Cillian Murphy were to Oppenheimer’s – imagine the uproar if one or both of those men had been snubbed! it’s wild how Barbie is ‘Oscar worthy,’ but not the women who made it so,” user @ZoeRoseBryant said.
The iconic Barbie monologue delivered by the brilliant, Oscar nominated @AmericaFerrera really rings true after the movie’s director, Greta Gerwig, was passed over for an Oscar nomination … even though the movie she created was nominated for Best Picture. pic.twitter.com/cJ0FygrLPE
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) January 23, 2024
Barbie quickly became part of a global movement when it took over theaters last summer. The film floated past the $1 billion milestone, with Box Office Mojo reporting that its worldwide total eventually capped out at a staggering $1,445,638,421.
In our 9/10 review, we called Barbie “A masterful exploration of femininity and the pressures of perfection.”
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
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