“No Ken without Barbie,” Ryan Gosling said in a statement following the Oscar nominations announcement Tuesday morning. The “Barbie” star, who received a Best Supporting Actress nomination, spoke out against the Academy's snaps of Margot Robbie in the Best Actress category and Greta Gerwig in the Best Director category.
“I am very honored to be nominated by my peers with such remarkable artists in a year that has seen so many great films. “I never thought I'd say this, but I'm incredibly honored and proud to portray the plastic doll Ken,” Gosling's statement begins. “But there's no Ken without Barbie, and no 'Barbie' movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two men most responsible for this history-making, universally celebrated film.”
Gerwig and Robbie were nominated as the two main contenders on Tuesday, with many pundits and awards enthusiasts predicting the pair would earn the nod. Robbie was nominated for Best Picture as a Producer, while Gerwig received a nod for Best Adapted Screenplay. But the pair's respective omissions from the actress and director categories were two of the most talked-about snubs of the day.
“Nobody gets recognition in film without talent, talent and genius. “To say I'm disappointed they weren't nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement,” Gosling continues. “Other than soulless, scantily clad, and thankfully crotchless puppets, against all odds, they made us laugh, they broke our hearts, they pushed culture, they made history. Their work should be recognized along with other highly qualified candidates. Having said that, I am so happy for America Ferrera and the other incredible artists who contributed their talents to make this such an amazing movie.
Gosling gave a nod to Ferrera, who received a best supporting actress nomination for her performance in “Barbie.” The comedy garnered a total of eight nominations, including costume design, production design and two original songs (“I'm Ken” and “What Am I Made For?”).
Sterling K. Gosling is nominated along with Brown (“American Fiction”), Robert De Niro (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), Robert Downey Jr. (“Oppenheimer”) and Mark Ruffalo (“Worse Things”). This is the actor's third Oscar win, after two previous bids for “Half Nelson” (2006) and “La La Land” (2016).
During an interview VarietyFerrera also expressed disappointment at Gerwig and Robbie's failure in their respective categories.
“Greta has done everything a director can do,” he said. “Creating this world and taking something that has no intrinsic value to most people and turning it into a global phenomenon. It's disappointing not to see her on that list.
He added of Robbie: “What Margot has achieved as an actress is truly incredible.”
“Friend of animals everywhere. Devoted analyst. Total alcohol scholar. Infuriatingly humble food trailblazer.”