Ryan and Margot in a still from Barbie. (courtesy: YouTube)
The 96th Academy Awards nominations, announced on Tuesday evening, included two of this year's biggest snubs. Actor Margot Robbie and director Greta Gerwig did not receive nominations for their work in the blockbuster Barbie. The Academy overlooked Greta Gerwig for Best Director, while her film Barbie has been nominated for Best Picture. While Margot Robbie was snubbed for Best Actress nomination, her Barbie co-stars Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera have been nominated in the Best Supporting Actor and the Best Supporting Actress categories, respectively. A disappointed Ryan Gosling said in a statement shared with People, "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."
Acknowledging the two women for their contribution to the film, Ryan Gosling said, "No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit and genius." 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."
Barbie, unarguably one of the biggest hits of 2023, featured Margot Robbie in the eponymous role with Ryan Gosling as Ken, and America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell in supporting roles. In the film, Margot Robbie as Barbie discovers the "truth about the universe" once she steps out of the dreamy Barbieland and steps into the real world full of emotions, tribulations and patriarchy.