Denzel Washington Calls First-Ever SAG Award Win ''Surprising''

If one person didn’t expect to win at last night’s 2017 SAG Awards, it’s Denzel Washington. 

The Fences star took home his first-ever Screen Actors Guild accolade in the Best Male Actor in a Motion Picture category, besting award season front-runners Casey Affleckand Ryan Goslingfor the title. 

Washington chatted with E! News’ Zuri Hall about the major career milestone, thanking those who worked behind the camera to make the play-turned-movie possible. “[Late playwright] August Wilson wrote a masterpiece and great roles for all of us,” he shared. 

Denzel acknowledged the advantage of taking Fences from stage to screen, explaining, “We had the luxury of 114 performances so we did, in some ways, have a leg up on the actors, but he wrote a brilliant part.”

“It’s amazing, surprising to be chosen tonight,” the veteran movie star, 62, continued. “I’m really moved by this because it’s the actors and I’m one of them.

During his acceptance speech, Denzel addressed the crowd: “SAG, listen. We are just actors. I’m famous and all that kind of stuff, but I have the same fear opening night, the fear that anyone has. We all have the same job, and this is not a testament to me,” he said before thanking many behind-the-scenes individuals who “don’t get recognized.”

Watch the rest of our exclusive interview with Washington above, including a super precious moment he shared celebrating with the Stranger Things kids! Emphasis on not to be missed.