Melissa Leo is breaking her silence on how winning an Academy Award changed her professional life – and the picture she paints is far from golden.
The 65-year-old star told reader-submitted questions for The Guardian that taking home the 2011 Supporting Actress Oscar for The Fighter “has not been good for me or my career.” Her blunt assessment: “I had a much better career before I won.”
The Moment Everything Shifted
Leo remembers the exact beat inside the cavernous theater when her name was called.
“One loses one’s mind,” she said. “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.'”
Instead of focusing on the statue, her mind locked onto presenter Kirk Douglas. “Every single actor, director and producer you recognise, is staring you in the face,” she recalled. The swirl of adrenaline led to an on-air slip: “I then cursed, and I’m still sorry I cursed. I f—ing curse all the time, but you cannot curse on network television. Thank God for the 10-second delay, which was introduced for f—ing idiots like me.”
Career After the Gold
Post-Oscar, Leo watched her options narrow. “My work chooses me,” she explained. “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 anymore.”
Despite the prestige of the win, her résumé since 2011 shows selective but varied work:
- Emmy-winning guest spot on Louie (2013)
- Series-regular role in Wayward Pines (2015)
- Title role in The Most Hated Woman in America (2017)
- Recent features Guns Up and The Knife (2024)
Next up: a starring turn in André Øvredal’s thriller Passenger.
Dream Roles on the Horizon
Leo isn’t hiding her wish list. She’s “dying” to trade gritty realism for royal glamour. “I want lovely fancy costumes, maybe from another period,” she said, noting that period pieces suit her. “Years ago, I made a film called A Time of Destiny, which was set in the 40s. Not all actors can fit in period pieces because they feel too modern, but I can play goodies and baddies – past, present and future.”
Key Takeaways
- Melissa Leo calls her 2011 Oscar win a net negative for her career
- Roles dried up except for “older, nasty women,” she claims
- The actress still aims for parts with “lovely fancy costumes” and historical settings
- Her upcoming project, Passenger, could signal a fresh direction
