Barbie's Ryan Gosling Gets Candid In Statement On Greta Gerwig & Margot Robbie Snubs
In the aftermath of Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie's Oscar nomination snubs for directing and starring in "Barbie," Ken himself is speaking out.
Ryan Gosling, who was nominated for the movie for his supporting turn as Ken to Robbie's main Barbie, has released a statement that was obtained by The Hollywood Reporter (among other outlets). Gerwig and Robbie earned nominations for writing and producing, respectively, but like so many others, Gosling clearly found it egregious that their accomplishments weren't fully acknowledged.
"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 be saying this, but I'm also incredibly honored and proud that it's for portraying a plastic doll named Ken," Gosling wrote.
"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," the actor continued, noting their absences in the best director and best actress categories. "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."
Ryan Gosling is grateful for his Oscar nomination and honored his fellow Barbie nominees
Ryan Gosling had nothing but praise for Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie and their work on "Barbie," which is extremely fair. The movie arguably wouldn't be the success it was without Robbie's lead performance, and Gerwig demonstrated exceptional skill as a director by creating a heightened world with a real heart. That's to say nothing of the fact that she somehow made a profound, smart, and subversive movie centered around a Barbie doll.
Gosling made sure to discuss this as well in his statement: "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."
In the midst of his statement, Gosling made sure to honor those who were nominated for their work on the film. "Having said that," Gosling continued, "I am so happy for America Ferrera and the other incredible artists who contributed their talents to making this such a groundbreaking film." Ferrera earned her first-ever Oscar nod for playing Mattel employee Gloria, and the movie also scored nominations for its production and costume design.
It's ultimately disheartening that Ken, not Barbie, got an Oscar nomination for Barbie
It's disappointing that Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie — arguably the twin pillars that make "Barbie" so excellent — both missed out on big nominations that could have bolstered the film's overall chances to win best picture. It's also, as The Hollywood Reporter points out, pretty notable that two of the film's stars who were nominated felt the need to say something considering that Oscar snubs happen every single year. Alongside Ryan Gosling, supporting actress nominee America Ferrera spoke to Variety and expressed her excitement about her own recognition, but addressed the Gerwig-Robbie situation as well: "I was incredibly disappointed that they weren't nominated."
To be clear, Ferrera and Gosling are both excellent in "Barbie," but it's frustrating and borderline insulting that Ken got a nomination and Barbie herself didn't. Certainly, within the framework of the movie, Gosling's Ken does his very best to overshadow and oust Barbie after transforming the matriarchal Barbie Land into a shoddy patriarchy, but putting that point aside for a moment, "Barbie" doesn't work without Robbie's strong, carefully considered central performance. Nor does it function without Gerwig's careful direction. It's disheartening that the two got snubbed — Gosling knows that he's "Kenough," but he also knows he owes his performance to two women who deserve to be recognized.