Denzel Washington gets honest about cancel culture in today’s society, offering a thoughtful response. Best known for The Equalizer franchise and for films like Training Day (2001), The Book of Eli (2010, and Flight (2012), Washington remains one of the most beloved and celebrated actors working in Hollywood today, and he can now be seen in Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest (2025).

No matter how respected a Hollywood figure may seem, however, the last few years have shown that nobody is immune to cancel culture, with movements often gaining steam on social media due to actor or director pH๏τos or comments. Washington has so far remained unaffected by this harmful phenomenon.

During a recent interview with Complex, Washington is asked directly about his relationship to public opinion, and the actor makes clear it’s not something he cares much about. Check out his comment below:

“Who cares? What made public support so important to begin with? You can’t lead and follow at the same time, and you can’t follow and lead at the same time.”

Washington goes on to explain that the only thing he follows is his religion, and the trick to avoiding cancel culture is to never “sign up” in the first place:

“You can’t be canceled if you haven’t signed up. Don’t sign up.”

What This Means For Denzel Washington

Evidently, Washington’s approach in terms of cancel culture and public opinion has been working for him and his career. Though he has only won two Oscars over the course of his long career, he continues to be nominated for his work regularly, and he’s widely considered a Hollywood heavyweight when it comes to his performances and the legitimacy he lends projects.

Highest 2 Lowest reviews have been very positive from critics and audiences alike so far, with Washington’s fifth collaboration with Lee already looking like a winner. Before this latest thriller, Washington was widely celebrated as the best part of Ridley Scott’s divisive Gladiator 2 (2024).

The Scott film followed a warm reception to The Equalizer 3 (2023), which performed almost exactly as well as its two predecessors at the box office, indicating that there is a consistent audience for Washington in this type of role. The actor even announced that The Equalizer 4 and 5 are in development.

All of this is to say that Washington seemingly has things figured out, and not worrying about how the public views him is a winning strategy. That’s not to say that Washington won’t say or do something in the future that results in criticism, but it’s clear that he won’t care if it does.

Our Take On Washington’s Cancel Culture Atтιтude

Part of an actor’s job is arguably to have a deep understanding of how they come across to people. Actors have to be able to become someone else, and knowing how they are perceived is a necessary part of a successful transformation.

Outside of how this relates to an actor’s job, though, stressing too much about public opinion seems like a recipe for an unhappy life. Washington comes across as a genuine and ᴀssured person, and whether one likes what he’s about or not, these qualities have undoubtedly helped him excel as a charismatic movie star.