Margot Robbie on Oscar snub: ‘It’s been an incredible year for films’

Margot Robbie has responded to outrage over a perceived Oscar snub, saying the film has already managed to “shift culture”.

The star, who was nominated for her role as producer of the Mattel blockbuster Barbie, was left out of the best actress category when nominations were announced earlier this month, leading to anger across the internet. Writer-director Greta Gerwig, who received a nomination for best adapted screenplay, also missed out on a best director nod.

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Ryan Gosling, who picked up a best supporting actor nomination for his role in the film, released a statement to say he was “disappointed” over the pair being left out of their respective categories, a sentiment shared by his fellow nominee America Ferrera. “Their work should be recognized along with the other very deserving nominees,” Gosling said.

This week also saw Robert Downey Jr, nominated for best supporting actor for his role in Oppenheimer, express his dismay over the lineup. “Margot Robbie is not getting enough credit, in my opinion,” he said during a roundtable.

“There’s no way to feel sad when you know you’re this blessed,” Robbie said at a panel this week according to Deadline. “Obviously I think Greta should be nominated as a director, because what she did is a once-in-a-career, once-in-a-lifetime thing, what she pulled off, it really is. But it’s been an incredible year for all the films.”

The best actress category included Sandra Hüller for Anatomy of a Fall, Emma Stone for Poor Things, Lily Gladstone for Killers of the Flower Moon, Carey Mulligan for Maestro and Annette Bening for Nyad.

Barbie became the biggest hit of 2023, making $1.4bn worldwide and picked up eight Oscar nominations. Robbie said of the reaction: “I just suspect it’s bigger than us. It’s bigger than this movie, it’s bigger than our industry.” She added that she was “beyond ecstatic” about the film’s recognition by the Academy.

“We set out to do something that would shift culture, affect culture, just make some sort of impact,” Robbie said. “And it’s already done that, and some, way more than we ever dreamed it would. And that is truly the biggest reward that could come out of all of this.”

The Oscars will take place on 10 March.