Denzel Washington’s hopes of earning a third Academy Award for his performance inGladiator 2seem a lot less likely now. Denzel Washington is often regarded as one of the finest actors of his generation, with two historic Academy Awards to his name. Having previously won the Best Supporting Academy Award forGloryand Best Actor inTraining Day, Washington was poised to potentially earn a third Oscar for his mesmerizing performance as the charming and manipulativeMacrinus inGladiator 2.
Although that film’s overall award potential seemed blunted, Denzel’s nomination at the Golden Globes kept hope for his victory alive. However, the latest nomination announcements from another historically important Oscar precursor didn’t include Washington in the running for Best Supporting Actor. This might have dashed those Oscar hopes forWashington’sGladiator 2performance, as the actor earning a win at the 97th Academy Awards — while not impossible — seems far less likely without these important benchmarks. However, it isn’t Denzel’s only chance to be recognized at those awards.
Denzel Washington Not Getting A SAG Nomination Practically Ends His Oscar Hopes
Almost Every Best Supporting Actor Oscar Goes To A SAG Nominee In The Same Category
The confirmation thatDenzel Washington hasn’t gotten a SAG Nomination for Best Supporting Actorseems to be the final nail in the coffin for the actor’s Oscar hopes at the 97th Academy Awards. The SAG Awards are among the more historically consistent ceremonies ahead of the Oscars, with a long-running trend of coinciding with the eventual winners of the Academy Award choices. This is especially true for the Best Supporting Actor category, which often lines up between the Academy Awards and the SAG Awards.
Fans Of Denzel Washington’s Gladiator 2 Role Need To Check Out His Other Ridley Scott Movie
Audiences who enjoyed Denzel Washington in Gladiator II might want to add Ridley Scott’s American Gangster with Russell Crowe to their watchlist.
Over the last thirty years,28 out of 30 Best Supporting Actor Oscar winners have also been nominated for Best Supporting Actor by SAG. The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor has been won by 21 of those 28 actors, making the SAG Best Supporting Actor Award a consistent precursor for Oscar nominations. The category has also provenincredibly stacked this year, with Denzel Washington’s impressive performance inGladiator 2ultimately being overshadowedby some of the competition. WhileWashington could win as a producer forThe Piano Lesson,Gladiator 2seems less likely as a winner for the actor.
Denzel Washington Needed A Golden Globes Win To Help His Best Supporting Actor Oscar Case
Kieran Culkin Winning The Golden Globe Over Denzel Is A Big Blow To His Oscar Chances
Without a nomination at the SAG Awards, Denzel Washington’s hopes of maintaining momentum in the Oscar race relies on other important victories. Unfortunately for the veteran actor,one of the most historically important other ways to earn that Academy Award has already passed Washington by. Only two people have won the Actor Oscar without earning a SAG Nomination for the same category. Benicio Del Toro won a SAG Ward for Best Actor for his performance inTraffic, which was subsequently nominated (and won) for the Best Supporting Actor Award at the 73rd Academy Awards.
This means that Washington has lost one of the more important precursor awards, which may have doomed his chances at the Oscars.
Christoph Waltz also won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2012 at the 85th Academy Awards without a SAG nomination. In both cases, the eventual winner earned the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor, which allowed them to maintain momentum in award season even without SAG recognition. Although Denzel Washington did earn a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globes, he lost theGolden Globe to Kieran Culkin’s performance fromA Real Pain. This means that Washington has lost one of the more important precursor awards, which may have doomed his chances at the Oscars.
Will Denzel Washington Even Get A Best Supporting Actor Oscar Nomination For Gladiator 2 Now?
The Odds Are Stacked Against Denzel At The Oscars
While Denzel Washington’s performance inGladiator 2is a highlight of the Ridley Scott sequel, it’s increasingly likely that he won’t win an Oscar for the film. It’s entirely possible that he doesn’t even earn a nomination at this point, due to two larger problems for the historical action epic.The clearest concern for Washington’s prospects isGladiator 2’s overall lackluster performance as an award contender across the board. Meanwhile, films likeThe Brutalist,Emilia Pérez,A Real Pain,Wicked,A Complete Unknown,Conclave, andAnoraare picking up steam at other award ceremonies.
Denzel Washington has been nominated for ten Academy Awards in his career, and is one of only eight actors who have been nominated for at least one Academy Award over five different decaes.
Denzel Washington was one ofGladiator 2’s two nominations at the Golden Globes, indicating that award voters are looking for other films this year. Although Denzel was able to earn a nomination with a genuinely compelling performance,he faces stiff competition from the likes of Kieran Culkin as well as Yura Borisov, Edward Norton, and Guy Pearce. While it’s still possible that Washington’s clout in Hollywood and memorable performance nets him an Oscar nomination forGladiator 2, the stiff competition and lack of momentum behind him dashes many hopes the actor has of winning his third Academy Award in 2025.
Gladiator II
Cast
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
