The Sweet Reason Challengers’ Josh O’Connor Isn’t Upset By The Movie’s Oscar Snubs

If you’re a movie enthusiast, there’s a good chance you’ve come across one of the standout films from 2024, titled “Challengers“. This film features the talents of Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor. While all three delivered exceptional performances, I want to give special recognition to O’Connor’s work in this movie. Unfortunately, the film wasn’t recognized with a nomination for the 2025 Oscars, despite the outstanding efforts of its cast and crew. However, Josh O’Connor, aged 34, remains unphased by this snub, as he shared the heartwarming reason behind his nonchalance towards the upcoming awards ceremony.

Josh O’Connor spoke to IndieWire while at the Sundance Film Festival and shared his feelings about the movie not garnering any Oscar nominations. Via a video on Instagram, the Mothering Sunday alum explained that he’s particularly enamored with the work his peers did on other movies. He also shared a lovely take on his own films:

This year, I find myself truly impressed by all the nominations. There’s a remarkable number of excellent films out there. Frankly, it never ceases to amaze me what artists are capable of creating. Personally, I’m thrilled that two movies I hold dear – La Chimera and Challengers – have been recognized this year. It brings me great joy knowing that people had the opportunity to see them.

I find it truly inspiring to see the humble and grounded approach of the actor from God’s Own Country. His passion for acting is palpable, and it’s clear he relishes working alongside other gifted creatives. Both of his films, including La Chimera, have left a unique impact and garnered positive responses within certain circles. Remarkably, this talented star shared a modest yet heartwarming reason for not being overly focused on individual awards.

I’m proud of both of them so I wasn’t overly concerned about that.

It’s nice to learn that Josh O’Connor primarily focuses on his work and enjoys the recognition that both his own and his peers’ artistic efforts receive. Moreover, it’s accurate for him to point out that every year brings outstanding performances and films in contention.

Indeed, the shut-out of Challengers was just one of several significant snubs at the 2025 Oscars. However, it’s worth noting other achievements as well. One such milestone was Colman Domingo becoming the first actor to secure back-to-back nominations since Denzel Washington in 2017-2018. With numerous outstanding films and performances – both acknowledged and overlooked – the conversation about who deserves recognition will persist until the ceremony on March 2nd.

In the course of about a dozen years, Josh O’Connor has been making strides in his career, and he appears to be garnering more recognition with every role he takes on. Currently, the Emmy-winning star of The Crown is generating buzz for his latest movie, Rebuilding, and he’s also slated to appear in the much-anticipated Knives Out 3. As a fan like myself, I can hardly wait to witness how far O’Connor will go as an actor from this point onwards.

It’s really unfortunate that neither Challengers nor Josh O’Connor didn’t receive Academy Award nominations. Despite this setback, I must admit that he handles the situation with great grace. If you’d like to see his performances, consider subscribing to Hulu to watch La Chimera, and Amazon Prime for Challengers.

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2025-01-28 23:37