Ben Affleck didn't feel "entitled" to win an Oscar for Best Director this year.
The Argo director and star missed out on an Academy Award nomination despite winning a string of accolades over the past few weeks for his Iranian hostage drama, but insists he is over the snub.
The 40-year-old star told reporters in the press room after picking up the top prize Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Motion Picture at the Director's Guild of America Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday night (02.02.13): "You're not entitled to win anything. You're not entitled to anything in life. I'm really happy—I'm thrilled and honored—that the Academy nominated me as a producer for the movie... It's okay. I'm really lucky. I'm in a great place."
Ben—who is married to actress Jennifer Garner and has three children, Violet, seven, Seraphina, four, and Samuel, 11 months—admitted during his acceptance speech that he decided to become a director because he was so confused about his acting career.
He said: "I got to a point in my life where I was really down, really confused, really felt beset on all sides by life, didn't know what was going to happen. [So] I thought, 'I should be a director!'
"I worked really, really hard to become the best director I could be, by putting in as [many] hours as I [could], and banging my head against a wall, berating myself, lying to myself about whether it was going to work. And I don't think this [award] makes me a real director—but I think it means I'm on my way."
Other big winners at the ceremony included Girls creator and star Lena Dunham, who won Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Comedy series.
The Directors Guild Awards can be one of the most-accurate forecasts for who will take home the big prize Best Picture at the Oscars on February 24.
Full list of Directors Guild of America Award winners:
FILM
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: Ben Affleck - Argo
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary: Malik Bendjelloul - Searching for Sugar Man
TELEVISION
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series: Jay Roach - Game Change
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series: Rian Johnson - Breaking Bad episode "Fifty-One"
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series: Lena Dunham - Girls episode "Pilot"
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical Variety: Glenn Weiss - The 66th Annual Tony Awards
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs: Brian Smith - Master Chef episode #305
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Daytime Serials: Jill Mitwell - One Life To Live episode "Between Heaven and Hell"
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs: Paul Hoen - Let it Shine
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials: Alejandro G. Inarritu