Jennifer Lopez Says ‘Hustlers’ Oscar Snub ‘Felt Like I Let Everyone Down’

Ryan Lattanzio
·2 min read

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Throughout the 2019-2020 awards season, a narrative had been building that Jennifer Lopez would receive her overdue, first-ever Academy Award nomination for her already iconic turn as a stripper in Lorene Scafaria’s “Hustlers.” Oscar buzz around the actress began in earnest when the film popped at the Toronto International Film Festival, and then carried well beyond its September 13 release date, after which “Hustlers” earned nearly $160 million at the global box office.

However, when nominations were announced on January 13 this year, Lopez was a no-show among the Best Supporting Actress nominees: Scarlett Johansson (“Jojo Rabbit”), Florence Pugh (“Little Women”), surprise late-breaking Kathy Bates (“Richard Jewell”), Margot Robbie (“Bombshell”), and Laura Dern (“Marriage Story”), who ultimately won.

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Speaking with Oprah Winfrey as part of the mogul’s “2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus Tour” (via Deadline), Lopez got candid about her failure to land an Oscar nomination despite a season of plaudits and predictions from Oscars experts. The singer/actress, who recently rocked the house at the Super Bowl Halftime Show with Shakira, said the loss “felt like I let everyone down a little bit.”

She said, “I was sad. I was a little sad because there was a lot of buildup to it. There were so many articles, I got so many good notices — more than ever in my career — and there was a lot of: ‘She’s going to get nominated for an Oscar, it’s going to happen; if it doesn’t you’re crazy.’ I’m reading all the articles going: ‘Oh my god, could this happen?’ And then it didn’t and I was like: ‘Ouch.’ It was a little bit of a letdown.”

In spite of plenty of acclaim for “Hustlers” — which co-starred Constance Wu, Keke Palmer, Julia Stiles, Lili Reinhart, and Lizzo and Cardi B. in small roles — the movie was also shut out of the 2020 Academy Awards nominations entirely. Lopez did score Golden Globes and Indie Spirit nominations for her performance, though she lost out on those prizes as well. The Los Angeles Film Critics Association, however, did give her its Best Supporting Actress prize, helping to boost her profile throughout the awards derby.

Jennifer Lopez next appears in Kat Coiro’s pop-star comedy “Marry Me,” with Owen Wilson and Sarah Silverman.

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