Actor Ryan Gosling on his Oscar nomination and why he credits his Barbie success to Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie
WORDS: GEORGIA TREVITT PHOTOS: ALAMY, GETTY, REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
THE LIFE OF RYAN
It was the highest-grossing movie of 2023, so it’s no surprise that Barbie is up for eight awards at this year’s Oscars. But the nominations have sparked controversy, after its star Margot Robbie and director Greta Gerwig were snubbed. In a statement, Ryan Gosling – who has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Ken – spoke out in defence of his colleagues.
While he admitted he was “extremely honoured”, the actor said, “But there is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally celebrated film.
“No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit and genius. To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement.”
And now, the 43-year-old has gushed over his close bond with both Margot, 33, and Greta, 40, as he opened up about working on the blockbuster.
“If you’re ever on a plane that’s crashing, you want Margot on that plane. You’ll live if Margot is on that plane. She’ll find a way to survive,” Ryan says.
“The boat scene was the first thing I shot with Margot, as Ken, and I had brought that seagull puppet with me. And this speaks to what it was like to work with Margot because she was like [excitedly], like, ‘You brought a seagull puppet – amazing!’ Whereas I can tell you 90% of the actors I’ve ever worked with would be [flatly] like, ‘You brought a seagull puppet. Amazing.’ I was always trying to impress her.
“Eva Mendes [his wife] said to me, ‘Look, you have to just try and get Barbie to notice you – that’s your job.’”
Sharing behind-the-scenes secrets, Ryan also reveals that Margot had a “pink day” on set, where everyone had to wear pink or they would be fined.
“No one ever had to pay it because, especially the men on the crew, were so excited to wear pink,” he says.
“And not just to wear it because they didn’t feel like they had permission in their lives to wear it. But also, because they just were in such awe, as we all were, of what Margot and Greta were creating. And it became like at the end of Dead Poets Society where they stand on their desks and are like, �
