Denzel Washington doesn’t care about those shiny gold trophies.
The “Fences” actor, 70, recently explained why winning an Oscar isn’t important to him in his career.
“I don’t do it for Oscars. I don’t care about that kind of stuff,” he said on “Jake’s Takes” while promoting his new film, “Highest 2 Lowest.”
“I’ve been at this a long time, and there’s time when I won and shouldn’t have won and then didn’t win and should’ve won,” Washington added. “Man gives the award. God gives the reward.”
Despite being nominated nine times and taking home two wins at the award ceremony, Washington noted: “I’m not that interested in Oscars.”
“People ask me, ‘Where do I keep it?’ Well, next to the other one. I’m not bragging! Just telling you how I feel about it,” he said. “On my last day, [Oscars] aren’t going to do me a bit of good.”
Washington won Oscars in 1990 for “Glory” and in 2002 for “Training Day.”
He was also nominated for his performances in “Cry Freedom,” “Malcolm X,” “The Hurricane,” “Flight,” “Fences,” “Roman J. Israel, Esq.” and “The Tragedy of Macbeth.”
Earlier this year, Washington was snubbed by the Academy for his performance in “Gladiator II.”
He was expected to get into the Best Supporting Actor race, especially after scoring nominations at the 2025 Golden Globes and 2025 Critics Choice Awards.
When asked how he felt about the snub in February, Washington sarcastically told the New York Times: “Are you kidding me? Awww. Oh, I’m so upset.”
“Listen, I’ve been around too long. I’ve got — I don’t wanna say other fish to fry, but there’s a reality at this age,” he added. “The beginning of wisdom is understanding. I’m getting wiser, working on talking less and learning to understand more — and that’s exciting.”
Three months after the Oscars snub, Washington failed to get nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in “Othello,” which generated controversy for its high ticket costs.
Last year, Washington made headlines for saying he plans to retire after his slew of upcoming acting projects, including “Black Panther 3.”
“I don’t know how many more films I’m going to make. Probably not that many,” he said during an interview with Australia’s Today.
“I want to do things I haven’t done,” Washington added.
