Oscar nominations have been made, and it appears the Academy overlooked Michael Fassbender for a nomination for best actor. For the fans that place Fassbender on the same tier as George Clooney and Brad Pitt, this was a shameful disappointment.
Steve McQueen, the director of Shame, strongly believes the British actor’s performance was ignored by the Academy because of Oscar voters’ biases about sex. The acclaimed director exclaimed:
“In America they’re too scared of sex, that’s why he wasn’t nominated, If you look at the best actor list you’re saying ‘Michael Fassbender is not on that list?’ It’s kind of crazy. But that’s how it is, it’s an American award, let them have it.”
Shame depicts Fassbender’s character, Brandon, as a sex addict. Brandon indulges in his addiction until his private life is disrupted by his sister, Sissy, who arrives at his door unannounced for an indefinite stay.
McQueen raved about Fassbender’s performance saying, “He’s a once in a generation actor. He’s an actor who can transform and transcend, and you actually believe him, so that’s the kind of guy he is.”
When asked about how he felt about being nominated for best actor, Fassbender had this to say about his nude undertaking:
“We moved very fast. We shot it in 25 days, so I kind of had to get over it and get on with it.” When asked about the possibility of an Oscar nomination he said, “It would just be a bonus, but of course I would take my mom down the red carpet.”
Not only was Fassbender passed over by Brad Pitt, Gary Oldman, Jean Dujardin, George Clooney and Demian Bichir for the best actor prize, Steve McQueen’s Shame was absent from all categories for this year’s Academy Awards.
