Michael Fassbender is considered a lock for an Oscar nomination for his work as a sadistic plantation owner in “12 Years a Slave,” and that’s a good thing, because the actor says that he will not be pressing the flesh this awards season.
“It’s just a grind,” Fassbender tells GQ Magazine this month. “And I’m not a politician. I’m an actor.”
The extraordinarily prolific actor, who also has another movie coming out this fall with Ridley Scott’s thriller “The Counselor,” says he will be in New Zealand shooting a film and won’t be available to do the endless rounds of screenings and question and answer sessions that are part and parcel of gunning for a certain golden guy.
Plus, he’s been in this position before. In 2011, Fassbender just missed out on a Best Actor nomination for his role as a sex addict in “Shame.”
Also read: ’12 Years a Slave’ vs. ‘Gravity’ – Who Filled the Seats at the Academy?
“I’ll be on the other side of the world,” Fassbender said. “You know, I get it. Everybody’s got to do their job. So you try and help and facilitate as best you can. But I won’t put myself through that kind of situation again.”
Sometimes a performance alone is enough to snag the prize. In 2009, Monique made a point of not making the rounds to promote her work in “Precious” and still earned the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
She referenced that decision in her acceptance speech, saying “I would like to thank the Academy for showing that it can be about the performance and not the politics.”
Next up for Fassbender is a return to the world of superheroes in “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and a bit of the Bard in a big screen version of “Macbeth” opposite Marion Cotillard.