BEST ACTOR 2021
The Crown Goes To Denzel Washington
In a year filled with superhero movies, summer blockbusters, and horror movies, The Tragedy of Macbeth was able to stand out among critics with its black and white take on the classic Shakespeare tale. One of the unique aspects of the film was its casting of Denzel Washington as Macbeth. Washington is 66 years old and has had plenty of iconic and memorable roles, but Macbeth was different from his usual roles.
This project wasn’t Washington’s first time starring in a Shakespeare adaptation. He starred in Much Ado About Nothing in 1993 alongside Keanu Reeves, Michael Keaton, and Kate Beckinsdale. In Macbeth, Washington plays Macbeth, the Scottish lord coerced by witches to become king of Scotland. His wife then manipulates him into killing the king to take his throne.
In a Q&A session in September, Washington discussed how this was Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s last shot at power. “They’ve been stepped over by kings and they want it. And we understand that.” The film has yet to have a wide release, but critics have praised Washington’s performance.
Variety refers to Washington as someone “who has mastered the all-too-rare art of delivering Shakespeare as if it were conversational speech.” Vulture also had praise for Washington’s dialogue style, saying that “Washington manages the near-impossible feat of delivering his lines as though he’s putting the words together in the moment, speaking some of the most famous sentences in the English language as though they’re actually being dredged up out of Macbeth’s roiling consciousness.”
It’s no surprise that Washington is receiving praise for his performance as he is still one of the best actors. The Tragedy of Macbeth will be released in select theaters on Christmas Day before streaming on Apple TV+ beginning January 14, 2022.
