Barbie is too blessed to be stressed. No, really, that’s what Margot Robbie said when she broke her silence on the Oscars her movie Barbie was—and more controversially, wasn’t—nominated for.
“Obviously I think Greta [Gerwig] 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,” Robbie said at a recent SAG screening of the film, per Deadline, before adding magnanimously, “But it’s been an incredible year for all the films.”
“There’s no way to feel sad when you know you’re this blessed,” she said during a panel discussion, explaining that she’s actually very happy with the warm reception the summer blockbuster received. “[I’m] beyond ecstatic that we’ve got eight Academy Award nominations, it’s so wild…. We set out to do something that would shift culture, affect culture, just make some sort of impact. 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.”
It’s worth noting that technically Robbie is nominated for an Oscar—just not for acting. As one of the producers on the film, she’ll get an Oscar if Barbie wins best picture. Gerwig also has a nom, for best adapted screenplay.
Robbie’s no stranger to either the awards circuit or the blockbuster discourse. She’s played Harley Quinn and been nominated for both best actress (I, Tonya) and best supporting actress (Bombshell), but, she said, “I’ve never been a part of something like this. Not like this. I’ve done comic book stuff and that gets a big reaction, but this felt very different. It still feels very different. And I can’t think of a time when a movie’s had this effect on culture. And it’s amazing to be in the eye of the storm.”