Ben Affleck opens up about his biggest Oscar embarrassment: ‘It was a bummer’

Ben Affleck is addressing a strangely embarrassing moment for critically acclaimed actors and directors. Affleck is currently promoting his new film, “The Rip,” which reunites him with his long-term collaborator and friend Matt Damon. While promoting the movie, scheduled to come out this month on Netflix, Affleck was featured on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” where he addressed one of the most embarrassing moments of his Hollywood career.

In 2012, Affleck directed one of his most beloved films, “Argo,” which earned numerous nominations in the world’s most important festivals and award shows. The film follows a secret CIA operation trailing a man pretending to be a Hollywood producer, scanning locations in Tehran to rescue six Americans. 

“It was the year, the horrible thing of everyone telling you, ‘You’re gonna get nominated, you’re gonna get nominated for director,’” Affleck said. “And so, of course, I wake 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 all of a sudden, it’s a massive embarrassment. I woke up and people [said], ‘You didn’t get nominated.’”

Kimmel painted a fuller picture. “‘Argo,’ not only was it nominated for the Oscar for best picture… You won best picture. You starred in it and directed it, and you were not nominated in either category … it’s as if the movie directed itself.”

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What made Affleck really embarrassed

“That’s sort of what it felt like,” said Affleck. “The day of the snub, which all of a sudden it’s a negative event and a horrible thing, I had to go to the Critics Choice Awards. I remember getting there and there’s a red carpet line, like 500 people dying 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 bummer!’ I did end up winning the Critics Choice Award,” he added, making the audience laugh. 

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“Honestly, it’s just embarrassing,” he concluded. “I wasn’t the one going out there being like, ‘I’m going to be nominated!’ It’s having to be put through the ritual of then answering for why you didn’t get nominated. I didn’t say I was [going to be]!”

Affleck has won two Academy Awards throughout his career. The first one, he won in 1998, alongside Matt Damon, for writing the screenplay for “Good Will Hunting.” The second one, he won for best picture in 2013, for “Argo.”