Denzel Washington Admits He Felt Bitter After Losing the Best Actor Oscar to Kevin Spacey: “I’m sure I went home and drank that night”

Reflecting on my journey as a film enthusiast and Denzel Washington fan, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of empathy towards this legendary actor. The story of his bittersweet encounter with the Oscar statuette is a poignant reminder of the human side of stardom.


Denzel Washington is reflecting on the emotions he experienced when he didn’t win the Best Actor Oscar against Kevin Spacey in the year 2000. The actor, who had previously won an Oscar and earned three other nominations prior to that event, was again nominated for his role as Rubin Carter in the movie “The Hurricane,” which was released in 1999.

He competed against Spacey for American Beauty, Russell Crowe for The Insider, Richard Farnsworth for The Straight Story, and Sean Penn for Sweet and Lowdown. In the end, Spacey took home the award, though Washington did win the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama that year.

During the Oscars ceremony, Denzel recollects hearing Kevin Spacey’s name announced for American Beauty. “I recall swiveling around to look at him,” Denzel says, “and there was nobody else standing except those close by him. Everyone else seemed to be staring at me. In hindsight, I don’t believe they actually were. Maybe it was just my perception – or perhaps I felt like everyone was looking at me because I couldn’t fathom why they would look at me instead.

Washington clarified, “Indeed, I probably went home and had a drink that night. It was necessary under the circumstances. I don’t mean to sound boastful like, ‘He won my Oscar,’ or anything like that. The situation wasn’t like that. And you know, there were rumors in town about what was happening on his side of the street, and that’s between him and his higher power. I have no involvement in that. I pray for him. That’s a matter between him and his deity.

In 1990, Denzel Washington received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for the film “Glory”. Later, in 1993, he was nominated for Best Actor for his role in “Malcolm X”, but Al Pacino won that year’s award for “Scent of a Woman”. In 1999, Washington was again nominated for Best Actor for the movie “The Hurricane”.

During a period in my life, my wife Pauletta Washington would immerse herself in all the Oscar-winning films – I’d say, “I couldn’t care less about that.” Essentially, if they didn’t appreciate me, then neither did I. In retrospect, he says, “For approximately fifteen years, from 1999 to 2014 when I stopped drinking, I harbored bitterness.” This was my self-pity phase. So, in a nutshell, I chose to disengage and watch from the sidelines.

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2024-11-20 10:13