Yahoo Lifestyle Denzel Washington Still Has Never Been Nominated for a BAFTA After Latest ‘Gladiator 2’ Snub
As Shakespeare wrote, “Life is but a walking shadow,” and Denzel Washington is the poor player who continues to be heard no more, at least in the eyes of BAFTA.
With over 65 film credits, nine Academy Award nominations (including two wins) and more than 270 accolades across a 45-year career, Denzel Washington is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of his generation. Yet, despite his towering legacy, Washington remains an undeniable blind spot for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
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This year is no exception. On Wednesday, the BAFTA nominations were unveiled, and Washington, 70, was conspicuously absent yet again, snubbed for his villainous role in Ridley Scott’s epic “Gladiator II.” Playing Macrinus, a former slave who schemes to control Rome, Washington’s performance has been hailed by critics as a chilling and layered turn worthy of awards recognition.
Though Washington made BAFTA’s initial longlist of 10 performers for best supporting actor, he failed to advance to the final slate of six nominees, which included Kieran Culkin for “A Real Pain” and Guy Pearce for “The Brutalist.” The omission adds to a baffling pattern of BAFTA overlooking one of cinema’s most decorated actors.
Throughout his illustrious career, Washington’s BAFTA-less track record is among the many stains in the awards body’s 78-year history.
The reasons for this oversight vary, ranging from poorly timed U.K. release dates to BAFTA’s historically limited diversity in acting categories. Still, some snubs are more challenging to explain, especially when considering Washington’s pivotal roles in films that resonated globally.
Take, for example, his towering portrayal of the titular civil rights leader in Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X” (1992), widely considered one of the finest performances of his career. Or his gritty, morally complex work in Antoine Fuqua’s “Training Day” (2001), which won him his second Oscar for best actor. BAFTA ignored both performances.
Even in recent years, Washington’s omission has felt increasingly egregious. His stunning turn as Lord Macbeth in Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth” (2021) earned him an Oscar nomination. Still, BAFTA excluded him entirely — a decision partly attributable to the jury system BAFTA implemented that year, which selected half the acting nominees.
Washington’s other Oscar-nominated performances — including his breakout in “Cry Freedom” (1987), his heartfelt work in “The Hurricane” (1999), and his profoundly affecting portrayal of an alcoholic pilot in “Flight” (2012) — all failed to garner BAFTA’s attention. Even his performance in “Fences” (2016), which he also directed and produced, didn’t register with the British Academy, aside from a supporting actress win for Viola Davis.
The British Academy has faced longstanding criticism for its lack of diversity, particularly in its acting and directing categories. In response, BAFTA launched a comprehensive diversity review in 2020, which led to significant changes in its voting processes.
Under the most recent rules, BAFTA’s Acting Chapter jury only selects three of the 10 performers on the longlist for each acting category, while branch voters choose seven. This hybrid approach has led to debates about the balance between artistic merit and diversity goals, with some critics arguing that the system still fails to deliver on its promise of inclusivity.
In Washington’s case, the changes haven’t made a difference. Despite a career marked by consistent excellence, groundbreaking achievements, and cultural impact, BAFTA continues to sideline him, raising questions about whether its voting body fully appreciates his contributions to cinema.
For Washington, who remains firmly in the conversation for his 10th Oscar nomination, the BAFTA snub for “Gladiator II” was expected on his awards-season trajectory.
For BAFTA, the question remains: will it ever fully recognize Washington’s profound impact on cinema? The outlook does not look good.
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