Denzel Washington doesn't care about cancel culture, public support

Actor and director Denzel Washington shared that he is not concerned about other people's opinions and getting "cancelled".

When Washington, alongside director and frequent collaborator Spike Lee, was asked, in a video interview, if he was concerned about "being 'cancelled,'" he replied with a question, "What does that mean — to be cancelled?"

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The interviewer responded, "it means you lose public support," Washington said, "who cares?" according to The Hollywood Reporter.

He added, "What made public support so important to begin with?"

Washington explained what's important to him. "I don't care who's following who," he said. "You can't lead and follow at the same time, and you can't follow and lead at the same time. I don't follow anybody. I follow the heavenly spirit. I follow God, I don't follow man. I have faith in God. I have hope in man, but look around, it ain't working out so well," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

He added, "You can't be cancelled if you haven't signed up. Don't sign up. Don't get me started. My chest started hurting. You know, chest is getting tight talking about it."

Washington has nine Academy Award nominations under his belt and is a two-time Oscar winner for his performances in the movies Glory and Training Day. However, the actor places no value on such career milestones

Recently, in an interview with Variety, he said, "I don't do it for Oscars. I don't care about that kind of stuff. I've been at this a long time, and there's time when I won and shouldn't have won and then didn't win and should've won. Man gives the award. God gives the reward."

Washington continued, "I'm not that interested in Oscars. People ask me, 'Where do I keep it?' Well, next to the other one. I'm not bragging! Just telling you how I feel about it. On my last day, [Oscars] aren't going to do me a bit of good."

Washington and Lee's latest collaboration, their fifth overall and first in nearly 20 years, though according to Lee, likely not their last, the movie Highest 2 Lowest, is in US theatres now.

The A24 and Apple film is a reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa's High and Low, starring Washington as a music mogul who's targeted in a ransom plot.