Margot Robbie on Tuesday magnanimously weighed in on the Barbie controversy that has dominated discourse about this year’s Oscars nominations.
Many fans and commentators were stunned and let down when the Australian actor was not nominated for Best Actress and Greta Gerwig was not nominated for Best Director for their roles in the billion-dollar blockbuster.
During a panel discussion with her co-stars at a Los Angeles screening event, Robbie said that she was “beyond ecstatic” about the film’s eight nominations, including one for Best Picture and nods to America Ferrera and Ryan Gosling for their supporting roles.
The film’s goal, Robbie said, was to shift and affect culture, “and it’s already done that and some, like, way more than we ever dreamed it would. And that is truly the biggest reward that could come out of all of this.”
She added: “Everyone getting the nods that they’ve had is just incredible, and the Best Picture nod. Obviously, I think Greta should be nominated as a director, because what she did is — it’s a once-in-a-career, once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
Robbie said that “there’s no way to feel sad when you know you’re this blessed.”
Ferrera and Gosling both spoke out after the nominations were announced last month, celebrating the film’s wins but expressing disappointment about the omission of Robbie and Gerwig from the coveted acting and directing categories.
Watch the panel discussion below: