Why Melissa Leo Claims Her Oscar Award Win Was 'Not Good' for Work

Melissa Leo is opening up about why being an Academy Award winner isn't all it's cracked up to be. In a recent Q&A with fans for The Guardian, the 65-year-old actress admitted that winning an Oscar was actually detrimental to both her personal life and her professional trajectory.

Surprisingly, she noted that she never actually wanted or dreamed of winning the prestigious award, adding that her career felt much stronger before she took home the trophy.

Melissa Leo's Awards

Melissa Leo earned her Best Supporting Actress title in 2011 for her standout performance in the boxing drama 'The Fighter,' where she starred alongside Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. While she found success afterwards with an Emmy-winning role in 'Louie' and projects like 'Wayward Pines,' she feels the "Oscar glow" didn't translate into the right kind of opportunities.

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Reflecting on the night she won, Leo remembered feeling like she was losing her mind. Having picked up several other awards during that season, she realised while sitting in the audience that a win was actually possible. Once she got to the stage, her mind was focused almost entirely on meeting the legendary Kirk Douglas. She also expressed regret for swearing during her acceptance speech, though she joked that she is a frequent cusser and was thankful for the broadcast's ten-second delay.

Melissa Leo also touched on how her career shifted for the worse after the win. She explained that while she usually lets roles choose her, she was frustrated to find that she was only being offered parts as a mean, older woman following her Oscar victory. She made it clear that she has no interest in playing those types of characters anymore.

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Looking toward the future, Melissa Leo revealed that she is eager to trade in those "nasty" roles for something more regal. She mentioned that she is dying to play a queen or a princess in a period piece, noting her love for elaborate costumes and her ability to fit into historical settings. While fans wait to see if she gets her royal wish, they can catch her in recent projects like 'Guns Up' or look forward to her upcoming role in the film 'Passenger.'

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