“I did everything they told me. You gotta kiss the babies, and I schmooze every f—ing body in the world,” this actor said of his “big snub.”
Awards show season is officially in full swing and Oscar nominees have finally been announced. While it’s an exciting moment for the stars who are up for the prestigious award, it’s safe to say that the public doesn’t always feel that the Academy got it right.
Plenty of incredibly talented actors and actresses end up getting snubbed by the iconic award ceremony — and in the aftermath, fans don’t hold back their feelings. When it comes to the stars themselves, it’s clear that many are disappointed by the decision too. Although they try to publicly accept the snub, some celebs can’t help but speak out about the insult from the Academy.
Read on to see how these stars reacted to their Oscars snub …
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1. Awkwafina
In 2020, Awkwafina didn’t receive an Oscars nod for her performance in The Farewell. While she shared that she was incredibly “appreciative” for the positive reaction to the film and noted that there were other “amazing performances” that year, she added that there was still work to be done by the Academy.
“I think all of [the nominations] were warranted as they should have been. That’s not also to say that we can’t ignore the fact that there are some incredible movies that were women-helmed, including mine, The Farewell. Me personally, I feel very grateful for where I am and where we’ve come,” Awkwafina said during a Television Critics Association press tour appearance.
She added, “My emotional reaction to all of this really is that I’m grateful for this journey. We didn’t know that The Farewell would literally have a home. We didn’t know if anybody would buy The Farewell, that it would be on the screens. To express that as far as we’ve come, it’s so much more. It’s the journey. For that, me personally, I think there’s always more work to be done. Of course.”
2. Adam Sandler
Following the Oscar nominee announcement in 2020, Adam Sandler expressed both disappointment and relief that his role in Uncut Gems hadn’t earned him a Best Actor nod. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Adam shared his thoughts — and offered congratulations to Kathy Bates, his former on-screen mom who had been nominated for her role in Richard Jewell.
“Bad news: Sandman gets no love from the Academy. Good news: Sandman can stop wearing suits. Congrats to all my friends who got nominated, especially Mama,” he wrote on Twitter.
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3. Danielle Deadwyler
In 2023, Danielle Deadwyler’s film Till did not receive any Oscar nominations, sparking backlash from the public as well as the film’s cast and crew. While director Chinonye Chukwu stated that the snub was “perpetuating an unabashed misogyny towards Black women,” Danielle suggested that Academy voters “perhaps chose not to see” the film.
“We’re talking about people who perhaps chose not to see the film. We’re talking about misogynoir, like, it comes in all kinds of ways, whether it’’ direct or indirect. It impacts who we are,” Danielle said on Kermode & Mayo’s Take podcast. “They did the critical assessment. I think the question is more on people who are living in whiteness, White people’s assessment of the spaces that they are privileged by.”
While the snub was clearly a disappointment, Danielle noted that it was still a “beauty to share this film.”
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4. Jennifer Lopez
Following the release of Jennifer Lopez’s film Hustlers, she had high hopes that she would receive a nod from the Academy. But when Oscar nominations came out, the film didn’t get any recognition, which Jennifer admitted that it was upsetting.
“I was a little sad because there was a lot of buildup to it. I got so many good notices — more than ever in my career. And I’m reading all the articles and I’m going, ‘Oh my God, could this happen?’ And then it didn’t and it was like, ‘Ouch.’ It was a bit of a letdown,” Jennifer said during Oprah Winfrey’s 2020 Vision: Your Life In Focus Tour. “I felt like I let everybody down a little bit.”
Ultimately, Jennifer says she realized she didn’t need the accolade to tell her that she was “enough.”
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5. Jennifer Aniston
When Jennifer Aniston’s film Cake was snubbed by the Academy in 2015, she admitted she was a little bit disappointed — but was trying to keep things in perspective. At the time, she explained that she was just honored that such a small film had gotten so much attention.
“I’d be lying if there wasn’t a little [aw], but after that there’s a lot of, ‘But look at tonight, look at the Globes, look at the SAGs!’ We’re an embarrassment of wonderful riches [for] a movie that hasn’t even been released and is teensy tiny. This is all just cherries on top of something that was really special to us. So we’re really excited,” Jennifer told Access Hollywood.
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6. Ben Affleck
Back in 2013, Ben Affleck’s film Argo may have received a lot of nominations — but he didn’t receive a nod for Best Director. Reflecting on that time, Ben admitted that he ended up learning a lot from the experience and realized he never wanted to do awards season “ass-kissing” ever again.
“It was ‘the big snub,’ right? And that taught me a lot, because I did everything they told me. You gotta kiss the babies, and I schmooze every f—ing body in the world. Part of it is because you’re the director and you wanna do it, but the truth is part of it is ’cause I wanted it,” he shared on The Howard Stern Show.
He continued, “Maybe I didn’t deserve it. If the directors don’t think I deserved it, that’s their opinion. And that’s fine. I’m proud of the movie … But they made sure to leave me out … And that day, I had to go to the f—ing Critics Choice Awards, which has, if my memory’s correct, the single longest f—ing red carpet in humanity, and every single stop, you didn’t even have to say anything, they’d just hold the mic and go, ‘So, snubbed?’ And you gotta pretend that you’re OK, pretend it didn’t bother you because God forbid something bother you.”
7. Gina Prince-Bythewood
The Woman King director Gina Prince-Bythewood admits she was more than disappointed when the film didn’t receive any nods from the Academy in 2023. She called the entirety of that awards season “an eye-opener” and says she truly realized the level of change that needs to be made in the industry.
“I’ve gotten so many texts and emails from people in the industry outraged by the Oscar nominations. Of course I’m disappointed. Who wouldn’t be? Especially because there was so much love for our film,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “Not only does The Woman King exist in the world, but it’s a success in the world… So, our film made money and clearly had a cultural impact, which is what we all hoped for.”
She continued, “But the Academy made a very loud statement, and for me to stay quiet is to accept that statement … The Woman King wasn’t snubbed. A snub is if it missed out on a category or two. The film was not nominated for one single craft. Not one single extraordinary performance was recognized. And when has that happened for a successful film that hit all the so-called markers? It’s not a snub. It’s a reflection of where the Academy stands and the consistent chasm between Black excellence and recognition. And, sadly, this is not just an issue in Hollywood but in every industry.”
8. Mia Goth
After Mia Goth’s film Pearl didn’t receive any nominations ahead of the 2023 Oscars, she called out the Academy for failing to recognize horror movies. She explained that she believed nominations weren’t truly based on the quality of a film and that there were many other unfair factors that went into the decision.
“I think that it’s very political,” she said during an interview with Jake’s Takes. “It’s not entirely based on the quality of a project per se. There’s a lot going on there and a lot of cooks in the kitchen when it comes to nominations. Maybe I shouldn’t say that, but I think that’s true. I think a lot of people know that.”
She continued, “A change is necessary. A shift should take place if they wanted to engage with the wider public. I think it would be of benefit, really, [to nominate horror movies].”
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9. Gal Gadot
Following Wonder Woman’s 2017 release, the film was passed up in all categories at the Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. While it was surely a disappointing experience, Gal Gadot says she was just honored that the film had been so well received by the public.
“I was very moved and touched by the people who were disappointed that Wonder Woman wasn’t nominated, but we certainly never did the movie for that,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “I think that you can’t have it all. We’ve done this movie and it was received in such an amazing, wonderful way, and we want to stay humble and grateful, and we’re going to have another movie, so who knows? Maybe the next one!”
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10. Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey’s iconic film The Truman Show received several nods at the 1999 Oscars but the Academy failed to recognize Jim individually. While the movie was up for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor, Jim wasn’t nominated for Best Actor. Looking back, he says it never really bothered him.
“I’ve never felt left out or passed over. These are words that other people create around me. I don’t live in that world. All gifts are welcome. All recognition is appreciated, but none of it is needed. I’m so lucky creatively and personally. That’s not a need that I have,” Jim said at a Television Critics Association event in 2019.
He continued, “The Truman Show is its own gift. Whether it had Oscars attached to it or not, that’s not what makes kids in college want to study the papers on your film. It’s the truth behind the film that makes that happen. That comes from the actors who are honest. That comes from wanting to do a great piece of work aside from all of the mirroring of awards and the PR side of things. It’s the art. When the art transcends, those things come.”
11. Robert Redford
When Robert Redford’s film All Is Lost was snubbed by the Academy in 2014, he admitted that he wasn’t at all bothered. As a veteran actor, he explained that he knew it all had to do with how the business worked.
“Let me just speak frankly about how I feel about it. Hollywood is what it is, it’s a business and so when these films go to be voted on, usually they’re heavily dependent on campaigns,” Robert said during a press conference at Sundance Film Festival.
He added, “In our case I think we suffered from little to no distribution. And so as a result, our distributors — I don’t know why — they didn’t want to spend the money, they were afraid, they were just incapable, I don’t know. I’m not disturbed by it, I’m not upset by it because, like I said, it’s a business.”
