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Melissa Leo Says Her Oscar Win Hurt Her Career

In a Guardian Q&A, she says the award narrowed how casting directors saw her.

Overview

  • Leo told The Guardian the 2011 honor "has not been good for me or my career," adding she never sought the award and felt her career was stronger beforehand.
  • She recalled Kirk Douglas presenting her category and said she regretted cursing on live television, noting the broadcast’s 10‑second delay.
  • After The Fighter, she said offers skewed toward "older, nasty women" roles, which she does not want to accept anymore.
  • She said she accepted Alice Ward because director David O. Russell strongly wanted her and that meeting the real Alice helped shape her performance.
  • Coverage also notes she has continued to work in film and TV with titles such as Flight, Oblivion, Prisoners, The Equalizer, Novitiate, and I Know This Much Is True.