Spike Lee says Delroy Lindo’s Oscar loss is a ‘big, big, big disappointment,’ wanted ‘more love for Sinners’
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“I wanted a little more love for ‘Sinners.’” Spike Lee reacts to Delroy Lindo not winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Viewers weren’t the only ones disappointed to see “Sinners” star Delroy Lindo go home without the Oscar award for Best Supporting Actor. During an interview with Variety, the “Do The Right Thing” filmmaker shared his reactions to some of the Academy judges’ decisions.
When asked what he thought about the show, Lee stumbled before saying, “Good. You know everybody has their favorites, and I wanted a little more love for ‘Sinners,’ but you know.”
“My one big, big, big disappointment is my brother Delroy Lindo,” he added.
Spike Lee says he “wanted a little more love for #Sinners” at the #Oscars: “My one big, big, big disappointment is my brother Delroy Lindo.” pic.twitter.com/xBx8HIsYmt
— Variety (@Variety) March 16, 2026
Lindo, who played Delta Slim in Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” lost the award to Sean Penn for his performance of Steven J. Lockjaw in “One Battle After Another.” Despite years in the industry, this marked the 73-year-old actor’s first Oscar nomination.
“It’s just incredibly joyful and affirming,” Lindo previously said, reflecting on the love the film has received. “Affirming that audiences inside and outside of the industry have responded to this work so fully, and the fact that the work has touched people, I believe, in the depth of their humanity. I don’t have the words to explain how gratifying and affirming that feels. It’s extraordinary.”
Since its release, “Sinners” has left an indelible mark on viewers and the industry alike. Coogler’s vampire horror film made Academy Award history, receiving 16 nominations, the most in the award ceremony’s history. Though the film did not sweep at the Oscars the way fans would have hoped, it still earned some groundbreaking wins, like “Sinners” cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw becoming the first woman and woman of color to win Best Cinematographer, Coogler becoming the second Black creator to win Best Original Screenplay, and Michael B. Jordan winning his first Oscar. The film’s score also earned Ludwig Göransson his third Oscar in the category, making him the first three-time winner in the 21st century.
While fans would have hoped to see “Sinners” win in other categories like Best Supporting Actress, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design, Best Original Song, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Casting and the coveted Best Director award, Lee stressed that the “Sinners” crew are already victorious this award season.
“I was telling everybody they won already,” Lee explained . “Regardless of what the outcome was tonight, they won. They won, and this film is going down in cinematic history.”