Matthew Rhys admits losing Oscar-nominated role ‘felt terrible’

Matthew Rhys has an established career. With The Americans and Perry Mason in his credits, he still regreted missing out on the role.

That is the role of folk legend Pete Seeger in the singer Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.

Edward Norton, ultimately, landed the role and went on to earn an Oscar nomination.

“I was like, Who got it? And they went, Ed Norton. I was, like, Oh, OK,” he told The New York Times.

“But it’s terrible. I felt crappy, because it reminds you of everything you used to do," the actor noted.

But interestingly, Rhys said the experience of rejection felt oddly encouraging.

“You used to make yourself vulnerable,” he said, adding, “You used to give yourself all this hope, and then you’d be knocked down. It was good. It enlivened me again.”

Continuing his thought, Rhys noted, “That’s what drives the need to go and still do that at this stage.“

"And also, if you want something, get after it. Prove to them you can do it. I was kind of relieved that I still had that hunger.”

Back to Norton, his portrayal of Seeger as a mentor to Dylan received much praise from critics and audiences alike.