Spike Lee Says Denzel Washington Deserved Oscar for ‘Malcolm X' Over Al Pacino: ‘It's Like Basketball, Where the Ref Blows a Call'

Yahoo

20-05-2025

At a Cannes press conference for his new film 'Highest 2 Lowest' on Tuesday, Spike Lee reflected on his five collaborations with Denzel Washington — and said he should have won the best actor Oscar in 1993 over Al Pacino.
''Malcolm X,' what he did with that film was amazing,' Lee said. 'And no disrespect to my brother Al Pacino, I love him. But Denzel, in my opinion, should have won.'
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Pacino ended up taking home the gold for his performance in Martin Brest's 'Scent of a Woman,' and Washington eventually won the best actor trophy in 2002 for 'Training Day.' However, Lee added that he doesn't measure his success with awards.
'With these awards, it's like basketball, where the ref blows a call and you have to make a call. So the make a call I think was 'Training Day,' which he won an Oscar for,' Lee said. 'But we don't do our work for awards, which are nice, but it's the work that is going to stand above all awards.'
Asked if he and Washington would be collaborating more in the future, Lee said, 'I think this is it.'
'He's been talking about retirement, so… Even though he just did another deal,' Lee continued. 'I thought you said you were retired Denzel, what's up?! But those five films together, those stand up.'
Washington stars in 'Highest 2 Lowest,' which premiered at Cannes on Monday night to a 5.5-minute standing ovation. An English-language remake of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa's 1963 film 'High and Low,' 'Highest 2 Lowest' is set in modern day New York and stars Washington as a music mogul tied up in a life-or-death ransom plot. A$AP Rocky plays Yung Felon, an aspiring rapper who will stop at nothing to achieve his dream. Neither were on hand at the Cannes press conference for the film.
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