Instead, the British director says he's relishing the musical's many other accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild Award, three Golden Globe wins, nine BAFTA nominations and eight Oscar nods, including best picture, best actor for Hugh Jackman and best supporting actress for Anne Hathaway. (Hooper was also nominated for a Directors Guild award but lost to Ben Affleck for "Argo" over the weekend.)
Hooper directed the HBO miniseries "John Adams" and the TV drama "Longford." "Les Miserables" is an adaptation of a Broadway musical based on Victor Hugo's novel.
In a recent interview, he talked about fame, this year's Academy Award nominations and who he'll be rooting for during the Feb. 24th ceremony.
AP: What are your thoughts on this year's Oscar nominations?
Hooper: I think it's important in awards season to just be incredibly grateful for any recognition that you've already got and to not expect anything beyond it. I was very fortunate two years ago with
'The King's Speech' and this year it's a year of extraordinarily wonderful and beautiful films. So it's a very special year. So I'm just pleased to be part of it.
AP: Besides 'Les Mis,' what's your pick for best film of 2012?
Hooper: I really loved the Woody Allen film 'To Rome With Love,' which hasn't had any nominations at all. But I think Woody Allen remains an extraordinary storyteller. ... I mean it's genius. Also, the way he just keeps working, it's a great model for me. I'd love to be at his age and still making a film a year.
AP: Of the directors in the Oscar race, who are you rooting for?
Hooper: I saw 'Life of Pi' recently and I thought that was an extraordinary directorial and technical accomplishment. The way Ang (Lee) uses 3-D, it feels like you're seeing the medium for the first time. ... The great thing about (awards season) is you take a beat to learn about filmmaking and see what other directors are doing. That's a great way of thinking about the art form once a year in a concentrated way.
