Denzel Washington Won The US’s Most Prestigious Award And Skipped The Ceremony
Denzel Washington missed out on receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom because of Covid.
Denzel Washington is one of the most celebrated actors in history, with two Oscars and two Emmys earned from 20 nominations. Though he is no stranger to winning awards, the actor was absent last summer when he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. As reported by Page Six, the actor did not attend the ceremony due to a case of COVID-19.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor in the country. Awarded personally by the President of the United States, the honor is bestowed upon people who have made significant contributions to the country, culture, or world peace.
Denzel Washington was in a class of recipients, including four-time Olympic champion Simone Biles, preacher and civil rights attorney Fred Gray, gun safety advocate Gabrielle Giffords, and constitutional rights advocate Khizr Khan. John McCain, Steve Jobs, and Richard Trumpka were awarded posthumously.
President Biden lauded the distinguished group as representatives of core American ideals. Though Denzel Washington was not in attendance, the President acknowledged Washington as one of the finest actors in the country’s history, promising to give the award to the actor at a later date.
There is no doubt that Denzel Washington has made an indelible mark on the culture, not only in America, but around the world. His 10 Oscar nominations make him the most nominated black actor in the nearly 100-year history of the Academy Awards. He won statues for his performances in 1989’s Glory and 2001’s Training Day.
Denzel Washington got his start in TV movies in the late 1970s. In 1982, Washington was cast as a recurring character in St. Elsewhere, a popular and acclaimed medical drama that proved to be a breakout for the young actor. Washington immediately followed the show’s sixth and final season with movies The Mighty Quinn and Glory.
At the dawn of the 1990s, Denzel Washington began a longstanding collaboration with director Spike Lee, beginning with Mo’ Better Blues and continuing with Malcolm X, He Got Game, and Inside Man. Through the 90s, Washington rose to prominence as a premiere dramatic actor in Hollywood.
Washington has been a part of major hits and cultural staples, such as Remember the Titans, The Book of Eli, Fences, and the Equalizer franchise. The actor’s last appearance was in Joel Coen’s 2021 Shakespeare adaptation, The Tragedy of Macbeth.
Denzel Washington is set to appear next in The Equalizer 3, which will likely conclude the action trilogy that began in 2014. Washington will reprise his role as Robert McCall, a vigilante who must come out of his quiet life in Italy in order to pull his friends from the grip of the local mafia.
Washington is also a part of the star-studded cast of Gladiator 2. He will join Pedro Pascal, Paul Mescal, Connie Nielsen, and Stranger Things breakout Joseph Quinn under the direction of Ridley Scott. Scott directed the first Gladiator in 2000. That film, starring Russell Crowe, won the Oscar for Best Picture.
For decades, Denzel Washington has turned in spellbinding and culturally significant work. His contribution to movies is historic, as is his recognition – even if he isn’t always around to take the credit he deserves.
