Denzel Washington is easily one of the most admired and respected influences in the entertainment industry, with a presence that never ceases to catch the attention of the entire room he walks in. And yet, he was very well humbled when he came in the presence of the late legendary actor best known for playing James Bond: Sean Connery.
Interestingly enough, this happened at the Oscars, and the way Washington realized ā even before the announcement of the results ā that he had truly been defeated by the now-deceased actor on the biggest stage in Hollywood was through one simple act that was, perhaps, common for an actor as tremendously acclaimed as Connery: A 3-minute standing ovation!
Denzel Washington Recalls the Time He Got Humbled by Sean Connery
Although he started acting back in 1977, the movie that is regarded as the one that truly granted Denzel Washington his breakthrough in Hollywood isĀ Cry Freedom. Not only was the film critically acclaimed and Washington along with it, but it even scored him his first-ever Oscar nomination.
That said,Ā The Equalizer actor must have ostensibly been feeling truly proud of himself for having come so far within such little time. However, it didn’t take long for him to get humbled at the following Academy Awards ceremony by one of the greatest actors of all time: Sean Connery.
This goes back to the 60th Academy Awards ceremony when Washington was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his iconic performance as Stephen Biko in Cry Freedom.
Ironically enough, Connery was nominated that very year on the same stage and in the same category for his brilliant portrayal of Jimmy Malone in the 1987 critically-commended crime-thriller, The Untouchables.
While Washington may have been initially confident and hoping for his win, coming across Connery pretty much took that thought out of his mind.
As he shared during an appearance on Grey Goose Vodka in an OFF SCRIPT episode:
[Connery] was up for The Untouchables. I was up that year for, I think it was Cry Freedom. And he comes out to present an award and got a three-minute standing ovation for presenting an award.
Needless to say, theĀ Training Day actor was beyond baffled to see an actor receive such an incredible amount of respect on the biggest stage in the entire world.
So, what did Washington do after getting so brutally humbled? Well, he simply admitted defeat even before the announcements of the results. As he said:
I went to get the coats. [Laughs] I was over to get the coats. ‘Cause I know I ain’t winning tonight.
Unfortunately for him, things eventually turned out the way he expected them to, with theĀ Dr. No actor taking home the star-studded accolade with him.
But that isn’t all, because theĀ Man on Fire actor, too, left the ceremony with something, even if it was taken from theĀ big food tray for the Governor’s Ball!
How Denzel Washington Made Up for His Oscar Loss
Continuing during the same interview, Washington then shared how he still managed to not leave the Academy Awards ceremony without one of those golden trophies. Explaining the situation as he was leaving, he said:
So, now we’re leaving. I’m leaving without the Oscar, right? But, as I’m leaving, I see the back where they’re doing- they’re getting the meal ready- the food ready for the Governor’s Ball. I see a big tray.
That was that, because the American Gangster star had already decided to leave with something… even if it was something that was being prepared for the Governor’s Ball! As Washington said:
I’m like, ‘I’m leaving here with something.’ I’m from around the way. I’m leaving with something. Then my mother told me to get the flower arrangements. It’s a true story.
Well, Washington may have had to admit defeat that one time, but little did he know that within 2 years, he was going to not only get nominated for yet another Oscar, but even end up winning it for his fan-favorite performance inĀ Glory, so it seems all is well.
You can streamĀ Cry FreedomĀ and The Untouchables on Prime Video.
