Denzel Washington’s keeping it light about Gladiator II missing out on an Oscar nomination.
“Are you kidding me? Awww. Oh, I’m so upset,” he playfully told The New York Times about being overlooked. “I’m happy for all that did, and I’m happy with what I’m doing.
“Listen, I’ve been around too long. I’ve got — I don’t wanna say other fish to fry, but there’s a reality at this age,” Washington added. “The beginning of wisdom is understanding. I’m getting wiser, working on talking less and learning to understand more — and that’s exciting.”
No sweat off his back though – the legend’s already got plenty of Academy love. He snagged Best Supporting Actor for Glory in 1989 and Best Actor for Training Day in 2001, plus eight more nominations along the way.
Even without an Oscar nod for Gladiator II, he still landed a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor — Motion Picture.
Maybe he’ll strike Oscar gold with Black Panther 3. After accidentally spilling the beans about being in the film, Washington recently admitted he had to say sorry.
“Ryan’s a genius,” he shared on a recent podcast. “I called him and apologized for talking about the movie, and right there sitting with him was his beautiful wife. He’s still Ryan, humble and full of ideas. Whatever he writes, I’ll read.”
During his Gladiator II press run, Washington had let slip, “Ryan Coogler’s writing a part for me in the next Black Panther.”
The acting icon’s also got more projects cooking, including Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest.
