If you saw “Barbie” in theaters, odds are you experienced a pretty vocal response when America Ferrera finished giving her now-famous monologue about being a woman. In fact, Ferrera experienced that moment, all while her 3-year-old daughter sat in her lap, enthralled by what was onscreen.
Ferrera earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress on Tuesday morning for her role as Gloria in the film, marking just one of eight nominations for the film. In the months since “Barbie” hit theaters, Ferrera has gained even more acclaim for her delivery of the speech, in which Gloria concisely breaks down the contradictions of life that all women experience.
Naturally, she knew just from reading the script that the speech was “a gift” to any actor, and would land, but she really “wanted to do it justice.” The moment hit extra hard for the actress though, when she saw it during the Los Angeles premiere with her toddler sitting on her lap.
“It was a lot of people. And it’s a premiere audience, so it’s always a friendly audience, you know, all the laughs, and the clapping, and hooping and hollering,” Ferrera recalled to TheWrap just hours after receiving her nomination. “But there was a wonderful reaction to the speech. I actually took my 3-year-old daughter with me and she sat on my lap the whole time. I was sure she was going to fall asleep and she didn’t.”
She continued, “Just like, having my daughter in my lap and getting to experience that moment and everyone’s reaction to it was a very, very special moment, and really wonderful to get to see the words, and the work land with people.”
Now, earning an Oscar for her performance is just the icing on the cake, fulfilling a literal childhood dream.
“I’m still in awe every day that I got to build a life and a career doing what I love,” she said. “I was in awe when I read the ‘Barbie’ script and Greta was asking me to be a part of it, and every step of this process has been truly awesome to me.”
She continued, “It’s everything I dreamt of as a kid: getting to do what I love, with people who are amazing at what they do, and with the added cherry of being acknowledged by all the people you admire. You know, no complaints this morning.”
“Barbie” is now streaming on Max.
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