Julianne Moore admits she was fired and replaced by Melissa McCarthy in Oscar-nominated movie

Julianne Moore reluctantly made a candid admission this week on "Watch What Happens Live," revealing that she was fired from a film that pulled in Oscar nominations this year.

As a caller asked Moore why she'd walked away from her starring role in "Can You Ever Forgive Me," which landed Melissa McCarthy a nomination for Best Actress, Moore's face visibly scrunched up as she cringed at the question.

"I didn't leave that movie," Moore said. "I was fired."

"Were you?!" host Andy Cohen asked incredulously.

"Yeah, yeah," she said. "[Director] Nicole [Holofcener] fired me. So, yeah. That's the truth. I think she didn't like what I was doing."

Moore was booted from the film before it started shooting, she said, with the role ultimately going to McCarthy.

Although Moore hasn't seen the flick -- "It's still kind of painful," she said -- she has nothing but admiration for McCarthy, raving, "I worship her. I think she's fantastic."

Thankfully, Moore still has her own Best Actress statue (from 2015's "Still Alice") to make her feel a little better.

PHOTOS: See Julianne Moore through the years