Oscar, Tony, and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Denzel Washington became the most nominated Black actor in Oscar Awards history after receiving a 10th nomination.
The 67-year-old snagged his nomination on Tuesday, Feb. 8, for his role of Lord Macbeth in the Joel Coen adaptation of The Tragedy of Macbeth.
According to Deadline, Washington was first nominated for Oscar in 1988 for best-supporting actor in Cry Freedom. In the film, he portrayed Steven Biko, a South African anti-apartheid activist. Two years later, in 1990, he was nominated in the same category for his role as Pvt. Trip, a former slave-turned soldier, in the movie Glory-and won the award. Then, in 1993, he was nominated for best actor for his epic depiction of Malcolm X in the Spike Lee-directed biopic Malcolm X.
In 2000, Washington was nominated for best actor for playing boxer Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter in Hurricane. In 2002, he was nominated again for his role as Detective Alonzo Harris in the classic film Training Day and won. He was one of four Black actors that received the award, including Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, and Sidney Poitier.
From 2002 until today, the Hollywood actor was nominated four more times for best actor for his roles as Troy Maxson in Flight, Fences in 2017 and Roman J. Israel, Esq in 2018.
In a statement obtained by People, Washington discussed his 2022 Oscar nomination, saying The Tragedy of Macbeth was one of the best experiences of his career.
“Joel Coen is a genius, and I hope the nominations for the film will allow for more people to enjoy a terrific cinematic experience,” he said. “Thank you to the members of the Academy for the recognition and to A24 and Apple for their ongoing support.”
Despite the popularity of both the film and the original play by Shakespeare simply titled Macbeth, Washington said he had never seen a production of it before. As such, he wanted to grasp how director Joel Coen would shoot the movie with him as Lord Macbeth.
“Let’s talk about the black and white of it all,” he reportedly told Coen. “Well, you’re Black…” the director hilariously responded before interrupting. White actors have historically portrayed his character, but that’s not what he meant. “No, no, no,” he interrupted. “I’m talking about you shooting in black and white!”
The Tragedy of Macbeth debuted at the New York Film Festival on Sept. 24, 2021, and had a three-week theatrical run in theaters starting Dec. 25, 2021. Afterward, it began streaming on Apple TV Plus.
