Oscar-winning actress Julia Roberts has added her name to the list of people who think Denzel Washington should be third time lucky and walk away with the best actor award when the Oscar winners are announced next month.
The Erin Brockovitch star, who acted opposite Denzel in The Pelican Brief, told Newsweek magazine this week that he was “the best actor of his generation hands down”.
“He should be on his third Oscar by now and that might not be enough,” she said. “I cannot absorb living in a world where I have an Oscar for best actress and Denzel doesn’t have one for best actor.”
Denzel, who won the best supporting actor Oscar in 1989 for his role in Glory, is nominated this year for his turn as a malevolent and charismatic LA cop in Training Day.
The 45-year-old actor has been in the running for the hallowed best actor statue twice before – first in 1993 for Malcolm X and then two years ago for The Hurricane. In the 73 years since the Oscars began, only one black actor has scooped the best actor award – Sidney Poitier in 1964.
Denzel, at least, has a sense of humour about his wait for an Oscar, comparing himself to screen idol, Al Pacino, who was nominated eight times before taking the statue home in 1992 for Scent Of A Woman. “At least I’m not 0-8 like Pacino,” Denzel said. “Then I would be screaming bloody murder.”
This year’s awards will be handed out at a gala ceremony on March 24.
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Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
