Key Takeaways
- Delroy Lindo’s Oscar nomination comes after decades of acclaimed work across film, TV, and theater.
- He learned about the nomination from his son, who called him from Europe.
- Denzel Washington praised Lindo as one of the finest actors he’s ever known.
For an actor whose work has shaped film, television, and theater for decades, it’s hard to believe this is the first time Delroy Lindo has earned a nomination from the Academy Awards. Yet that long-overdue moment arrived in a way that felt deeply personal — through a phone call from his son.
The 73-year-old received his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Delta Slim in Sinners. But before the headlines rolled in, the news reached him quietly, while he was still in bed. “I was in bed,” Delroy told E! News. “My phone rang. It was my son. I picked it up and said, ‘Hey man,’ and he said, ‘Dad, dad, you got it. You got that s**t.’”
The call came from his son, Damiri Lindo, who was in Europe at the time and happened to be the first in the family to learn about the nomination. Lindo said the moment carried extra weight because of everything his son has witnessed along the way. “It means the world because he’s seen it all,” the London native said. “He’s seen it away from the red carpet. He’s seen both sides of it. So, along with my wife, they have the internal and the external perspective on this journey. It felt completely right on to receive this news from my son.”
Delroy is nominated alongside Jacob Elordi for Frankenstein, Stellan Skarsgård for Sentimental Value, and both Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn for One Battle After Another. The recognition also arrives as Sinners earned widespread attention across multiple categories, marking a major awards-season showing for the film. "It feels terrific," Delroy said about the first-ever Oscar nod on "Good Morning America.” "I'm still processing, if I'm really honest, but it's wonderful. And part of my response has to do with how positive everybody else's response has been. A lot of support, a lot of love. It feels really good."
Delroy Lindo’s decades of iconic work and flowers from Denzel Washington
Long before this moment arrived, Delroy’s peers had already been giving him his flowers. At a Sinners screening last month, Denzel Washington took a moment to publicly honor his longtime friend, reflecting on what he learned from the Crooklyn star during their early years training as actors. Washington said that in all the time he’s known Delroy, two lessons always stayed with him. “First, a loaf of wheat bread, a jar of honey, and a jar of peanut butter was all you need to survive. Second, that you need to act and analyze stuff,” Washington said, according to Deadline. “I remember back in school, Delroy did this scene, and they had no notes, but they had notes for me. I thought I was pretty good. But then I saw Delroy, and was like ‘Whoa, OK, I have to go home and work.’ It’s so cliché, but he’s one of the finest actors. There’s a purity to Delroy.”
The Highest 2 Lowest star went on to praise Delroy’s discipline and honesty, noting that even early on, he stood out for how openly he approached the craft. “Delroy’s discipline, attention to detail and his spirit. In those days, he [would always be so open] about the things that bothered him, which I admire, and I still do,” he continued. “I realized that he had no filter to him, he had to tell the truth. I began to understand that’s what I was trying to figure out about his acting, that there’s a foundation, purity and honesty and an integrity that’s undeniable and something to reach for.”
From Malcolm X to Da 5 Bloods, from Broadway stages to prestige television, Delroy’s career has been defined by range, intention, and truth. This Oscar recognition may be his first, but it lands like a full-circle moment for one of the most respected actors of his generation.