Best Picture: Argo
Accepting the Oscar were: Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney, “Argo”
The most unexpected question for the “Argo” trio of producers came in the form of an invitation to a foreign service event in Washington on May 3.
“Grant and I will be in Berlin shooting, so we won’t make it, but maybe Ben might be in town,” Clooney said, half-jokingly throwing the “Argo” director under the bus.
The trio enjoyed ribbing each other backstage. At one point, Affleck was asked about his omission from the directing category, to which his counterparts feigned surprise.
“I didn’t get nominated as a director,” Affleck pretended to explain.
“I wasn’t nominated as an actor,” Clooney joked.
All three filmmakers were surprised that it was first lady Michelle Obama who announced “Argo’s” best picture win during the ceremony, after being introduced by Jack Nicholson.
“I was just asking these two guys outside, ‘Was that Michelle Obama?'” Affleck said. “The whole thing kind of overwhelmed me at the time, but in retrospect, the fact that it was the first lady was an enormous honor … anyway, it was very cool.”
“And I’m a big fan of the bangs,” Heslov added.
As for the Oscar itself, the filmmakers were asked at what point they knew it would be theirs.
“When they gave us the trophies, I was confident we would win,” Affleck said.