Hillary Clinton is giving a boost to “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig and star Margot Robbie following the pair’s Oscars snubs, saying they’re “more than Kenough.”
The Academy Awards faced criticism when nominations for its 96th annual gala were announced Tuesday. While Ryan Gosling, who co-starred as Ken in the female-centric summer blockbuster, and America Ferrera received nominations for best supporting actor and best supporting actress, respectively, Gerwig and Robbie failed to snag nods in the best director and best actress categories.
In a message posted Wednesday on X, formerly known as Twitter, and directed to Gerwig and Robbie, Clinton said, “While it can sting to win the box office but not take home the gold, your millions of fans love you.”
“You’re so much more than Kenough,” the former secretary of State said, borrowing a phrase from the movie and signing her social media post with the hashtag “#HillaryBarbie.”
The comments from the former first lady seemingly allude to her own experience not coming out on top: Clinton won the popular vote in the 2016 presidential election by nearly 2.9 million votes, but lost to Donald Trump in the Electoral College.
Gosling also spoke out about the nomination backlash.
“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,” the 43-year-old actor said in a statement to People magazine.
“No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit and genius,” Gosling said.
“To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement,” he added.