Michael Fassbender is on the cover of November's GQ, and in the accompanying interview, the 36-year-old actor tells writer Zach Baron that he won't participate in this year's awards season.


Fassbender, who is in the unique position of promoting two films at once, Steve McQueen's "12 Years A Slave" (out on Oct. 18) and Ridley Scott's "The Counselor" (out Oct. 25), has received unanimous praise for his performance in McQueen's slavery drama, with many already penciling him in for an Oscar nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category. The only problem? When awards season hits its crescendo, Fassbender will be busy with other projects.


"[Campaigning is] just not going to happen, because I'll be in New Zealand. I'll be on the other side of the world," Fassbender told Baron. "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."


By "that kind of situation," Fassbender is referring to awards season two years ago, when he was up for consideration because of his performance in McQueen's previous film, "Shame." Fassbender, however, was not nominated for Best Actor, despite all signs pointing toward a different result.


“At the beginning people [say], 'You're going to be going to the Oscars,' and you're like, 'Whatever, doesn't matter, don't think so,'" Fassbender told GQ writer Chris Heath in June of 2012. "But after a while it does penetrate. After a while you're like, 'Anyway, so I'm going to the Oscars.' And you start to believe it. And I did. I thought I was going. And then I found out I wasn't and I was upset. I was very upset by it. The first reaction was 'What the fuck…?'”


If Fassbender's comments about Oscar season as carrot-and-stick sound familiar, that's because Bill Murray made similar ones about losing Best Actor to Sean Penn at the 2004 Academy Awards ceremony.


"The one time I got a bunch of prizes, I just assumed I'd win them all," Murray told GQ writer Brett Martin in January of this year. "Because I'd been winning them all. I wasn't disappointed or anything, but I was surprised." (GQ, where actors go to talk about Oscar politics.)


"Some part of me was disappointed that I got tricked into thinking it was important," Murray told Martin. "I told myself, if that happens again, I don't want to do that. I've since realized that it was good I didn't win, because I wasn't ready. Guys go for five years without working because they're thinking, 'Oh, this isn't Oscar-worthy.' They become paralyzed. So. It would have fed that thing that I found in myself, without my even knowing. It would have been really malformed. Because I had it wrong."


For more on Fassbender, head to GQ.


[via GQ]



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  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Actors Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong'o and Director de la Communication at Jaeger-LeCoultre, Laurent Vinay attend the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)




  • Steve McQueen, Sarah Paulson, Alfre Woodard, Michael Fassbender


    From left, Steve McQueen, Sarah Paulson, Alfre Woodard and Michael Fassbender attend the New York Film Festival screening of "12 Years A Slave" on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)




  • Sarah Paulson


    Sarah Paulson attends the New York Film Festival screening of "12 Years A Slave" on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)




  • Chiwetel Ejiofor


    Chiwetel Ejiofor attends the New York Film Festival screening of "12 Years A Slave" on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)




  • Sarah Paulson, Lupita Nyong’o


    Sarah Paulson, left, and Lupita Nyong’o attend the New York Film Festival screening of "12 Years A Slave" on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)




  • Michael Fassbender


    Michael Fassbender attends the New York Film Festival screening of "12 Years A Slave" on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)




  • Lupita Nyong’o


    Lupita Nyong’o attends the New York Film Festival screening of "12 Years A Slave" on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: (L-R )Actor Paul Dano, actress Sarah Paulson, actress Lupita Nyong'o, actress Alfre Woodard, actor Michael Fassbender, and director Steve McQueen attend the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: (L-R )Actor Paul Dano, actress Sarah Paulson, actress Lupita Nyong'o, actress Alfre Woodard, and actor Michael Fassbender attend the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: (L-R) Actor Michael Fassbender, Nancy Utley, and director Steve McQueen attend the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Arrivals - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor attends the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Arrivals - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor attends the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: (L-R) Actor Michael Fassbender, Nancy Utley, and director Steve McQueen attend the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Actress Sarah Paulson (L) and Actress Lupita Nyong'o attend the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Actors Chiwetel Ejiofor (R) and Lupita Nyong'o (C) and Director de la Communication at Jaeger-LeCoultre, Laurent Vinay (L) attend the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Arrivals - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: (L-R) Actor Paul Dano, actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, actress Lupita Nyong'o, director Steve McQueen, actress Sarah Paulson, actress Alfre Woodard, and actor Michael Fassbender attend the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: (L-R) Actors Sarah Paulson, Alfre Woddard, and Michael Fassbender attend the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: (L-R) Actress Lupita Nyong'o, director Steve McQueen, actress Sarah Paulson, actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, actress Alfre Woodard, and actor Paul Dano attend the 'All Is Lost', '12 Years A Slave' & 'Nebraska' premieres during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Arrivals - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Director Steve McQueenattends the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at The Film Society of Lincoln Center, Walter Reade Theatre on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Actress Sarah Paulson (L) and Actress Lupita Nyong'o attend the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Actor Michael Fassbender attends the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)




  • "All Is Lost", "12 Years A Slave" & "Nebraska" Premieres - Red Carpet - The 51st New York Film Festival


    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Director Steve McQueenattends the '12 Years A Slave' premiere during the 51st New York Film Festival at The Film Society of Lincoln Center, Walter Reade Theatre on October 8, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)




  • Chiwetel Ejiofor


    This Sept. 14, 2013 photo shows British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor from the film "12 Years A Slave," in New York. Ejiofor portrays Solomon Northup, a free black man who was abducted and sold into slavery in this pre-Civil War drama. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Invision/AP)




  • Chiwetel Ejiofor


    This Sept. 14, 2013 photo shows British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor from the film "12 Years A Slave," in New York. Ejiofor portrays Solomon Northup, a free black man who was abducted and sold into slavery in this pre-Civil War drama. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Invision/AP)