Though many were disappointed by Margot Robbie’s lack of an Oscar nomination for her performance in Barbie, the nomination she did get is way better.

Barbie-Margot-Robbie

After the 2024 Oscar nominations were released, many were shocked and disappointed that Margot Robbie did not receive a Best Actress nomination for her performance in Barbie, however, the Oscar nomination that Robbie did end up getting is honestly much more important. Margot Robbie is an Australian actress who got her start with acting at a very young age and has since risen to incredible fame with her work in The Wolf of Wall Street, Suicide Squad, and I, Tonya. Though Robbie is best known for acting, she also founded a production company called LuckyChap Entertainment in 2014.

2023 was quite a big year for Margot Robbie, particularly because of her film, Barbie. From the start, Barbie generated significant hype and popularity because of the star-studded cast and crew, the beloved property it was adapting, and the generally fun ambiance of the film. The anticipation for the film only increased when its release date coincided with Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. In the end, Barbie was a massive success, and as a result, Margot Robbie proved not only her acting chops, but her ability to make a difficult or divisive project happen as a producer.

Margot Robbie Received Her First Producing Oscar Nomination With Barbie’s Best Picture Nom

Margot Robbie as Barbie smiling widely in Barbie
Margot Robbie, Christian Bale and Margot Robbie in Amsterdam
Margot Robbie in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Margot Robbie in Babylon
Margot Robbie smiles as Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad 2016

Though Margot Robbie was snubbed for a Best Actress Oscar nomination for Barbie, the film did get nominated for Best Picture, which means that Robbie is being honored as a producer instead. In many ways, this is the better outcome. Though Robbie did a great job playing Barbie, it was arguably a much bigger feat for her to get Barbie off the ground, not only with Hollywood executives, but with Mattel as well.

The fact that Robbie was able to get Greta Gerwig on board, along with more conservative businesspeople, shows her drive and dedication to the project.

In this way, Robbie’s producing nomination is much more important than a Best Actress nomination. It has been clear for many years now that Robbie is a strong actress. She has been nominated for Academy Awards before, and most likely, will be nominated again. But her producing nomination is more pivotal. It shows that the Academy sees and values her work behind the scenes. Rather than being an honor just for Robbie’s acting, the Best Picture nomination honors all the immense work she did as a producer, which more often than not, goes unnoticed in Hollywood.

Margot Robbie’s 2024 Oscar Nomination Makes Her Producing Work More Notable

Barbie driving her car with Ken in the back in Barbie.

Ultimately, Margot Robbie’s Best Picture nomination opens doors for her career. While Robbie has been a producer on big productions before, including Promising Young Woman and Saltburn, this is her first time being nominated and celebrated as a producer. This nomination, and Barbie in general, proves that Robbie has the talent to make projects happen. Therefore, her future could be full of even more incredible movies that she can produce herself. This Oscars could make Margot Robbie known by audiences in an entirely new way.