Ben Affleck discusses ‘embarrassing’ Argo Oscars snub controversy years later

Ben Affleck is looking back on one of the most embarrassing moments of his career!

During his recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! To promote his upcoming Netflix film The Rip, the actor and filmmaker reflected on the 2013 Academy Awards season.

At the time, Affleck was widely expected to receive a Best Director nomination for Argo after winning the category at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards and BAFTAs. However, when the Oscar nominations were announced, his name was notably absent. Even Argo earned seven Oscar nominations and won best picture and two other prizes.

“It was the year, the horrible thing of everyone telling you, ‘You’re gonna get nominated, you’re gonna get nominated for director’ 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,’” he recalled.

Ben Affleck starred in and directed the film, making his omission from both the acting and directing categories even more glaring.

Argo – an American historical political espionage drama thriller film – is based on real-life events.