Michelle Yeoh says she’s sorry over ‘Barbie’ Oscars snubs
MICHELLE Yeoh – who won the best actress Oscar in 2023 for ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ shared her feelings on the row when she was asked to weigh in on the controversy over the exclusion of ‘Barbie’ director Greta Gerwig, 40, and its star Margot Robbie, 33, from the 2024 Academy Awards best director and actress nominations.
The 61-year-old told the ‘Today’ show: “Joy and disappointment, it seems to go hand in hand.
“There’s not enough nominations to go around. The only take is it’s so competitive out there and there’s no guarantee because you’re not the only voter.
“It’s widespread. Thank god the movie got nominated for best picture!
“You do think: how do you get nominated for best picture but not best director? But it happens.
“And I’m sorry it happened to them because it’s obviously one of the most successful and beloved movies. Look at the box office.”
Greta and Margot’s snubs have been slammed by ‘Barbie’ stars Ryan Gosling, 43, and America Ferrara, 39.
America told Variety that it was “incredibly disappointing” to see the pair’s names missing the best director and best actress categories, adding: “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.”
Ryan, who played Ken alongside Margot’s Barbie, added about the row in a statement: “To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement. “Against all odds with nothing but a couple of soulless, scantily clad, and thankfully crotchless dolls, they made us laugh, they broke our hearts, they pushed the culture and they made history. “Their work should be recognized along with the other very deserving nominees.” Hillary Clinton, 76, was among the other famous faces who weighed in on the snubs by sending Greta and Margot a message on X that said: “While it can sting to win the box office but not take home the gold, your millions of fans love you. You’re both so much more than Kenough.”
But Oscar-winner Whoopi Goldberg, 68, hit back at the row by saying “snubs” don’t exist, adding on ‘The View’ “everybody doesn’t win” and “you don’t get everything you want to get”.
She said: “There are no snubs. That’s what you have to keep in mind: Not everybody gets a prize, and it is subjective. Movies are subjective. The movies you love may not be loved by the people who are voting.” ‘Barbie’ earned a total of eight Oscar nods including best picture, while Greta is a nominee for screenwriting and so is Robbie as one of the film’s producers.