Ben Affleck was not nominated for Best Director at the Academy Awards on Sunday but gave an inspirational acceptance speech when he took to the stage with the cast and crew of Argo to win Best Picture at the end of the night.

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Affleck took home an award for his work on the film at the Golden Globes, beating Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino Ang Lee and Kathryn Bigelow. Argo also won Best Drama at the Golden Globes, which aired in January. 

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The film is about the 1980 joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to rescue six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran and bring them back to the United States without being stopped. Affleck not only directed the film but also starred in it, acting as the lead CIA official on the mission to Iran and back. 

In his acceptance speech his thanked his wife, before tearing up, for working on their marriage. He said "it's work, it's the best kind of work...and there's no one else I'd rather work with." He talked about his experience at the Academy Awards 15 years ago where he said he was "just a kid" not knowing what he was doing.

"I never thought that I would be back here," he said, "and I am. Because of so many of you who are here tonight. Because of this academy. Because of so many wonderful people who extended themselves to me when they had nothing to benefit from it." 

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"I want to thank them and what they taught me," he added, "which is that you have to work harder than you think you possibly can."

Affleck also talked about "holding grudges" and getting knocked down in life. Watch his full acceptance speech in the video below. 

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