With Oscar voting in full swing, nominees are doing all they can to bring attention to their films. “Fences” director/star Denzel Washington stopped by “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Tuesday to chat about his film and his bid to win a third Oscar for acting. Jimmy Kimmel will be emceeing the 89th annual Academy Awards on Feb. 26.
Washington has won two of his previous six Oscar races: Best Supporting Actor for “Glory” in 1989 and Best Actor for “Training Day” in 2001. As he recalls, “I was there when I thought I was going to win, and I didn’t, I didn’t think I was going to win and I did, I should have and I did,” he said. “You have to have an even keel about it, you can’t get too high, you can’t get too low.”
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He won a Tony in 2010 for headlining the first Broadway revival of the August Wilson domestic drama “Fences.” He reprises his role as an ex-baseball player struggling to provide for his family and directed the film as well. Our current odds now favor him winning a third Oscar; he is at 1/1 while his fiercest rival ,Casey Affleck (“Manchester By the Sea”), has slipped to 6/5. Despite being snubbed at the BAFTAS, Washington has kept his narrow lead according to our Oscar experts derived from major media outlets. While Affleck won the British version of the Oscars on Sunday, he still only has a dozen experts in his corner while Washington has a lucky 13 backing his bid.
Oscars: Every Best Actor Winner in Academy History (Photo Gallery)
The actor revealed, “My children suggested that I be prepared, and you really do want to thank certain people.” Perhaps his kids are mindful of the fact that he won the SAG Award and the guild has a stellar track record at previewing the eventual Oscar champ. Eighteen of the 22 SAG winners have gone on to claim an Oscar bookend, including the last 12 in a row. [2003 SAG champ Johnny Depp (“Pirates of the Caribbean”) was bested at the Oscars by Sean Penn (“Mystic River”).]
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Video produced by David Janove
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