“I remember looking at Kevin Spacey and feeling like everyone was looking at me,” Washington said, reflecting on the moment. “Maybe that’s how I perceived it, but I didn’t think they were.” The loss stung, and Washington admitted that he probably went home and drank that night to cope with the disappointment.
Washington had been nominated for Best Actor before, for his role in Malcolm X, but lost out to Al Pacino for Scent of a Woman. After losing again in 2000, Washington grew resentful. “I told my wife, Pauletta, you watch the Oscar movies and vote for me. I’m not watching,” he shared. “I gave up. I got bitter. My pity party.”
However, two years later, Washington’s perseverance paid off when he won his first Academy Award for Training Day, making history as only the second African American actor to win in that category, after Sidney Poitier. Since then, Washington has been nominated for four more Oscars, including a recent nod in 2022 for The Tragedy of Macbeth. He’s now back in the race, this time in the Supporting Actor category for Gladiator II.
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