Who needs a last name when your first name is Denzel? And that’s exactly how Tom Hanks described his friend and former co-star Denzel Washington when he presented him with the Cecil B. DeMille Award—which honors extraordinary contributions to the entertainment world—at the Golden Globes Sunday. The 61-year-old actor was honored for starring in such movies as Malcolm X and Cry Freedom, The Pelican Brief and Remember the Titans.
“A single name can define an artist who is a peer and equal of all the legends,” Hanks said. “And if ‘Washington’ doesn’t ring out loud enough, then let that first name carry all the weight: That name is ‘Denzel,’” Hanks said.
As Washington approached the stage to accept his award, he was surrounded by his wife and three of his four kids. Washington became the third black actor to receive the prestigious DeMille Award, and during his acceptance speech, he joked with his wife that he had forgotten his glasses.
In an impromptu speech, Washington started to tell a story about his father and some light bulbs and thanked his mother for convincing his father that the family needed light bulbs brighter than 25 watts.
“God bless you all,” he said as he ended his speech.