Denzel Washington has been firmly in his unc era for some years, and on his latest press run for Spike Lee‘s Highest 2 Lowest remake, he continues to prove why he’s one of the funniest interview subjects around.
When discussing his performance, which has already started bringing in rave reviews, and what it could mean for awards season, the two-time Academy Award winner said he couldn’t be bothered to care about accolades at this point in his life.
“I don’t do it for Oscars. I don’t care about that kind of stuff,” Washington said to Complex. “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. 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.”
Washington also made it clear that he doesn’t give a hootennay about being canceled, nor will he be playing the social media game at his age. In an interview with Complex, he let it be known that he never signed up for all the fanfare.
“What made public support so important to begin with?” he said. “I don’t care who’s following who. You can’t lead and follow at the same time, and you can’t follow and lead at the same time. I don’t follow anybody. I follow the heavenly spirit. I follow God, I don’t follow man. I have faith in God. I have hope in man, but look around, it ain’t working out so well.”
He continued,
“You can’t be canceled if you haven’t signed up. Don’t sign up. Don’t get me started. You know, chest is getting tight talking about it.”
Washington has become a viral meme waiting to happen during every press run these days as he also delivered some much remembered one-liners during his media tour for Gladiator II, including when he dropped the news that he’d be appearing in Black Panther 3.
The “Malcolm X” actor and his director bestie, Lee, have been going unc for unc while promoting their latest collaboration, and they’ve also brought Rihanna’s baby daddy A$AP Rocky along for the ride. As BOSSIP previously reported, the Harlem rapper absolutely loved his time working with both of the legends and was shocked to find that Washington knew more about current rap artists than he originally thought.
“Yo, Denzel plays more Memphis rap than anybody I know. He’s just like, “Alright, so what you f*** with, kid?” [I’m like,] “Pardon me?” I tried to sound all old school and s*** like, “I like Slick Rick…” and he’s like, “Oh, I f*** with Rick, of course. Rick the Ruler.” Then, he started saying Nas lyrics out of nowhere,” he said. “Then Pac, then DMX, and then he starts talking about the young cats — Moneybagg Yo, NLE Choppa, NBA YoungBoy and these guys. I’m like, “What is this man doing?!” But I’m here for it, like I f*** with it. I was shocked. He’s an OG. You would expect him to listen to Miles Davis all day. Nah, he said, “Throw on NLE Choppa,” [then Washington rapped] “I don’t do drive-bys no more, I walk ’em down.” That’s verbatim.”
This trio seems like a good time!