Acclaimed actor Melissa Leo has delivered a surprising verdict on her Academy Award win, stating it was "not good for me or my career". In a wide-ranging and candid interview answering fan questions, the star of The Fighter opened up about her post-Oscar struggles, her secret desire for regal roles, and her on-set napping habits.
The Oscar Curse and a Memorable F-Bomb
Reflecting on her 2011 Best Supporting Actress win for playing Alice Ward in The Fighter, Leo described the surreal moment. "One loses one's mind," she admitted, recalling being presented the award by the legendary Kirk Douglas. Her primary thought was delight at meeting him.
The moment turned infamous, however, when she uttered an expletive live on air. "I cursed, and I'm still sorry I cursed," she said, thanking the broadcast's ten-second delay for catching the slip. More profoundly, she revealed the accolade's negative impact: "I didn't dream of it, I never wanted it, and I had a much better career before I won." Following the win, she was typecast, offered only roles as "older, nasty women," something she now refuses.
From Knitting to Pottery: Crafting a Creative Life
Beyond acting, Leo discussed her creative passions, which have recently shifted from knitting to pottery. She described frequenting a local pottery studio to "get my creativity out there." Her previous knitting phase produced about a dozen blankets, though most remain stored away. She sees crafts like knitting as ideal for the long waits on a television set, hoping for another such job to pick up her needles again.
Dream Roles and On-Set Revelations
Pushing back against her frequent casting as blue-collar characters, Leo expressed a burning desire to play aristocracy. "I am dying to do that kind of work," she declared. "I've been asking for years: 'Please, may I play the princess? The glorious, kind, benevolent queen?'" She longs for period costumes and believes she can authentically inhabit different eras.
The actor also fielded a playful question about why her character didn't share a kiss with Denzel Washington in The Equalizer films, where she played his superior. "Kissing him would be highly inappropriate," she joked, before adding, "if somebody is looking to see me kiss Mr Washington, please whisper that into his ear."
She shared fond memories of her early role as Emma on the ABC Western The Young Riders over three decades ago, and addressed the physical demands of filming, admitting she is a proud advocate of napping on set—as long as she doesn't miss her lunch or her cue.
Pride in Overlooked Projects
While celebrated for mainstream hits, Leo urged audiences to seek out her lesser-known work. She highly recommends her new film The Knife, where she plays a detective who is "neither a goodie or a baddie," just a woman doing her job. She also praised King Ivory, a film tackling the US fentanyl crisis, and the "gentle, sweet, delicate" film Francine, about a woman reintegrating after a long prison sentence.
Through it all, Leo emphasised her professional ethos: "My work chooses me." She prides herself on her range and remains open to diverse roles across time—past, present, and future—as long as they move beyond the stereotypes that followed her Oscar glory.
