Dame Helen Mirren insisted there is no point in being “upset” at a lack of awards nominations.
Dame Helen Mirren was the narrator in Barbie
The 78-year-old actress found it disheartening when Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig failed to be recognised in the Academy Awards shortlists for their work on ‘Barbie’ but the veteran star thinks the blockbuster – in which she was the narrator – has accomplished so much more than any trophy can convey.
She told ‘Entertainment Tonight’: “You can’t get upset about things like that, honestly. What is fantastic is that Barbie was the highest-grossing film that Warner Brothers has ever had in their lives and do you remember who won best film of the year before last?
“”I mean, of course I would have loved to have seen Greta [be nominated], and I think she should win best [director].
“It’s so difficult, it’s not a running race, you know, you can’t – Christopher Nolan’s work on ‘Oppenheimer’ was spectacular, extraordinary.
“But for me, Greta’s work was so out there, it was so brave, it was something we’d never seen before.
“I just love the fact that the audience responded the way they did.”
Helen also confirmed rumours that there is a deleted scene from ‘Barbie’ in which she fought with a “drunk” Olivia Colman as the ‘Crown’ actress attempted to take over her narrator job.
She said: “We did shoot that scene, yes we did. I’d love to see it sometime.”
Margot previously insisted she wasn’t too upset to have missed out on the Best Actress nomination because she was just happy ‘Barbie’ had received eight other Oscar nods.
Speaking at a SAG screening of the movie in January, she said: “There’s no way to feel sad when you know you’re this blessed.
“Obviously I think Greta should be nominated as a director, because what she did is a once-in-a-career, once-in-a-lifetime thing, what she pulled off, it really is.
“But it’s been an incredible year for all the films.”
