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Actor America Ferrera revealed her reaction to learning she was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in Barbie—and sounded off about director Greta Gerwig and star Margot Robbie getting snubbed for Best Director and Best Actress respectively.
In Barbie, Ferrera played the human protagonist alongside Robbie's Barbie, portraying a woman grappling with insecurities while trying to reconnect with her teenage daughter. A monologue Ferrera gives in the latter half of the film that addresses the societal demands placed on women has resonated with audiences, contributing to the film's impact.
Speaking with Variety, Ferrera expressed her initial reaction, saying:
“There was a moment where I wasn’t sure if I had made it up. And then my phone started blowing up so I figured that I must have heard it right. I still haven’t really been able to get in my feelings because I’m still on like the top layer of ‘I can’t even believe that this is real.'"
"[My publicist] was screaming and emotional. And I just heard my kids in the back, like so confused. ‘What are you screaming about?'"
The absence of nominations for Robbie and Gerwig, however, cast a shadow over the film's recognition. Ferrera—whose co-star Ryan Gosling received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for playing Ken—conveyed her disappointment, especially for Gerwig, praising her efforts in creating a global phenomenon from a concept that didn't initially resonate widely.
Gerwig, who received her first Oscar nomination for directing in 2017 with Lady Bird, had high expectations for a second nod.
Considered a frontrunner after earning acclaim from the Critics Choice, Golden Globes, and Directors Guild of America Awards—key precursors to the Oscars—she fell short of securing a spot among this year's directing nominees though she did receive a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Ferrera said:
“I was incredibly disappointed that they weren’t nominated. Greta has done just about everything that a director could do to deserve it. Creating this world, and taking something that didn’t have inherent value to most people and making it a global phenomenon."
"It feels disappointing to not see her on that list.”
Although Robbie earned a Best Picture nomination as a producer for Barbie, her absence from the acting nods surprised many including Ferrera, who said:
“What Margot achieved as an actress is truly unbelievable. One of the things about Margot as an actress is how easy she makes everything look."
"And perhaps people got fooled into thinking that the work seems easy, but Margot is a magician as an actress in front of the screen, and it was one of the honors of my career to get to witness her pull off the amazing performance she did."
"She brings so much heart and humor and depth and joy and fun to the character. In my book, she’s a master.”
Many have expressed their disappointment with the snubs on social media.
In a separate interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ferrera said that "Margot and Greta are our fearless leaders, and they created this opportunity for so many incredible artists to come and bring everything they had." She said both women have turned in "unbelievable" work throughout their fruitful careers and that she is so grateful for both of them and their enormous talents.
Ferrera did acknowledge in her interview with Variety that she has been pleased with the opportunities that the film industry provided to women of color.
She finds optimism in the diversity reflected in the acting categories, with her own inclusion as a Latina, alongside two Black women (Danielle Brooks and Da’Vine Joy Randolph) and Jodie Foster, a gay woman portraying a gay character.
"We should be getting to enjoy the work and performances of all different kinds of artists," she said, adding that it's "exciting to see that those opportunities did exist in this year of film for women of color to get to shine and be a part of the of the best filmmaking of the year.”