Current:Home > InvestGreta Gerwig says 'Barbie' movie success 'was not guaranteed' -MoneyMatrix
Greta Gerwig says 'Barbie' movie success 'was not guaranteed'
View
Date:2025-04-16 16:57:23
This Barbie is Time's Women of the Year cover star.
On Tuesday, Time unveiled its 12 picks for the Women of the Year issue, including filmmaker Greta Gerwig as the outlet's cover, Taraji P. Henson and Andra Day. Each of the honorees discussed some of the challenges they've faced amid their careers and their hopes for the future.
"I remember thinking, 'If this works, everyone is going to think later that it was inevitable,'" the "Barbie" director said in an interview on the success of her Oscar-nominated film. "They'll say, 'Well, but it was Barbie.' But this was not guaranteed."
Gerwig, who has directed other film's resonating with girlhood and womanhood such as "Little Women" and "Lady Bird," says that the success of her movies shouldn't be solely credited for their themes around gender.
"I always think about the intuitive way you love a song or a movie. You love something, and you just love it. You don’t think to yourself, 'I have to love this because it’s by a woman, for a woman,'" she commented. "That's part of it. But it's not why you love it. You love it because it's great."
Many fans, including "Barbie" star Ryan Gosling, were outraged over Gerwig not receiving a best director nomination at the upcoming Oscars ceremony.
Gerwig added, "I want to be able to make a body of work that feels like it's undeniable in terms ofthe work itself. I don't want there to be an asterisk next to my name. Do I have more of that than male filmmakers? I don't know! I know plenty of deeply insecure male filmmakers who are plagued in their own ways."
Her next project is a new adaption of the first book in C.S. Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia" series for Netflix.
Taraji P. Henson on her push for equity in Hollywood
Henson's comments about pay inequity while doing press for "The Color Purple" continued conversation about the fiscal worth Hollywood has placed on successful Black women.
The actress said she felt compelled to push the discussion forward in public spaces, because "if we stay talking in small little circles, that's not going to change anything."
"But we do have allies out there, which I’ve found out by telling my truth," she added.
Henson likened her experience to that of the characters in "The Color Purple." "I'm in a movie about women who don't have a voice and are trying to find it. So who's going to stand up for them?"
It's also a part of the reason she's spent time on other streams of income outside of acting, including a production company and her hair-care brand TPH. "I'm 53, and I'm getting tired," she told Time. "And then the disrespect: If there's a playground no one wants you to play on, are you going to keep showing up and hurting yourself?"
Henson has often portrayed characters dealing with the intersection between racism and sexism, from Shug Avery in "The Color Purple" to NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson in "Hidden Figures."
While it's important to share those stories, she noted that she has to be "conscious of making sure I’m not losing myself" when her characters experiences overlap with her own.
'The math ain't math-ing':Taraji P. Henson tearfully speaks out about pay inequality
Andra Day on the journey to singing the Black national anthem at Super Bowl 58
Day "had always been denied" the opportunity to sing the Black national anthem at events prior to her performance of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" at Super Bowl 58 earlier this month.
"I got to a point where I was like, 'OK, until I can do that anthem, I don't really want to do it again,'" she said of prior requests to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Doing things her way has also set the precedent for the type of projects she plans to do in the future.
Although she knows fans are hoping for a similarly uplifting song like her 2015 inspirational ballad "Rise Up" or calls for her to take on an Eartha Kitt biopic after starring as Billie Holiday in "The United States vs. Billie Holiday," Day said she's prioritizing her own desires.
"I'm really just trying to heal my voice and learn the new pocket that it's in," she said, explaining that she suffered damage to her voice due to smoking cigarettes to mimic Holiday's sound while filming the movie.
Day added, "Maybe I will inspire differently on this album by just talking about my experiences. I gave myself the freedom to do that."
2024 Oscar nominations:Here's a look at who made the list
veryGood! (673)
Related
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- North Carolina’s GOP-controlled House overrides Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes
- Sonya Massey made multiple 911 calls for mental health crises in days before police shot her at home
- Olympic track & field begins with 20km race walk. Why event is difficult?
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Braves launch Hank Aaron week as US Postal Service dedicates new Aaron forever stamp
- 2024 Olympics: Brazilian Swimmer Ana Carolina Vieira Dismissed After Leaving Olympic Village
- Robbers linked to $1.7 million smash-and-grab heists in LA get up to 10 years in prison
- The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
- Utility chief in north Florida sentenced to 4 years in prison for privatization scheme
Ranking
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- Etsy plans to test its first-ever loyalty program as it aims to boost sales
- Dunkin' debuts new iced coffee drinks in collaboration with celebrity chef Nick DiGiovanni
- Simone Biles uses Instagram post to defend her teammates against MyKayla Skinner's shade
- Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
- Feds arrest ex-US Green Beret in connection to failed 2020 raid of Venezuela to remove Maduro
- BBC Journalist’s Daughter Killed in Crossbow Attack Texted for Help in Last Moments
- The best all-wheel drive cars to buy in 2024
Recommendation
2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
The Daily Money: Deal time at McDonald's
Fed leaves key interest rate unchanged, signals possible rate cut in September
Robbers linked to $1.7 million smash-and-grab heists in LA get up to 10 years in prison
Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
Recount to settle narrow Virginia GOP primary between US Rep. Bob Good and a Trump-backed challenger
Carrie Underwood Replacing Katy Perry as American Idol Judge
Hailey Merkt, former 'The Bachelor' contestant, dies at 31