The Oscars can be a contentious subject for fans of cinema and those working within the ranks of Hollywood. Numerous actors have spoken out against the Academy recently, from Brian Cox calling the awards "absolute nonsense" and a "fallacy" because they only judge "work that comes out between Thanksgiving and Christmas," to Sean Penn accusing the Oscars of "cowardice" for ignoring political films like The Apprentice, to Samuel L. Jackson insisting it isn't an honor just to be nominated, it's an honor to win. And now Denzel Washington is adding his voice to the chorus of criticism surrounding the Oscars.
The actor, whose performance in Gladiatior II is generating Oscar buzz in its own right, recently spoke with ScreenDaily and stated that winning an Academy Award early in his career wasn't necessarily the boon most people might consider it to be. Washington nabbed a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1990 for his turn as Private Trip in the Civil War drama Glory, but instead of opening certain doors for him, the win narrowed his opportunities.
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Washington explained:
"Winning an Academy Award led to some bad movies, because it became about, 'Now you make this kind of money...' My agent wanted me to be a leading man or an action star or whatever it was, and I had bills."
He didn't elaborate on which of his post-Glory films he considered to be "bad movies," though he could be referring to a string of action-oriented pictures Washington made throughout the 1990s, including Ricochet, Virtuosity, Fallen, and The Bone Collector.
Washington Says He Only Wants To Work With "The Best" Close
Washington won his second Oscar, for Training Day, in 2002, and since that time, he's been choosier about which roles he takes, opting to work with directors who more closely align with his artistic aspirations. The actor revealed he's been in talks with Ryan Coogler and Steve McQueen about potential future parts.
"I only want to work with the best, and there are only so many roles... I talk to [Coogler and McQueen] because I'm curious and want to learn from them as filmmakers. Ridley [Scott, director of 'Gladiator II'] is my hero because he's addicted to working; it's not pressure for him but adrenaline. I want to feel that way as a filmmaker, and give 1,000% of myself to whatever it is I'm doing."
Washington continues to produce for Netflix film adaptations of August Wilson's 10 plays in his Century Cycle. 2024 saw the release of The Piano Lesson, Wilson's 1987 drama about a family deciding what to do with their old piano. Washington's son Malcolm directed the feature, making the venture a family affair as well. The actor will next appear onscreen in frequent collaborator Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest, a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1963 thriller High and Low.
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Glory R Release Date December 15, 1989 Director Edward Zwick Runtime 122 Cast Matthew Broderick , Denzel Washington , Cary Elwes , Morgan Freeman , Jihmi Kennedy , Andre Braugher Main Genre Drama