Red carpet clash dampens Denzel Washington's award at Cannes / Photo: © POOL/AFP
-
Info Edge’s Naukri Hits Rs 240 Crore Annualized AI Revenue Run Rate
-
North Dakota Enacts Bipartisan Insulin Price Cap Amid National Push
-
Honda Recalls 635,000 Vehicles Over Software-Induced Power Steering Failure
-
Readers Question Naughty Dog’s ‘Intergalactic’ Hype and GTA 6 Marketing Strategy
-
Digi Power X Reports Q3 2026 Revenue Up 85% and AI Revenue Up Over 400% Compared to Q2
-
Westminster Council Unanimously Rejects Green Party Motion in 'Zionism is not racism' Vote
-
Below Deck alumnus João Franco and brother arrested after fatal Turkey fight
-
Kingfishr Announces UK and European Spring Tour Following April Album Release
-
Ole Miss inquiry expands after video and monkey-noise allegations
-
General Hospital actor Randall England dies at 75
-
Senators Push for Sports Betting Ad Ban as Bill S-211 Advances
-
Bunnie XO artwork taken down from Jelly Roll’s Nashville bar
-
London museum removes Russell Brand hair exhibit after rape conviction
-
Arlington sentinel rebukes Pete Hegseth entourage for laughter near memorial
-
RBI Gold Loan Rules 2026: Key Changes for Auctions, Renewals, and Valuation
-
Yella Beezy sentenced to life for arranging rapper Mo3’s murder
-
Kylie Jenner employee describes closet ordeal and pepper-spray incident
-
Authorities to identify Montauk Mary and five other Long Island cold-case victims
Red carpet clash dampens Denzel Washington's award at Cannes
Hollywood star Denzel Washington had a tense exchange with a photographer before he received a surprise honorary award at the Cannes film festival on Monday.
Washington, 70, was at the festival for the first time for the premiere of his latest film with New York director Spike Lee, "Highest 2 Lowest".
The two-time Oscar-winning actor was presented with an honorary Palme d'Or before the screening, where co-star A$AP Rocky and his partner Rihanna were among the VIPs.
"It's a total surprise. I'm so emotional," Washington said, a member of the audience told AFP.
Earlier the veteran actor appeared to have a testy encounter with a photographer on the red carpet.
The photographer appeared to grab the actor by the arm as he posed in front of a bank of cameras. Washington shook him off and then pointed his finger at him and appeared to say "Stop it" a number of times, videos showed.
But despite the awkward incident, Washington's mood was no doubt lifted by the rave reviews of him and Lee's film.
Loosely adapted from a Japanese master Akira Kurosawa's 1963 classic, "High and Low", the Hollywood Reporter said the film has "wit, high style and kinetic energy to burn".
The Guardian praised Washington's "magnificent form" in the movie, saying he played a music mogul with "grinning monarchical assurance".
A$AP Rocky plays alongside Washington in "Highest 2 Lowest", extending an acting career that includes "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You" by Mary Bronstein, which was shown at the Berlin film festival in February.
Before handing over the prize to Washington, festival director Thierry Fremaux introduced a montage of Washington's memorable performances including in "Malcolm X" and "Mo' Better Blues", both directed by Lee.
Clips were also shown from "Glory", which earned him an Oscar for best supporting actor in 1989, and "Training Day", for which he won best actor in 2002.
The cast of "Highest 2 Lowest" put on a show on the Cannes red carpet, with Spike Lee in an orange pinstripe suit, round glasses and an orange-and-blue hat, and A$AP Rocky showing off a gold dental piece.
Although Cannes usually hands out honorary awards in dedicated ceremonies, it is not unusual for actors to receive them unexpectedly —- as happened with Harrison Ford at the premiere of "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" in 2023.
G.Schulte--BTB
