Ben Affleck Reveals the "Massive Embarrassment" He Felt in Spite of Best Picture Win

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Winning Best Picture should be the ultimate victory lap, but for Ben Affleck, it came with a side of secondhand cringe. While appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as part of his press tour for Netflix’s The Rip, Affleck looked back on what he called a “massive embarrassment” surrounding Argo’s 2013 Oscars run — specifically, his highly publicized snub in the Best Director category.

At the time, Affleck was widely expected to be nominated. He’d already won Best Director at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, and BAFTAs, making his omission from the Academy’s shortlist feel especially brutal.

“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.’”

What Oscars Did 'Argo' Win?

Despite the snub, Argo still earned seven Oscar nominations and went on to win Best Picture, along with Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing. Affleck starred in and directed the film — which only made the situation feel stranger. Adding insult to injury, Affleck still had to show up — and smile — the very next night.

“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,” he said. “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.”

Even years later, the emotional residue lingers — not because of the loss itself, but because of the public expectation surrounding it, with Affleck confessing that he felt embarrassed just having to answer questions about it, which simply put more negative spotlight on him.

“Honestly, it’s just embarrassing,” Affleck added. “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]!”

The Rip premieres on Netflix on January 16, 2026.