Denzel Washington Says the Oscars Are Worthless: “I Don’t Care”
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, Denzel Washington, who has won two acting Oscars for Glory and Training Day and has been nominated nine times, once again questioned the significance of the award in a recent interview.
Speaking to the Jake’s Take podcast ahead of the wide release of Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest, Washington said that the Oscars have no bearing on how he chooses his roles.
“I don’t play for the Oscars. I don’t care about things like that,” he said. “I’ve been acting for a long time, and there have been times when I won when I shouldn’t have, and times when I didn’t win when I should have. Man gives awards. God gives rewards.”
Washington continued: “I have no interest in the Oscars… I’m not bragging! I’m just telling you how I feel. On the last day of my life, [an Oscar] won’t do me a bit of good.”
The 70-year-old actor had been considered an early Oscar contender for Gladiator II just a few months ago, but he didn’t even receive a nomination. Speaking to The New York Times on the subject, he quipped: “Are you kidding? I’m very upset. I’m satisfied with all my roles, past and present.”
Last year, Ethan Hawke recalled that when he lost the Best Supporting Actor race at the Oscars, his Training Day co-star told him on the night of the ceremony: “Better you didn’t win. Losing was better.”
Hawke explained: “It’s better not to want the award to boost your credibility. You should be the one to raise the award’s credibility. That’s how he sees it.”
Highest 2 Lowest will open in U.S. theaters on August 15 and stream on Apple TV+ starting September 5.
