Proof there was a time Steven Spielberg didn't automatically earn an Oscar nomination

As sure as the sun rises in the west, Steven Spielberg will get nominated for a slew of awards most of the time he slaps his name on a film (unless the phrase “Crystal Skull” is in the title). But there was once a time when even he had to sweat out the Oscar nominations announcement, waiting in pained silence to see if he, too, would have a chance at an Academy Award. The proof is in this brief clip from a documentary on the lead-up to the 1976 Academy Awards (honoring films made in 1975), which included a Best Picture nomination for Jaws, Spielberg's first of many, many blockbusters. Though he clearly approaches it tongue-in-cheek (his comment about the shark being eligible for a Best Actress nomination), he does betray a bit of honest surprise when he hears he has not earned a Best Director nomination. We'll revisit this clip in a year after he once again sweeps the Oscars courtesy the Daniel Day-Lewis-starring Lincoln.