Denzel Washington's Cannes surprises: honorary Palme d'Or plus one handsy shutterbug

Denzel Washington this week traded Broadway for the French Riviera to be the 2025 Cannes Film Festival — wherever some a beingness accomplishment grant and an anxious lensman awaited his attention.

On Monday, the two-time Oscar victor — presently starring successful “Othello” successful New York — returned to the glitzy planetary movie fest connected the Croisette for the premiere of “Highest 2 Lowest,” his latest task with longtime person and “Malcolm X” collaborator Spike Lee. However, earlier Lee’s instrumentality connected Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 transgression thriller “High and Low” deed the large screen, immoderate hostility spilled implicit onto the reddish carpet.

Washington, 70, confronted and scolded a reddish carpet lensman who tried to get the actor’s attraction by repeatedly nudging his forearm. In respective videos documenting the spat, Washington turns distant from his co-star A$AP Rocky and Lee to code a bespectacled photographer. The “Training Day” prima tin beryllium seen pointing his digit astatine the lensman and appears to springiness him a stern warning.

Even arsenic Washington turns distant to instrumentality to his “Highest 2 Lowest” team, the lensman grabs the prima by his forearm again, prompting him to swat it away. “Stop it, halt it,” Washington seems to say.

Denzel Washington scolds a lensman astatine the reddish carpet of the 78th Cannes Film Festival.

(Scott A Garfitt / Invision / Associated Press)

While the confrontation went viral, it did not look to dull Washington’s Cannes return.

Moments aft the tense exchange, Washington joined an exclusive club: He became the 23rd recipient of an honorary Palme d’Or. Washington received the astonishment honor, which celebrates his assemblage of work, from Lee and festival main Thierry Frémaux. Woody Allen, Jane Fonda, Agnès Varda, Forest Whitaker, Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford and Meryl Streep are besides among the honorary Palme d’Or recipients. Robert De Niro received the grant past week.

“This is my brother, close here,” said Lee arsenic helium presented the prize to his friend. “I emotion him. I emotion him.”

Washington, earning a lasting ovation, said the grant was a “total astonishment for me.” The actor, who was past astatine Cannes successful 1993 for “Much Ado About Nothing,” spoke astir the privilege of creating movies, attending high-profile events and getting “paid for it, arsenic well,” according to video shared by the Hollywood Reporter.

“We’re conscionable blessed beyond measure. I’m blessed beyond measure,” helium said. “From the bottommost of my heart, I convey you all.”

In a connection to The Times connected Tuesday, a typical for Washington said, “It was a large evening astatine the Cannes Film Festival adjacent though helium was lone capable to beryllium determination for a fewer hours successful betwixt performances of ‘Othello’ connected Broadway.”

“Highest 2 Lowest” hits theaters Aug. 22 and features the Tony victor arsenic a palmy euphony mogul who faces a situation of morality erstwhile helium becomes the people of a life-or-death ransom plot. Jeffrey Wright and Ilfenesh Hadera besides star.