Denzel Washington’s “great evening” at Cannes, which included a surprise honor and a standing ovation, started with a heated exchange on the red carpet.
On Monday, May 19, while on the red carpet for the premiere of the Spike Lee-directed neo-noir film “Highest 2 Lowest,” which stars Washington and A$AP Rocky, Washington was chatting with Lee when a member of the paparazzi grabbed his arm.
Based on footage of the incident making the rounds on the internet, the 70-year-old actor turns and warns the man to “stop.” When Washington turned back around to return to posing with his co-star, Rocky, the man did it again. This time, Washington’s response is far more intense.
Despite the heated exchange, however, Washington’s representative told People magazine, “It was a great evening.”
Moments later, proving how a person’s luck can change on a dime, Washington received a surprise Honorary Palme d’Or, the festival’s highest honor, and a standing ovation while he accepted.
“This is a total surprise for me, so I’m a little emotional, but from the bottom of my heart, I thank you all,” Washington said. “It was a great opportunity to collaborate with my brother once again—brother from another mother, Spike.”
He continued, “You know, we’re just blessed beyond measure, I’m blessed beyond measure, and from the bottom of my heart, I thank you all. Thank you.”
Before the red carpet premiere, Washington linked up with Rocky and Lee for a photo-op that has since gone viral for its infectious display of joy. The three men, with broad smiles and coordinating white and black ensembles—Rocky in a white suit rivaling that of Tony Montana, Washington in a black T-shirt and dark wash denim, and Lee in a white T-shirt and cream slacks—posed for a series of fun shots. In several shots, Rocky is in the middle of the older men, and in other shots, the three have fun with silly poses and faces.
“Highest 2 Lowest,” a reinterpretation of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller “High and Low,” set in modern-day New York, marks Washington and Lee’s fifth collaboration. The film has a buzzy cast, including Rocky, Jeffrey Wright, Wendell Pierce, Ice Spice in her film debut, and more. “Highest 2 Lowest” is slated for release in theaters August 22 and will be available to stream on Apple TV+ starting Sept. 5.
