Denzel Washington may have turned heads at the Cannes Film Festival, but his absence from the film’s press conference the next day was no surprise to those in the know.
On Tuesday, May 20, director Spike Lee and co-stars Jeffrey Wright and Ilfenesh Hadera represented their film Highest 2 Lowest at the official Cannes press event. Notably missing? Washington, 70, whose intense red carpet moment the night before had sparked speculation online.
The Oscar winner had been seen in a brief but tense interaction with a photographer on Monday, May 19, at the film’s premiere. According to a video shared by the Daily Mail, Washington was chatting with Lee when a photographer reached out to grab his arm. Washington quickly turned, pointed his finger, and firmly told him to stop. Though the photographer initially smiled and nodded, he attempted to grab Washington again, prompting a second warning from the actor.
Despite the awkward moment, a rep for Washington told Us Weekly that it had still been a “great night” at the festival—and it only got better. Inside the theater, Highest 2 Lowest received a six-minute standing ovation, and Washington was later surprised with an honorary Palme d’Or Award, presented by Lee. “This is my brother, right here,” Lee said. A visibly moved Washington responded, “This is a total surprise for me!”
So why did he skip the next day’s press conference?
Turns out, it was all part of the plan. A rep for Washington confirmed that his trip to Cannes was always going to be brief due to his commitment to starring in Othello on Broadway. “Denzel was always scheduled to be in and out of Cannes on Monday,” the rep told Us Weekly. “It was his only day off from the play.” The studio and festival were informed weeks in advance that Washington wouldn’t be available for the Tuesday press event.
Washington flew back to New York immediately after attending the photocall and premiere, making the most of his limited time.
Highest 2 Lowest is a modern reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 thriller High and Low, based on Ed McBain’s novel King’s Ransom. In the updated story, Washington plays a powerful music mogul caught in a high-stakes ransom plot in present-day New York City, forcing him to grapple with a life-or-death moral dilemma.
This Cannes appearance comes nearly a year after another viral Washington moment, when he was caught on camera sternly addressing fans seeking autographs outside the Museum of Modern Art in October 2024. “I said, ‘I’ll see you when I get out, what part of that don’t y’all understand?’” he said at the time. “It’s about showing love… or not! We can do it another way!”
Love him or fear him, Denzel Washington stays true to himself, and he’s clearly still commanding both attention and respect wherever he goes.
