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Few would likely debate the notion that Sir Ridley Scott is one of the most influential filmmakers of our time. He’s helmed plenty of renowned movies, from Alien and Blade Runner to Thelma & Louise and Gladiator. Considering his exceptional work, it’s honestly still somewhat baffling that Scott has still yet to win an Academy Award. (Just typing those words doesn’t even feel right.) The renowned director doesn’t exactly need defending, but that didn’t stop Denzel Washington from sharing a three-word response to him never landing an Oscar.
The renowned actor has worked with Ridley Scott on 2007’s American Gangster and more recently, on the long-awaited Gladiator II. While doing press for the 2024 movie release, Denzel Washington spoke with THR as part of a large feature on the making of the film. Washington has never been one to mince words – albeit respectfully – so it tracks that he would have some honest and brief thoughts on his director not having been honored by the Academy:
Ridley is overdue.
I’d certainly agree with the Man on Fire star on this one. So far, the Legend helmer has received four Oscar nominations. Three of those are for Best Director, thanks to his work on Thelma & Louise, Black Hawk Down and Gladiator. And the fourth is a Best Picture nod for his 2015 science-fiction flick The Martian. The British director was worthy of any one of those honors, and it’s honestly a shame that he still hasn’t won. The Fences alum went on to share more thoughts about his collaborator not having one of those coveted awards:
How can he not have won an Oscar? That doesn’t even make sense. I don’t believe it, actually.
More on Denzel Washington
Though Ridley Scott’s best films have never won him any Academy Awards, the 86-year-old director doesn’t seem to be looking for any kind of validation, especially at this point in his career. He seems to simply enjoy the craft as opposed to the accolades. However, Scott does also have his fair share of awards and honors. Among the hardware he has are two Primetime Emmys, a Golden Globe and a few Saturn Awards as well. I don’t know the dry-witted filmmaker personally but, given his persona, I feel as though he’s probably not all that bent out of shape about never having won one of those golden statues.
Denzel Washington is the recipient of two Oscars for Best Actor, and there’s a chance that he may be in the hunt for another. Much praise has been showered upon Gladiator II, and many of those reviews hype up Washington’s performance as the shifty slave-turned-gladiator trainer Macrinus. With the awards chatter surrounding Washington, there’s indeed a chance that he could at least land a nomination.
At the same time, I’m still intrigued to see whether or not Ridley Scott manages to land an Academy Awards nod this time around. If that doesn’t happen, can this man, at the very least, receive an honorary award. He’s definitely earned it.
Check out Gladiator II in theaters now, and you can check out the original film by streaming it with a Paramount+ subscription.