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Delroy Lindo has admitted to struggling with his Oscar snub for Spike Lee film Da 5 Bloods.
The actor, who appears in Ryan Coogler’s acclaimed blockbuster Sinners, got candid about the subject, telling The Independent that the Academy’s failure to recognise his performance “kicked me in my ass”.
Lee’s American war film was hailed by critics and audiences upon its release on Netflix in 2020, with many singling Lindo out as an Oscar frontrunner.
However, a nomination never materialised, with his omission being considered one of that year’s most egregious snubs.
Speaking on The Independent video series Go to Bat, Lindo, 72, said that actors caring about awards recognition “is a thing”, saying: “But one must get over it really quickly ‘cause it’s about work. You gotta keep working.”
He said of the snub: “It kicked me in my natural ass for a variety of reasons.”
Lindo was helped through by writer-director Lee, who gave him some advice on the morning of the nominations announcement.
“I remember the morning of the snub, Spike and I were on the phone. He called me and, in the final analysis, said, ‘One must keep working. You can’t wallow int that stuff, man. We can talk, talk, talk for an hour, but you can’t wallow – you gotta keep working.”
Lindo said that his performance in the film will last “forever”, adding: “Film is forever, no matter who says what and judges or gives me this or that. The work is onscreen. Period. The end.”
Da 5 Bloods follows a group of four ageing war veterans who return toVietnam in search of the remains of their squad leader – as well as treasure they buried there.
The actor would have competed in the Best Actor category, which was awarded that year to Anthony Hopkins for his role as an elderly man suffering from dementia in The Father.
Hopkins’ fellow nominees included Lindo’s Da 5 Bloods co-star Chadwick Boseman for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Sound of Metal’s Riz Ahmed, Gary Oldman for Mank and Minari actor Steven Yeun.
One day after Lindo’s Oscar snub, Lee honoured the actor, writing on Instagram: “This is a Delroy Lindo appreciation post. Delroy Lindo may not have received an Oscar nomination yesterday but that does not take away from the impact of his work that spans decades.”
Away from Da 5 Bloods, Lindo has worked with Lee three times, starring in films including Malcom X (1992) and Crooklyn (1994).
But its 1995 drama Clockers – a film that explores the impact of crack cocaine on inner city kids –that Lindo thinks is the one deserving of more love.
He told Go to Bat, a series in which actor’s pick their most underrated credits: “Maybe it was too harsh – harsh a subject matter to present to audiences at that time. Maybe people just didn’t want to be confronted with that.”
English (US) ·