Denzel Washington Says He Didn’t Become an Actor for Oscars: “I Don’t Care About That Kind of Stuff”
Denzel Washington didn’t become an actor to win shiny gold trophies, admitting, “I’m not that interested in Oscars.”
Though the veteran actor has 10 Academy Award nominations, including two Oscar wins for his incredible onscreen work, he recently said on Jake’s Takes, “I don’t do it for Oscars.”
“I don’t care about that kind of stuff,” the Highest 2 Lowest star explained. “I’ve been at this a long time, and there’s time when I won and shouldn’t have won and then didn’t win and should’ve won. Man gives the award. God gives the reward.”
Washington continued, “I’m not that interested in Oscars. People ask me, ‘Where do I keep it?’ Well, next to the other one. I’m not bragging! Just telling you how I feel about it. On my last day, [Oscars] aren’t going to do me a bit of good.”
When interviewer Jake Hamilton replied, “I don’t think God ever asks how many Oscars do you have,” the actor then quipped with a laugh, “He [God] might go, ‘That’s why I gave you an extra week.’ [As] long as he says, ‘Now, get on up here,’ I’m alright.”
The Equalizer 3 actor previously won two Academy Awards for best supporting actor for 1989’s Glory and best leading actor for 2001’s Training Day.
Not that Washington was too concerned given his stance on awards, he was notably snubbed earlier this year from another Oscar nomination for his role in Gladiator II. When previously asked by The New York Times if he cared about not receiving an Oscar nod for Ridley Scott’s film, he responded, “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. Are you kidding me?”
He then sarcastically said, “Awww. Oh, I’m so upset,” before adding, “Listen, I’ve been around too long. I’m getting wiser, working on talking less and learning to understand more — and that’s exciting.”
