If you ask Spike Lee, Denzel Washington deserved an Oscar for his role in Malcolm X. That year, the Best Male Actor trophy went to Al Pacino for his role in Scent of a Woman.
“‘Malcolm X,’ what he did with that film was amazing,” Lee said. “And no disrespect to my brother Al Pacino, I love him. But Denzel, in my opinion, should have won.”
Washington got the W for Training Day in 2002, but Lee looked at the first miss like an NBA ref blowing a call.
“With these awards, it’s like basketball, where the ref blows a call and you have to make a call. So the make a call I think was ‘Training Day,’ which he won an Oscar for,” Lee said. “But we don’t do our work for awards, which are nice, but it’s the work that is going to stand above all awards.”
On Monday night, Denzel Washington received a surprise lifetime achievement award at the Cannes Film Festival, becoming the 22nd recipient of the prestigious honorary Palme d’Or. The two-time Oscar winner was honored just before the debut of his upcoming film Highest 2 Lowest, directed by longtime collaborator Spike Lee and co-starring A$AP Rocky.
The unexpected tribute placed Washington among an elite group of past recipients, including Robert De Niro—who was also honored at this year’s festival—Meryl Streep, George Lucas, and Tom Cruise.
“This is a total surprise for me, so I’m emotional. It’s a great opportunity to collaborate with my brother once again, brother from another mother, and to be here once again in Cannes,” Washington said. “We’re a very privileged group in this room that we get to make movies and wear tuxedos and nice clothes and dress up and get paid for it as well. We’re just blessed beyond measure. I’m blessed beyond measure. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all.”