Ben Affleck reflected on the 2013 Oscar snub for directing Argo during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Despite the film winning best picture, Affleck was overlooked for a best director nomination, which he described as a massive embarrassment. He discussed the buildup of expectations and the awkward aftermath.
Ben Affleck recently shared his lingering frustration over the Academy Awards snub for his directorial work on Argo during a visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live, part of his promotional tour for Netflix's The Rip. The 2012 thriller, which Affleck also starred in, secured seven Oscar nominations, including best picture, and ultimately won that top honor along with two others. However, Affleck himself was not nominated for best director, despite being considered a strong contender after victories at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, and BAFTAs.
Affleck recounted the disappointment vividly. "It was the year, the horrible thing of everyone telling you, ‘You’re gonna get nominated, you’re gonna get nominated for director,’" he 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.’"
The conversation with host Jimmy Kimmel highlighted the irony of the situation. Kimmel noted that Affleck had to attend the Critics Choice Awards the day of the nominations, facing a barrage of questions on the red carpet. "Every single one of them was like, ‘Hi! So the snub…’ What do you say to that? ‘It’s a bummer!’" Affleck recalled, adding that he still won the Critics Choice directing award that night.
Affleck emphasized the personal toll: "Honestly, it’s just embarrassing. 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."
Kimmel drew parallels to other high-profile snubs, such as Leonardo DiCaprio's recent omission for best actor at the Critics Choice Awards despite his film's successes. Affleck's experience echoes that of Bradley Cooper, who faced a similar directorial snub for A Star Is Born in 2018. Cooper told Oprah Winfrey in 2019, "The first thing I felt was embarrassment, actually... I felt embarrassed that I didn’t do my part." Both directors underscored that their focus remained on crafting authentic stories rather than chasing accolades.
