Denzel Washington was surprised at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday night with an honorary Palme d’Or, a career achievement acknowledgement that has been presented only 21 previous times.
Ahead of an out-of-competition screening of his latest film, Spike Lee‘s Highest 2 Lowest, fest director Thierry Frémaux surprised the Oscar winner with the honor.
Lee presented Washington with the honor after an introduction from Frémaux. The presentation saw Washington receive a huge standing ovation.
“This is a total surprise for me, so I’m emotional. It’s a great opportunity to collaborate with my brother once again, brother from another mother, and to be here once again in Cannes,” Washington said in part, after Lee previously referred to Washington as his brother and expressed his love for . “We’re a very privileged group in this room that we get to make movies and wear tuxedos and nice clothes and dress up and get paid for it as well. We’re just blessed beyond measure. I’m blessed beyond measure. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all.”
Highest 2 Lowest marks Washington and Lee’s first film together in nearly 20 years and fifth collaboration overall.
Washington is making a quick stop at Cannes in between performances of Othello on Broadway. The play, in which he stars opposite Jake Gyllenhaal, is dark on Mondays like most Broadway productions.
An honorary Palme was presented on the opening night of this year’s fest to Robert De Niro, but that was announced in advance, as have been all honorary Palme presentations since 2022, when Fremaux handed an unannounced one to Tom Cruise.
Other previous recipients of Cannes’ honorary Palme, which was first presented in 2002, include Catherine Deneuve, Jane Fonda, Clint Eastwood, Agnès Varda, Jodie Foster, Harrison Ford, Michael Douglas and, last year, Meryl Streep and George Lucas. Also last year, Studio Ghibli became the first organization, as opposed to individual, to receive the honor.
Washington is a two-time Oscar winner, receiving the Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role in Glory and best actor for his work in Training Day. He also received an Oscar nomination for best picture for the film adaptation of Fences, which he also directed.
Among other accolades, he’s also received a Presidential Medal of Freedom and Tony Award, for the Broadway revival of Fences, though he recently missed out on a chance at another Tony as his latest production of Othello failed to receive any Tony nods.
Hilary Lewis and Scott Roxborough contributed to this report.