Denzel Washington Extends Record as the Most-Nominated Black Actor in Oscars History
Denzel Washington just made history… again!
The 67-year-old just scored his 10th Oscar nomination Tuesday, extending his reign as the most-nominated Black actor in Academy Awards history.
Washington is up for Best Actor at this year’s ceremony, for his work in the title role of The Tragedy of Macbeth.
The actor (who also won a Tony Award in 2010) was first nominated for an Oscar in 1988, when he was up for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Cry Freedom.
He went on to earn nine more nods, 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 obtained by PEOPLE, 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 added 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.”
Washington’s history-making nomination comes one year after Viola Davis broke her own Oscars record, as the most-nominated Black actress ever, nabbing her fourth nomination for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
Washington stars in The Tragedy of Macbeth alongside Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth. Cohen’s black-and-white Shakespeare adaptation made its debut in September at the New York Film Festival.
In addition to Washington and McDormand, 64, The Tragedy of Macbeth also stars Corey Hawkins, Brendan Gleeson, Harry Melling, Bertie Carvel, Kathryn Hunter, Moses Ingram, Ralph Ineson, Brian Thompson, Sean Patrick Thomas, Alex Hassell, Stephen Root and Richard Short.
The film is also up for Best Cinematography and Best Production Design at this year’s Oscars.
The 94th annual Academy Awards will be held at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on Sunday, March 27.