Oscar 2024: Ryan Gosling Voices Disapproval Over Director and Lead Actress of ‘Barbie’ Snub in Two Major Categories

In response to the Academy’s exclusion of Margot Robbie for Best Leading Actress and Greta Gerwig for Best Director, Ryan Gosling expresses his dissent.

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“I am incredibly honored to be recognized alongside notable artists in a year with so many outstanding films,” Ryan continues. “And I never thought I would say this, but I am also incredibly honored and proud to play the role of the plastic doll named Ken.”

“But there’s no Ken without Barbie, and there’s no ‘Barbie’ film without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two responsible for the globally acclaimed and historically significant success of this movie,” adds Ryan.

Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie both received nominations in the categories announced by the Academy on Tuesday. Specifically, Robbie is nominated as a producer for the film in the Best Picture category, while Gerwig is nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. However, both were entirely overlooked in the two crucial categories of Best Leading Actress and Best Director, sparking controversy after the Oscar nominations were revealed. One of the first to speak out is Ryan Gosling, one of the actors in “Barbie.”

“There would be no recognition for anyone on the film without their talent, courage, and genius. To say I am disappointed that they weren’t nominated in the corresponding categories would be an understatement,” Ryan Gosling continues. “There’s nothing but lifeless dolls, scantily clad… They make us laugh, break our hearts, drive our culture, and they have made history.”

“Their work deserves recognition along with other very deserving candidates. I must say, I am thrilled for America Ferrera and other incredible artists who contributed their talent to create such a groundbreaking film,” Ryan adds.

In the Oscar 2024 nominations list, actress America Ferrera earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Barbie.” The film received a total of 8 nominations, including costume design, production design, and two original songs (“I’m Just Ken” and “What Was I Made For?”).

Gosling is nominated alongside Sterling K. Brown (“American Fiction”), Robert De Niro (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), Robert Downey Jr. (“Oppenheimer”), and Mark Ruffalo (“Poor Things”) in the category of Best Supporting Actor. This marks his third Oscar nomination, following previous nominations for “Half Nelson” (2006) and “La La Land” (2016).

Ryan is not the only one expressing disappointment. In an interview with Variety, Ferrera also voiced disappointment over Gerwig and Robbie being overlooked in their respective categories. She stated, “Greta did everything a director could do to deserve that. Creating a film, turning something seemingly valueless to most into a global phenomenon. It’s truly disheartening not to see her on that list.”

Regarding Robbie not receiving a nomination for Best Leading Actress, she said, “What Margot has achieved as an actress is truly remarkable.”

The Oscar 2024 awards ceremony is scheduled for March 10th in the U.S. (March 11th in Vietnam) at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.