Actress Melissa Leo is convinced winning an Oscar for her role in The Fighter was “not good” for her career as she was only offered parts playing “older, nasty women” after starring in the 2010 sports drama.
Melissa Leo is convinced winning an Oscar was “not good” for her career.
The 65-year-old screen star took home the Best Supporting Actress trophy at the 2011 Academy Awards for her role in The Fighter opposite Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale, but she has now admitted winning Hollywood’s most prestigious trophy had a detrimental effect on her work.
She told the Guardian newspaper: “Winning an Oscar has not been good for me or my career. I didn’t dream of it, I never wanted it, and I had a much better career before I won.”
In the question-and-answer session, she admitted her performance in The Fighter also changed the roles she was offered and she was only being asked to play “older, nasty women”.
She explained: “My work chooses me. The mark of a really good actor is one that has a range and doesn’t just show up in the same role again and again.
“I’m happy to play what I’m offered – apart from after The Fighter, when all I was offered was older, nasty women. I don’t want to do that any more.”
After The Fighter, Melissa went on to appear in films such as The Equalizer, The Big Short, Olympus Has Fallen and Snowden.
In her chat with the Guardian, Melissa went on to admit she still feels bad about dropping the F-bomb on the Oscars stage as she opened her acceptance speech by saying: “When I watched Kate [Winslet win] two years ago, it looked so f****** easy!”
The actress said: “One loses one’s mind [when winning an Oscar]. I had won a lot of prestigious awards for The Fighter that season, and sat in that great gigantic theatre thinking: ‘Well, it certainly is possible.’
“Kirk Douglas came out to present the best supporting actress award, opened the envelope and called my name. I was so delighted to meet him – that was all I was thinking about.
“I turned to the house, which in most theatres, you can see by looking a little above your own eyesight. In the Dolby theatre, you have to raise your chin like you’re about to scale Mount Everest.
“Every single actor, director and producer you recognise, is staring you in the face. I then cursed, and I’m still sorry I cursed. I f****** curse all the time, but you cannot curse on network television.
“Thank God for the 10-second delay, which was introduced for f****** idiots like me.”
Melissa Leo’s Oscar win was ‘not good’ for her career
