In the crazy world of Hollywood, it’s rare to find a star who is unapologetically open about their strong Christian faith.
That’s why it came as a welcome surprise when the two-time Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington just defiantly spoke out to say that his devout Christian faith matters far more to him than any kind of Hollywood success.
Washington Doesn’t Care About Oscars
Washington, 70, has won two Oscars throughout his decades-long career. Despite this, Washington made it clear in a new interview that winning statues at the Academy Awards was never something that mattered to him.
“I don’t do it for Oscars. I really don’t care about that kind of stuff,” Washington said while being interviewed by journalist Jake Hamilton on Jake’s Takes. “I’ve been at this a long time, and there’s times when I’ve won, shouldn’t have won, didn’t win, should have won.”
“Man gives the award, God gives the award. I’m not that interested in Oscars,” he continued. “People say, ‘Well, where do you keep it?’ I say, ‘Next to the other one.’ I’m not bragging. I’m just telling you how I feel about it. On my last day, it ain’t going to me a bit of good.”
Washington, who is currently promoting his new Spike Lee-directed movies Highest 2 Lowest, is one of the few Hollywood stars who has actually won two Oscars. His first was the Best Supporting Actor Oscar that he took home in 1990 for Glory. He later won Best Actor in 2002 for Training Day.
In total, Washington has been nominated for ten Oscars. Most recently, he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in 2022 for The Tragedy of Macbeth. The number of Oscars he’s won, however, isn’t something that Washington spends his time thinking about.
“I don’t think God ever asks, ‘How many Oscars do you have?'” Washington added.
Hamilton chimed in to say, “He might go ‘You know, that’s why I gave you an extra week.'”
Washington couldn’t help but laugh in response.
“As long as He says, ‘Now, get on up here,’ I’m alright,” he concluded.
Washington Torches Cancel Culture
Washington made similar comments in another recent interview when he was asked about cancel culture. When asked by Complex what he considers the definition of being “canceled” to be, Washington replied by questioning, “What does that mean — to be canceled?”
When the interviewer tried to explain that they really meant to ask what he thought about potentially losing public support, Washington responded by posing the question, “What does that mean — to be canceled?”
The reporter attempted to argue that social media “followers now are currency.”
Washington, however, was not having any of it.
“I don’t care who’s following who,” he bluntly responded.
Washington Doubles Down
Washington went on to make it clear that he doesn’t care at all about chasing followers, or about his popularity with the public in general.
“You can’t lead and follow at the same time, and you can’t follow and lead at the same time,” he explained. “I don’t follow anybody. I follow the heavenly spirit.”
Not stopping there, Washington proceeded to double down.
“I follow God, I don’t follow man,” he stated. Washington then said that he has total “faith in God. I have hope in man, but look around, it ain’t working out so well.”
“You can’t be canceled if you haven’t signed up. Don’t sign up,” he concluded before taking a breath and leaning back in his chair. “Don’t get me started. My chest started hurting. You know, chest is getting tight talking about it.”
Indeed, Washington certainly does feel strongly about all of this! Check out his full comments on this in the video below.
Washington seems to be a rarity in Hollywood in that he both has a good head on his shoulders and is also a true man of God. If only we had more celebrities out there like him!