After clinching his 10th overall Oscars nomination for his leading performance in Joel Coen’s Shakespeare adaptation, The Tragedy of Macbeth; 67-year-old Denzel Washington has continued his record as the most-nominated Black actor in the Academy Awards history.
Washington’s 10 career nominations have come from various roles, both in front of and behind the camera; with two wins (Glory, Training Day) from eight acting nominations, plus one Best Picture nomination as a producer of the 2016 film Fences.
The actor who also won a Tony Award in 2010 was first nominated for an Oscar in 1988; for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Cry Freedom. He then went on to earn nine more nominations, and winning twice: for Best Supporting Actor (1990, Glory) and for Best Actor (2002, Training Day). He was most recently nominated in 2018 for his work in Roman J. Israel, Esq.
In a statement, Denzel Washington said of his 2022 nomination, “The Tragedy of Macbeth was one of the best experiences of my career.”
“Joel Coen is a genius and I hope the nominations for the film will allow for more people to enjoy a terrific cinematic experience,” he also says of the movie’s writer/director. “Thank you to the members of the Academy for the recognition and to A24 and Apple for their ongoing support.”
The Tragedy of Macbeth is also up for Best Cinematography and Best Production Design at this year’s Oscars.
Washington’s history-making nomination comes one year after Viola Davis broke her own Oscars record, as the most-nominated Black actress ever; after nabbing her fourth nomination for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
The 94th annual Academy Awards will be held at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on Sunday, March 27th 2022.