For context, here were the five Best Actor nominees at the 72nd Academy Awards:
Denzel Washington (Malcom X)
Al Pacino (Scent of a Woman)
Robert Downey Jr. (Chaplin)
Stephen Rea (The Crying Game)
Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven)
It was a strong field with no weak performances. If I had the final say, Denzel Washington would have taken the trophy. Ultimately, though, it went to Al Pacino, who had been leading the race for months. Washington, having won New York and Boston, wasn’t necessarily ever predicted to win.
During this morning’s Cannes press conference for “Highest 2 Lowest,” Lee looked back at the 1993 Oscars, and admitted he felt that Washington had been robbed of the golden statuette.
"No disrespect to my brother Al Pacino, but Denzel should have won,” Lee said. “Malcolm X,’ what he did with that film was amazing.”
Pacino ended up taking home the gold for his performance in Martin Brest’s “Scent of a Woman,” and Washington eventually won the best actor in 2002 for “Training Day.”
Washington’s loss at the 1993 Oscars is widely regarded as one of the Academy’s most significant oversights. His portrayal of the civil rights leader was transformative, emotionally powerful, and historically important—a role many consider among the greatest performances of the decade. While Al Pacino won that year for “Scent of a Woman,” his award was largely seen as a career recognition after years of nominations without a win.