Casey Affleck, who won the best actor Oscar on Sunday, became a frontrunner after he swept a series of precursor awards last winter. But when he started doing press for “Manchester by the Sea” in the fall, Affleck was certain he’d never win an Academy Award.
For a cover story in October, here’s what he told Variety about the early Oscar buzz.
“I think other than the campaigning and the stuff that happens, there’s another factor, which is you are the kind of person who has had years and years of doing magazines and talk shows and being out there,” said Affleck, who spent two decades making under-the-radar indies like “Gerry” and “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints.” “That is what makes the big difference. You are the kind of person that the Academy voters feel like they know. I haven’t led that kind of life. And so I suspect the amount of campaigning I do wouldn’t make a difference. Ninety percent of the people who are checking boxes are going, ‘I know Clint Eastwood; I know Tom Hanks.’ And they’ll pick one of those guys.”
Affleck also incorrectly predicted the results of another voting contest. Our interview took place on the day of the first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
“She’s a lock,” he said about the Democratic presidential nominee. “I think it’s going to be a landslide. Most people know it. He’s preposterous; he’ll totally unravel at serious conversation in the debate. I’d be really surprised if it’s close at all.”
See the full list of Oscar winners here.
