Following the mind-numbing (read: infuriating) announcement that Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig have been snubbed in their categories at the 2024 Oscars nominations, their Barbie comrades Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera (the former, of whom, managed to score a nomination) have gone to bat for them.
Gosling, who received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Ken, swiftly released a statement after the nominees were revealed.
“I am extremely honoured 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 honoured and proud that it’s for portraying a plastic doll named Ken,” his statement began.
“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.”
Ryan Gosling as Ken. (Credit: Barbie)
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 fact that they were snubbed from from the actress and director fields, while the leading man of the film managed to score a nom, speaks volumes of how cooked the system still is.
“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 continued.
“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 am so happy for America Ferrera and the other incredible artists who contributed their talents to making this such a groundbreaking film.”
The movie 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?”) along with America Ferrera, who scored a nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
America Ferrera also released a statement about the unfortunate snub, describing the news as “incredibly disappointing.”
“There was a moment where I wasn’t sure if I had made it up,” Ferrera told Variety. “And then my phone started blowing up so I figured that I must have heard it right.”
“I still haven’t really been able to get in my feelings because I’m still on like the top layer of ‘I can’t even believe that this is real,’” she added.
Have a read of the full list of 2024 Oscars nominations.
