Chelsea Handler ‘Goes Rogue’ at Critics Choice Awards, Invites Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie to Give Impromptu Acceptance Speech for ‘Barbie’

The run of show for the Critics Choice Awards got a surprise update when host Chelsea Handler decided to “go rogue” and call Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie to the stage.

Gerwig and Robbie’s “Barbie” had picked up a host of awards during the evening, but many were presented during the commercial breaks, including best comedy. That wasn’t going to work for Handler, who’d dedicated a good portion of her monologue to saluting “Barbie” for its $1.4 billion box office achievement and its cultural relevance amid “The Year of the Woman.”

“I’m gonna go rogue because Greta and Margot deserve the opportunity to make an acceptance speech,” Handler said. “Would you mind coming up and accepting the award?”

The camera cut to Gerwig and Robbie, who excitedly scrambled to the stage from their table.

“Thank you, Chelsea. We love you so much,” Robbie said onstage. “You know, when everyone is like ‘Oh, this is so unexpected. This is actually unexpected and was not apart of the show.’ We were very grateful nonetheless and I’d like Greta to talk.”

The filmmaker began by thanking Handler too: “We were excited in our chairs. And it’s nice to be up here. Thank you to everyone that helped make the movie. I laughed during most takes. Because of our beautiful cast — Margot and R -

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yan and America — who got to be as brilliant as they are.”

Gerwig then thanked the corporations behind the film — Mattel for “letting us take their beloved icon and make something so unhinged” and Warner Bros. for “standing behind us every step of the way.” She saved her final shoutout for Baumbach, her co-writer and new husband. “We wanted to make everyone laugh and we made the world laugh too.”

By this point, “Barbie” had won awards for original screenplay (Gerwig and Noah Baumbach), original song (“I’m Just Ken”), production design (Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer), costume design (Jaqueline Durran) and hair and makeup. Picking up the best comedy prize meant the film had won six out of its record-setting 18 nominations — which included best picture, director, actress (Robbie), supporting actor (Ryan Gosling), supporting actress (America Ferrera) and three for original song.

Plus, Ferrera was honored with the Critics Choice SeeHer Award for her career of and delivered a powerful speech that evoked her viral monologue from the movie.

More to come…

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