You know you’re doing something right when Morgan Freeman talks about you like this.
The Hollywood legend took a moment during a recent awards ceremony to give Denzel Washington his flowers — and honestly, it felt like the entire internet stopped to listen.
With that iconic voice that could narrate the phone book and still make it sound profound, Freeman stood before a room full of A-listers and said:
“Denzel doesn’t just play a role. He becomes it. He doesn’t steal scenes, he makes the whole screen his.”
He went on to call Denzel “the benchmark,” adding:
“There are actors. Then there are legends. And then there’s Denzel. You don’t compare him to anyone — you compare others to him.”
The clip of the speech is already doing the rounds on socials — and fans are losing it. One comment reads: “This is like Michael Jordan calling you the GOAT of basketball.” Another wrote: “Two kings recognizing each other. This is black excellence at its finest.”
Freeman, who’s starred alongside Denzel in multiple films, finished with a line that hit everyone right in the feels:
“The world doesn’t just watch Denzel Washington. We learn from him.”
Goosebumps. Actual goosebumps.