Consider this: Winning an Academy Award isn't always all it's cracked up to be, according to Melissa Leo.
The "Frozen River" star, who won the Oscar for best supporting actress in 2011 for "The Fighter,"told The Guardianthat the honor did not help her acting career.
"Winning an Oscar has not been good for me or my career," she said. "I didn't dream of it, I never wanted it, and I had a much better career before I won."
Leo, 65, also reflected on accidentally using profanity in her acceptance speech at the 2011 Oscars. "I'm still sorry I cursed," she told The Guardian, adding that she curses "all the time, but you cannot curse on network television."
Leo starred oppositeMark WahlbergandChristian Balein the 2010 David O. Russell sports drama "The Fighter," which also earned Bale the Oscar for best supporting actor. Leo's Oscar win was the first of her career after she had previously been nominated for best lead actress for "Frozen River" in 2009.
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During the 2011 awards season, Leo took the unusual step of personally paying for advertising that asked Oscar voters to consider her performance in "The Fighter." The ads, whichdrew mockery, featured images of the actress posing alongside text that read, "Consider."
At the time,Leo told Deadlineshe took out the ads because she was frustrated with feeling like she was not receiving much media attention for her role in "The Fighter."
"I took matters into my own hands," Leo told Deadline in February 2011. "I knew what I was doing and told my representation how earnest I was about this idea. I had never heard of any actor taking out an ad as themselves and I wanted to give it a shot."
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After "The Fighter," Leo went on to have roles in films like "Flight," "Oblivion," "Prisoners," "The Equalizer" and "Novitiate" and TV shows like "I'm Dying Up Here" and "I Know This Much Is True."
New year, new star sightings. With the Oscar nominations in sight, celebrities are kicking off 2026 on the awards circuit, stepping out at events like the Palm Springs International Film Awards and Critics Choice Awards.Scroll through for the best celebrity photos of January so far, starting with Teyana Taylor at the Palm Springs Film Awards on Jan. 3, 2026, in California." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
From left, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, Paul Thomas Anderson, Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio del Toro attend the Critics Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on Jan. 4, 2026, in Santa Monica, California. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Jessie Buckley" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Kylie Jenner, left, and Timothée Chalamet" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Paul W. Downs, left, and Megan Stalter" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Amy Madigan " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Audrey Nuna, EJAE and Rei Ami" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Jacob Elordi" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
From left, Shawn Hatosy, Katherine LaNasa, Noah Wyle and Patrick Ball" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Rhea Seehorn " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
From left, Seth Rogen, Chase Sui Wonders and Ike Barinholtz" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Jean Smart" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Janelle James " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Tramell Tillman " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sebastian Maniscalco, left, and Marcello Hernández" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sarah Snook" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Ariana Grande " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Odessa A'zion" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Kristen Stewart attends the Variety Creative Impact Awards and 10 Directors to Watch during Palm Springs International Film Festival on Jan. 4." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Dwayne Johnson, left, and Colman Domingo " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Chase Infiniti " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Timothée Chalamet with his Spotlight Actor of the Year Awards on Jan. 3 at Palm Springs Film Awards." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Miley Cyrus " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Amanda Seyfried " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Mia Goth " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Jacob Elordi " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Oscar Isaac " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Kate Hudson " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Renate Reinsve " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Jessie Buckley " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Paul Mescal " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Michael B. Jordan " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Elle Fanning " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Rose Byrne, left, and Meghann Fahy " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> See Teyana Taylor, Ariana Grande in the best celebrity photos of January
New year, new star sightings. With the Oscar nominations in sight, celebrities are kicking off 2026 on the awards circuit, stepping out at events like the Palm Springs International Film Awards and Critics Choice Awards.Scroll through for the best celebrity photos of January so far, starting with Teyana Taylor at the Palm Springs Film Awards on Jan. 3, 2026, in California.
Leo previouslytold Closerin 2022 that winning the Oscar "changed my life, but I can't say it changed it for the better," explaining, "Post-Academy Award, I was like, 'Oh, this is so great! So the work is just going to come in now, all these leading roles!' I began to have expectations, and I had to get over that. I'm trying to now really look forward and make conscious choices about the work that I do, and not do work that will be harmful to me or others."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Melissa Leo says 2011 Oscar win 'has not been good' for her career
