Denzel Washington became “bitter” after losing Oscar to Kevin Spacey
Hollywood star Denzel Washington has admitted that he became bitter after losing out on an Oscar to Kevin Spacey in 2000.
When Washington was nominated for ‘Best Actor’ for his performance as wrongfully imprisoned boxer Rubin Carter in Norman Jewison’s The Hurricane, it marked his fourth Academy Award nomination. He had previously been up for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ twice, losing for Cry Freedom in 1998 and winning for Glory in 1990. He also lost out in his previous ‘Best Actor’ nomination in 1993 for Malcolm X.
Coming up empty-handed twice put Washington in a strange headspace when he went up against his fellow ‘Best Actor’ nominees Spacey for American Beauty, Richard Farnsworth for The Straight Story, Sean Penn for Sweet and Lowdown, and Russell Crowe for The Insider.
Washington had won the Golden Globe in the leadup to the ceremony, which usually puts an actor in the driving seat when it comes to the Oscars. It wasn’t to be, though.
“At the Oscars, they called Kevin Spacey’s name for American Beauty,” Washington told Esquire. “I have a memory of turning around and looking at him, and nobody was standing but the people around him. And everyone else was looking at me.”
He continued: “Not that it was this way. Maybe that’s the way I perceived it. Maybe I felt like everybody was looking at me. Because why would everybody be looking at me? Thinking about it now, I don’t think they were.”
Losing for the third time out of four nominations cut deep for Washington, who admitted, “I’m sure I went home and drank that night. I had to.” The actor clarified that he didn’t want anyone to think he believed he was entitled to win the award, but did indicate that already swirling rumours about Spacey’s alleged conduct in Hollywood made losing to him a particularly hard pill to swallow. He explained, “There was talk in the town about what was going on over there on that side of the street, and that’s between him and God. I ain’t got nothing to do with that. I pray for him. That’s between him and his maker.”
After this crushing disappointment, Washington admitted he became disillusioned with the Academy Awards. Instead of watching all the screeners for nominated movies, he allowed his wife, Pauletta, to view the films and vote on his behalf.
It would all work out for Washington and the Oscars only two years after this bitter defeat, though. In 2002, he won ‘Best Actor’ for his performance as corrupt cop Alonzo Harris in Training Day, making him only the second Black actor to win that coveted award after Sidney Poitier for 1963’s Lilies of the Field. He has since received four more nominations and will likely be back in contention for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ for playing the scheming Macrinus in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II.
The controversy surrounding Washington and ‘Gladiator II’
Even though Washington has been receiving plaudits for his charismatic turn in Scott’s much-anticipated sequel, he did cause some controversy during an interview at the film’s Los Angeles premiere.
Washington told Gayety that he took part in a same-sex kiss in the film but that it was cut from the movie. He claimed, “I kissed a guy full on the lips, and I guess they weren’t ready for that yet,” before joking, “They got chicken.” Star Paul Mescal also claimed a moment where he kissed Pedro Pascal on the forehead was excised from the final cut, and this caused a stir about why Scott would remove two instances of potential homosexuality from the movie.
Scott quickly set the record straight when he spoke to Variety at the premiere, though. The acclaimed director stated, “No, that’s bullshit. It was a senator. They never did. They acted the moment, and [it] didn’t happen.” In the aftermath, Washington also claimed his words had been twisted, and he didn’t quite mean what was being reported. He said, “They’re making more of it than it was. I kissed him on his hands, I gave him a peck, and I killed him. It really is much ado about nothing.”
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