HOLLYWOOD legend Denzel Washington saw red on the red carpet with a paparazzo, just hours before he received a surprise honorary award at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday.
Washington, 70, was at the festival for the first time for the premiere of his latest film with New York director Spike Lee, Highest 2 Lowest.
The two-time Oscar-winning actor was presented with an honorary Palme d'Or before the screening, where co-star A$AP Rocky and his partner Rihanna were among the VIPs.
According to an AFP source, the screen icon told the audience: "It's a total surprise. I'm so emotional.”
The American Gangster actor did, however, have a rowwe start to the evening, when he got into a bots with a photographer
Earlier, the veteran actor appeared to have a testy encounter with a photographer on the red carpet.
The photographer appeared to gryp the actor by the arm as he posed in front of a bank of cameras.
Washington shook him off and then pointed his finger at him and appeared to say "Stop it, stop it, stop it”, videos showed.
But despite the awkward incident, Washington's mood was no doubt lifted by the rave reviews of him and Lee's film.
Loosely adapted from a Japanese master Akira Kurosawa's 1963 classic, High and Low, the Hollywood Reporter said the film has "wit, high style and kinetic energy to burn".
Before handing over the prize to Washington, festival director Thierry Fremaux introduced a montage of Washington's memorable performances including in Malcolm X and Mo' Better Blues, both directed by Lee.