America Ferrera expressed shock at her unexpected Oscar nomination for “Barbie.”
America Ferrera’s unexpected Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress in the “Barbie” movie has been widely celebrated. While some contenders were overlooked, Ferrera’s nod brings diversity and Latiné representation to this year’s Academy Awards. Born in the United States to Honduran immigrant parents, Ferrera expressed her gratitude and pride in bringing Latiné representation to the Oscars. Latiné is a gender-neutral term used in Latin America’s LGBTQ+ community.
As one of three people of color nominated in the supporting actress category, Ferrera joins Da’Vine Joy Randolph for “The Holdovers” and Danielle Brooks for “The Color Purple.” The category also includes Emily Blunt for “Oppenheimer” and Jodie Foster in “Nyad.” This marks Ferrera’s first Oscar nomination, and her recognition reflects the impact of her empowering monologue in the highest-grossing domestic movie of 2023, “Barbie,” which earned over $1 billion worldwide.
Ferrera acknowledged her Barbie family’s achievements and praised director Greta Gerwig and producer/star Margot Robbie for making history and raising the bar with the film. While Gerwig received a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay and Robbie was recognized in the Best Picture category as a producer, some were disappointed that they didn’t receive nominations in the Best Director and Lead Actress categories, respectively.
Despite this, Ferrera emphasized the cultural and industry impact achieved by Gerwig and Robbie, expressing gratitude for being part of it and highlighting that their contributions will be felt for generations. Ferrera’s nomination is seen as a positive step toward greater diversity and representation in the film industry, reinforcing the importance of diverse voices and stories at the Oscars.
