“One of our best and finest”: Kerry Washington on how Delroy Lindo became an “American treasure”
As well as being a massive star in her own right, Kerry Washington has spent decades rubbing elbows with the cream of the Hollywood crop, doing everything from superhero epics and animated blockbusters to Oscar-winning dramas.
Quentin Tarantino chose her to play the female lead (and pretty much only female character) in Django Unchained, which granted her screentime with Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, and more, so naturally, spending much time with so many A-listers, you’re going to have a few favourites.
Speaking to Elle, Washington revealed she has a deep appreciation for Delroy Lindo, and to her, the Sinners star, who found out he’d been nominated for an Oscar while he was lying in bed, isn’t just a great actor but a national icon.
“To me, he’s an American treasure,” Washington said of Lindo, who was actually born in the UK but strongly identifies as an American, adding, “He’s one of our best and finest. I remember seeing him in Malcolm X when I was in high school. When I saw what he did with the character of ‘West Indian’ Archie, it redefined my idea of what was possible as an actor.”
Malcolm X was Lindo’s first of many collaborations with the great Spike Lee, playing New York gangster ‘West Indian’ Archie, a pivotal figure in the early years of the civil rights leader. It’s a superb performance, intense and frightening, with just the right amount of vulnerability, and while the film was largely snubbed by the Academy (with the exception of Denzel Washington’s ‘Best Actor’ nod), it kicked off Lindo’s long wait for recognition; he was, however, nominated for an NAACP Image Award for the role.
Not many people get a chance to work with their heroes, even big-time actors, but in 2023, Washington shared the billing with Lindo on the Hulu comedy-drama, UnPrisoned.
“I begged him to do this role,” she revealed, “I actually called Spike and was like, ‘You have to put me in touch with Delroy’. So he gave me his number. And every moment that he walks on set makes us all better.”
UnPrisoned centres on Washington’s character, Paige Alexander, a therapist who has become a sensation on social media, but her life as a public figure and single mother takes a huge turn when her father, Edwin Alexander, played by Lindo, gets out of prison after 17 years, a good man who struggles to adjust to life on the outside. The show ran for just two seasons, but was received incredibly well, with Washington and Lindo praised not only for their individual performances, but for their chemistry as a father-daughter duo.
The more you read about Delroy Lindo, the more you discover how nice he is, and Washington isn’t the only collaborator to have sung his praises and painted him as one of the most underrated actors of his generation, which makes his recent success all the more wonderful to witness.
