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Denzel Washington – the man, the legend, the acting icon. From his first role at the age of 18 in Wilma, Denzel has become one of the biggest actors that the industry has ever seen. It would probably be an injustice for us to sit and go through exactly what makes Denzel so iconic, so just take it from his nearest and dearest.

In honour of his incredible achievements, the American Film Institute awarded Denzel a Lifetime Achievement Award, the ceremony aired earlier this week. He joins Alfred Hitchcock, Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford, Meryl Streep and Barbra Streisand (to name a few of the most legendary individuals) who have also won the award.

Unsurprisingly, over his 46-year-long career, Denzel has picked up a few friends along the way – all of which have some heartwarming and hilarious anecdotes about the star. So, during the ceremony, they shared a few.

Jamie Foxx opened the ceremony mimicking Denzel’s famous walk

Side note: If you look closely at the end you can see Denzel applauding Jamie’s speech and calling him “my brother.” So that broke me a bit.

Julia Roberts also shared a touching letter which Denzel still keeps in his wallet, written by his college professor. She praises his love for his family before correcting the letter, stating that he is “a talent to rank among the greatest of any time.”

Mahershala Ali thanked Denzel for his representation of black men in film, which inspired him to pursue acting.

Fellow AFI Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Morgan Freeman shared a hilarious story of his first time working with Denzel, where he was a “stage prop.”

Spike Lee, who directed the movies in which Denzel had his most iconic roles such as Malcolm X, presented the award.

Here’s to the slow claps, the swagger and the undeniable talent that is Denzel Washington. Yes, I’m crying.