Ben Affleck Reveals Being ‘Embarrassed’ After Oscar Snub For Argo
Ben Affleck recently reflected on one of the most discussed incidents of his career – his surprising Oscar omission for Argo. While promoting his forthcoming Netflix project The Rip, the actor-director appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and openly shared his feelings about the emotional impact of not receiving a Best Director nomination, despite being seen as a leading contender that year, describing it as a ‘significant embarrassment’ for himself.Released in 2012, Argo became one of the most acclaimed films of the awards circuit. Affleck dominated major precursor awards, taking home Best Director at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards and BAFTAs. However, when the Oscar nominations were revealed, his name was notably missing from the Best Director category – even as Argo garnered seven nominations in total and ultimately secured the Best Picture award along with two additional Oscars.
Ben Affleck in a still from Argo
Looking back on the incident, Affleck confessed that the snub was profoundly humiliating. “It was the year, the awful situation of everyone saying, ‘You’re going to get nominated, you’re going to get nominated for director,’” he reminisced. “And so, naturally, I woke up that morning, and sure enough – and, by the way, it’s not [unlike] any other morning that I had not been nominated for best director. But suddenly, it’s a huge embarrassment. I woke up and people [said], ‘You didn’t get nominated.’”
Ben Affleck describes the snub as ‘a letdown’
The situation became even more awkward later that same day. Affleck had to attend the Critics Choice Awards, where the atmosphere quickly shifted from celebration to scrutiny. “The day of the snub, which suddenly turned into a negative event and a terrible thing, I had to go to the Critics Choice Awards,” he recounted. “I remember arriving and there’s a red carpet line, like 500 people eager to talk to me, and every single one of them was like, ‘Hi! So the snub…’ What do you say to that? ‘It’s a letdown!’ I did end up winning the Critics Choice Award.”
Despite the professional accolade, the emotional impact remained. “Honestly, it’s just humiliating,” Affleck continued. “I wasn’t the one out there saying, ‘I’m going to be nominated!’ It’s having to endure the process of then explaining why you didn’t get nominated. I never claimed I was [going to be]!”
More than ten years later, Affleck’s candidness provides a rare insight into the pressures of awards season – and how even significant achievements can be overshadowed by public expectations and notable disappointments.