Denzel Washington on Diversity, to Appear on 60 Minutes This Sunday

Denzel Washington has some tough love for his fellow actors of color dealing with the reality of Hollywood. He basically says, you gotta keep going anyway. He says this because he lived it. He’s been such a great actor for so long and indeed it took a village to bring him a Best Actor win for Training Day. I was around then and trust me, that wasn’t an easy win and it came at a time when it was unthinkable that two black actors could win on the same night. That was 2001 and remains my favorite Oscar year because all along people kept saying it would be Russell Crowe and Halle Berry, or Denzel Washington and Sissy Spacek. But a few of us (I brag because it was indeed my finest moment, all of those years ago) went ahead and predicted both thinking we did not know which one would win. When they both did I screamed so loud I made my 3 year old daughter cry. That three year old is now 18 and attending NYU. That’s how long ago that was. So we’re looking at a night where two African American actors might win in the supporting categories. And there’s a chance Denzel Washington might win his third Oscar and second Best Actor Oscar joining a very elite group of winners. I would be stunned if that happened. Either way, here’s the man himself, one of the greatest American actors working today.