Yahoo Lifestyle After Revealing That He Stopped Voting At The Oscars When He Lost To Kevin Spacey In 2000, Denzel Washington Had The Most Iconic Reaction To Not Being Nominated For "Gladiator II”
This year’s Oscar nominations have definitely ruffled some feathers — but it looks like Denzel Washington is unbothered.
Some notable snubs this year include Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers as well as Angelina Jolie’s performance in Maria. And following the recent controversy surrounding Karla Sofía Gascón, the multiple nominations earned by Emilia Pérez have been the subject of discourse online.
After starring in one of the biggest blockbuster hits of 2024, Denzel missed out on an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Macrinus in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II.
The film only received a single Oscar nod overall, with Janty Yates and David Crossman’s costume design receiving a nomination.
And while folks online may have been surprised by Denzel’s absence from the nominees, the two-time winner isn’t fazed.
In a recent interview with the New York Times, Denzel was asked about his reaction to the snub.
“Are you kidding me?” he replied lightheartedly, before sarcastically quipping: “Awww. Oh, I’m so upset.”
Explaining his outlook, he continued, “Listen, I’ve been around too long. I’m getting wiser, working on talking less and learning to understand more — and that’s exciting.”
And Denzel’s upcoming project is definitely one that demands focus. Speaking about his upcoming theater work, he said, “I was sitting there smiling, going: ‘Look at you. On the day you didn’t get a nomination for an Oscar, you’re working on Othello on Broadway.’”
Denzel is set to star in the titular role on Broadway this spring, acting opposite Jake Gyllenhaal as Iago. And IDK about you, but I’ve already chosen which kidney I’m going to sell to score a ticket.
Denzel revealed last year that his relationship with the Academy has been pretty up and down. In a conversation with Esquire about his experiences with sobriety, he revealed that after he lost to Kevin Spacey in 2000, he likely turned to alcohol to cope with the result.
“I’m sure I went home and drank that night. I had to,” he explained. “I don’t want to sound like, ‘Oh, he won my Oscar,’ or anything like that. It wasn’t like that.”
Denzel was already a three-time nominee and one-time winner in 2000, and went on to win his second Academy Award for Training Day in 2002. However, he revealed that there was a 15-year period in his career where he felt as though the Academy “didn’t care” about him.
Explaining that his wife, Pauletta Washington, would watch the films nominated and vote on his behalf as a member of the Academy, he said, “I told her, I don’t care about that. They don’t care about me? I don’t care. You vote. You watch them. I ain’t watching that.”
But it looks like now, Denzel is taking it all in his stride. For what it's worth, if I was a member of the Academy, Denzel would win in categories that don’t even exist. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts about this year’s snubs in the comments below.
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