Denzel Washington Explains Why Oscars Don’t Matter to Him: “On My Last Day, They Won’t Do Me Any Good”

Denzel Washington is one of the most popular actors alive, and over the years he has won and been nominated for several Oscars. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Cry Freedom in 1988, won Best Actor for Glory in 1990, and got another nomination for Malcolm X in 1993.

He was nominated again for The Hurricane in 2000, won Best Actor for Training Day in 2002, and received nominations for Flight, Fences, Roman J. Israel, Esq., and The Tragedy of Macbeth.

Now, Washington is back with a new movie, Highest 2 Lowest, which critics are loving. The 2025 neo-noir crime thriller is directed by Spike Lee and is an English-language take on Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low.

The movie is loosely based on the 1959 novel King’s Ransom by Ed McBain. It stars Denzel Washington, Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, ASAP Rocky, and Ice Spice, who makes her film debut. This marks the first time Washington has worked with Spike Lee since Inside Man in 2006.

While promoting Highest 2 Lowest on Jake’s Takes, Washington talked about Oscars and how little they mean to him. He said, “I don’t do it for Oscars, I really don’t care about that kind of stuff. You know I’ve been at this for a long time and there are times when I won and shouldn’t have won and didn’t win and should have won. Man gives the award, God gives the award. I’m not that interested in Oscars. You know, people ask me ‘Well, where do you keep it?’ I said next to the other one.”

He added, “I’m not bragging, I’m just telling you how I feel about it. On my last day, ain’t going to do me a bit of good.”

Washington has been open about his lack of interest in awards before. During this year’s Oscars, fans thought he was snubbed for his Gladiator role. He joked about it, acting upset but clearly not taking it seriously. “Are you kidding me? Awww. Oh, I’m so upset. I’m happy for all that did, and I’m happy with what I’m doing,” he said.

At this point in his career, Washington says he doesn’t stress over nominations or awards. He explained that with time, priorities change and personal growth becomes more important. “Wisdom comes from understanding, and for me, that means focusing on learning and listening more rather than talking. That’s more exciting than any award,” he said.

For Denzel Washington, the work and growth matter more than the trophies on the shelf.

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