Ryan Gosling released a statement on Tuesday expressing his disappointment after his Barbie co-star Margot Robbie and director Greta Gerwig were rejected from the Oscars.
Gosling, 43, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Ken in the film, shared that the film would not exist without Margot, 33, and Greta, 40.
“There is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie film without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two main people behind this historic and globally acclaimed film.”
“Without their talent, courage and genius, recognition would be impossible for anyone in film. To say I'm disappointed they weren't nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement.”
“Their work should be recognized alongside the other very deserving nominees,” he said.
Ryan Gosling released a statement expressing his disappointment after his Barbie co-star Margot Robbie and director Greta Gerwig were rejected from the Oscars; Seen in January
Gosling, 43, who was nominated for best supporting actor for his portrayal of Ken in the film, shared that the film wouldn't exist without Margot, 33, and Greta, 40 (seen in January).
“There is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie film without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two main people behind this historic and globally acclaimed film,” he said
A source told that Ryan “believes his role was so well received thanks to the work.” [Margot and Greta] That's what made his performance Oscar-worthy in the first place.'
“He is overjoyed to have been honored, but it is bittersweet that his joy cannot be shared with Greta and Margot over the next few months because they were snubbed.”
The source added that the father of two will sing “I'm Just Ken” during the ceremony and “may express his feelings about Margot and Greta not being nominated.”
Gosling began his speech by thanking him for his nomination. “It is a great honor to be nominated by my peers alongside such remarkable artists in a year with so many great films.”
“And I never thought I would say this, but I also feel incredibly honored and proud that it's for the representation of a plastic doll named Ken,” he shared.
The actor then expressed his disappointment that Margot and Greta were not nominated and then praised them for their work on the film.
“Against all odds, with nothing more than a few soulless, scantily clad and blissfully crotchless puppets, they made us laugh, they broke our hearts, they advanced culture, and they made history.”
Finally, he congratulated his other co-star America Ferrera, who won the award for best supporting actress. “However, I am extremely happy for America Ferrera and the other incredible artists who contributed their talents to making this groundbreaking film.”
However, some fans were unimpressed with Gosling's statement. One fan even called for him to withdraw his nomination in protest, writing, “It would be a powerful statement if he withdrew his name from consideration.”
Bette Midler, herself a two-time Oscar nominee, suggested, “Everyone watch Barbie again tonight.”
Oscar-nominated actress Sharon Stone reposted a post noting how life imitates art by snubbing the filmmaker and actress while acknowledging the male star
Actress-model Brooklyn Decker expressed her frustration with the situation, calling Gerwig “the director who saved cinema” despite there being no nomination from the Academy
Others in Hollywood, including Bette Midler, expressed anger at the Academy's snub of the actress in social media posts on Tuesday.
“This film goes to Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, who created a film that was both a critical success and a cultural phenomenon by exploring feminist themes and challenging patriarchal norms through the lens of Barbie,” Midler said .
She continued: “Not only was this film well received, it also grossed a billion dollars.” But ironically, it was Ken who received the Oscar nomination.”
Midler, a two-time Oscar nominee herself, recommended: “Everyone watch Barbie again tonight.”
Oscar-nominated actress Sharon Stone reposted a post noting how life imitates art by snubbing the filmmaker and actress while acknowledging the male star.
The original tweet read: “No Oscar nomination for Greta Gerwig.” No Oscar nomination for Margot Robbie. Ryan Gosling receives an Oscar nomination. “That’s actually the whole plot of Barbie.”
Actress-model Brooklyn Decker expressed her frustration with the situation, calling Gerwig “the director who saved cinema” despite there being no nomination from the Academy.
Decker reposted a comment about gender inequality that read, “It's literally impossible to be a woman.” You're so beautiful and so smart and it kills me that you think you're not good enough. “We always have to be exceptional, but somehow we always get it wrong.”
Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause reposted a user's snub recap, calling the omissions “embarrassing” and saying she would skip the show entirely
Stause also took to Instagram Stories to question the logic of who was nominated for the film
She added her own text comment about the connection to the entertainment industry at the beginning of the post.
“The problem in the industry is that if it’s not serious, it’s not taken seriously,” Decker said. “It's breathtaking when you consider that most people just want to enjoy the beauty and life and maybe laugh along the way.”
She added to Gerwig's snub: “The director who saved cinema, and no nod. 'Just yuck.'
Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause reposted a user's snub recap, calling the omissions “embarrassing” and saying she would skip the show entirely.
Stause also took to Instagram Stories to question the logic of her choices and omissions while referencing the Barbie movie.
“Oscar Voters HOW does this movie get nominated for Best Picture but not Best Director?!” she said in a caption to a reaction clip. “I also know that Lead Actress is a tough category, but it just seems wrong that Ken got one and Barbie didn't (it's not Ryan's fault – he was great!), but overall it's A LOT. “
“To say I’m disappointed they weren’t nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement,” he continued; Greta and Margot seen at the Critics' Choice Awards
“Without his talent, courage and genius, no one in the film would be recognized,” the actor added; Seen with Margot in Las Vegas in April
Elsewhere in his statement, he expressed gratitude for his Best Supporting Actor nomination; Seen with Margot in a still of Barbie
Finally, he congratulated his other co-star America Ferrera, who won the award for Best Supporting Actress; She can be seen in a still from the film
However, some fans were unimpressed with Gosling's statement, with one fan even calling for him to withdraw his nomination in protest
The Oscar nominations were announced with fanfare in Hollywood on Tuesday morning.
The box office hit received a total of eight Oscar nominations, although Greta failed to secure a nomination for Best Director that year and Margot, who played the title character, was also passed over for Best Actress.
“Barbie” hit theaters in July and grossed a record-breaking $1.45 billion at the global box office and $636 million domestically.
The omissions drew additional attention since Gosling was actually nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
Some commenters on social media were quick to point fingers at sexism – even though Ferrera was also nominated.
Ryan's big musical number in the film, “I'm Just Ken,” is also up for an award. The nomination honors songwriters Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt.
Additionally, Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O'Connell received a nomination for What Was I Made For?, another song written for Barbie.
“Ryan Gosling deserves an Oscar nomination for Barbie, but Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie don't?” wrote one outraged fan on X.
“This totally proves the point of the film in 20 f***ing 24, you can't make it up,” the social media user added, referring to the film's feminist themes.
X, formerly known as Twitter, erupted in outrage over the snubs on Tuesday
“Wait, Ryan Gosling was nominated for his role as Ken, but Margot Robbie wasn't nominated for Barbie?!” And Greta was rejected for Best Director?!?! “A way to justify the film's literal plot,” another X user wrote, echoing the theme.
A third complained: “If Ryan deserved a nomination then Margot definitely deserved it. The fact that she wouldn't have won isn't the point.” It almost feels like the Academy deliberately played up the film's theme to get people talking. “Oscars are no longer about who actually deserves them.”
Although Margot isn't in the running for Best Actress, the film itself is nominated for Best Picture, meaning she was actually nominated as a producer.
Greta and her husband Noah Baumbach are also nominated together this year for writing the adapted screenplay for Barbie.
Margot has already been nominated for two Oscars – best actress for her 2017 film “I, Tonya,” a biopic about Tonya Harding, and best supporting actress for the 2020 film “Bombshell,” the story of sex scandals dramatized by Fox News.
Meanwhile, Greta had already been nominated for the Best Director Oscar for her 2017 film “Lady Bird,” which marked her first solo helming of a feature film.
She was also nominated for the screenplay of that film, as well as the screenplay of her follow-up film, the 2019 adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel “Little Women.”
Full list of 2024 Oscar nominations – see who's nominated for this year's Academy Awards
best picture
American fiction
Anatomy of a fall
Barbie
The leftovers
Flower Moon Killer
maestro
Oppenheimer
Past lives
Poor things
The zone of interest
Best Director
Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall
Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Yorgos Lanthimos, poor things
Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest
Actress in a leading role
Annette Bening, Nyad
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Huller, Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan, maestro
Emma Stone, Poor things
Actor in a leading role
Bradley Cooper, maestro
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction
Actress in a supporting role
Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
America Ferrera, Barbie
Jodie Foster, Nyad
Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
Actor in a supporting role
Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction
Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things
Animated feature film
The Boy and the Heron
Elementary
Nimona
Robot dreams
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
cinematography
El Conde
Flower Moon Killer
maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor things
Original script
Anatomy of a fall
The leftovers
maestro
May December
Past lives
Adapted script
American fiction
Barbie
Oppenheimer
Poor things
The zone of interest
Success in production design
Barbie
Flower Moon Killer
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor things
Performance in sound
The creator
maestro
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
The zone of interest
Original song
“The Fire Inside” by Flamin' Hot
“I’m just Ken” by Barbie
“It Never Went Away” by American Symphony
“Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” by Killers of the Flower Moon
“What was I created for?” by Barbie
Original score
American fiction
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Flower Moon Killer
Oppenheimer
Poor things
Live-action short film
The after
Invincible
Knight of Fortune
Red, white and blue
The wonderful story of Henry Sugar
Animated short film
Letter to a pig
95 senses
Our uniform
pachyderm
THE WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the music of John and Yoko
Documentary feature film
Bobi Wine: The People's President
The eternal memory
Four daughters
Kill a tiger
20 days in Mariupol
Documentary short film
The ABC of book banning
The Barber of Little Rock
island in between
The last repair shop
Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó
International feature film
Io Capitano, Italy
Perfect days, Japan
Society of Snow, Spain
The Teachers' Lounge, Germany
The Zone of Interest, United Kingdom
Make-up and hair styling
Golda
maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor things
Society of Snow
Success in costume design
Barbie
Flower Moon Killer
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor things
Success in film editing
Anatomy of a fall
The leftovers
Flower Moon Killer
Oppenheimer
Poor things
Visual effects
The creator
Godzilla Minus One
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon