Denzel Washington Was Just Robbed of His Historic 10th Acting Oscar Nomination

In a shocking turn of events, Denzel Washington’s powerful performance as Macrinus in Gladiator 2 was overlooked by the Academy Awards, denying him what would have been his historic 10th acting nomination. The 2025 Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor instead went to Yura Borisov (Anora), Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain), Edward Norton (A Complete Unknown), Guy Pearce (The Brutalist), and Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice), leaving Washington’s scene-stealing antagonist performance out of contention. The snub is particularly painful as it prevented Washington from becoming the first Black performer to receive double-digit Academy Award nominations – a milestone that would have further cemented his legacy as one of Hollywood’s most accomplished artists.

The Academy’s dismissal of Washington’s tour de force as Macrinus defies logic. Critics hailed his portrayal of the former slave’s calculated rise to power as a masterwork that transcends Gladiator 2‘s mixed reception. Washington commands attention in every scene, whether manipulating Senator Thraex (Tim McInnerny) through veiled threats or facing down Lucius (Paul Mescal) amid the Colosseum’s flooded ruins. His nuanced performance unearths the essence of Macrinus: a survivor whose enslavement under Marcus Aurelius bred a methodical quest for vengeance against Rome itself.

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Few actors could navigate Macrinus’ evolution from shrewd political operative to ruthless tyrant with such precision. In his earliest scenes, Washington wields courtesy as a weapon, each practiced smile masking murderous intent. This measured approach amplifies the impact when Macrinus finally confronts Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) about her father’s cruelty, decades of buried rage erupting through cracks in his diplomatic facade. The crescendo arrives during his address to the Roman Senate, a masterclass in psychological warfare where Washington transforms a political speech into a horror show, wielding Emperor Geta’s (Joseph Quinn) severed head as both prop and promise. After today’s Oscar nominations announcement, Washington’s performance has been swept under the rug.

Denzel Washington’s Brilliant Academy Award History

With nine Academy Award nominations, Washington stands alongside Spencer Tracy in third place among male performers for Oscar recognition. Earning a tenth nod would have placed him in rarefied company with Jack Nicholson (12 nominations) and Laurence Olivier (10 nominations). Yet these numbers tell only part of the story. Each of Washington’s nominated roles has redefined possibilities for Black actors in Hollywood, proving that artistic excellence transcends racial barriers.

Washington’s journey through Hollywood’s highest honors began in 1987, when his portrayal of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko in Cry Freedom earned him his first Academy Award nomination. Two years later, he claimed his first Oscar victory, winning Best Supporting Actor for Glory, where he played a former slave whose fight for the Union Army captured the Civil War’s brutality and the complexity of Black soldiers’ experiences within it.

The following decades saw Washington masterfully alternate between powerful biographical portrayals and complex fictional characters. His transformative performance as the civil rights leader in Spike Lee’s Malcolm X (1992) stands as one of Oscar’s most notorious oversights. In a highly debatable decision, Washington lost the Best Actor prize to Al Pacino’s work in Scent of a Woman. Nearly a decade later, Washington finally claimed Hollywood’s top prize, winning Best Actor for his ruthless portrayal of corrupt detective Alonzo Harris in Training Day (2001). This victory marked the first time a Black actor had won the award since Sidney Poitier’s groundbreaking turn in 1964’s Lilies of the Field.

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Between these milestone moments, Washington consistently delivered Oscar-caliber performances that showcased his remarkable range. His compelling work in The Hurricane (1999), Flight (2012), and Fences (2016) – the latter of which he also directed – earned Best Actor nominations, while his later career saw him reinvent himself yet again through the legal drama Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017) and Joel Coen’s stark adaptation of The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021). Each role demonstrated not just versatility, but an artist perpetually pushing against his own boundaries, finding new depths in characters that might have seemed familiar in lesser hands.

Denzel Washington Is Bigger than an Oscar Nomination

The exclusion of Washington’s work in Gladiator 2 is even more baffling given its Golden Globe nomination, which is considered a just thermometer for the Oscars. In addition, his portrayal of Macrinus embodies the hallmarks of Oscar-worthy acting, including profound character work and the ability to elevate an entire production.

While denied a tenth nomination, Washington’s impact as the most Oscar-nominated Black actor in history remains indelible. His nine nominations and two wins have carved a path for future generations of Black performers. Still, though Washington’s influence extends far beyond any awards tally, acknowledging his achievement in Gladiator 2 would have marked another crucial step in Hollywood’s evolution toward genuine inclusion.

Gladiator 2 is currently streaming on Paramount+.