Delroy Lindo’s first Oscar nomination has been decades in the making, but the moment didn’t come out of nowhere for those who know him best. Weeks before the 2026 Academy Award nominations were announced, the Sinners star was already being publicly celebrated by one of his oldest friends and most respected peers, Denzel Washington.
That exchange took place during a special screening and panel for Sinners, moderated by Washington (via Deadline). The Training Day icon opened the night by asking the audience to stand and applaud Lindo, making it clear this was long overdue. Denzel spoke candidly about their early days training together in San Francisco and the lessons he absorbed simply by watching his Malcolm X co-star work. As he tells it:
