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| | Denzel Washington: 'After Malcolm X I made some real clunkers ' all in the 1990s' | | Added 4 days ago | Source: CeleBitchy |
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While Denzel Washington has a villainous supporting role in Gladiator II, in interviews for the movie Denzel has come across as a respected elder, yet with a rather impish quality. It?s basically in the way he just talks about whatever he wants, not fearing any repercussions for spilling secrets. Like when he (probably) broke Marvel classified info by revealing he?ll be in Black Panther 3, or when he dropped ancient Roman tea that the same-sex kiss he filmed was axed from the final cut of Gladiator II. I mean, if even a king can?t push him around, why should he worry? And to give credit to Denzel, he doesn?t abuse his power (off screen). So in addition to telling King Charles not to rush him off his own red carpet, Denzel spent his time in London last week speaking with The Times for an in-depth profile. Some highlights:
On the reviews that he?s having fun in Gladiator II: ?I?ve heard that too, and Macrinus is just more. More rings, more clothes, more.? He fixes me with a stare. ?He wants power. How? By hook, crook, charm, smile, sex, murder, relationships and politics. Whatever it takes.? At one point, while discussing Macrinus?s sexual predilections, Washington blurts out, ?Line up the virgins!? By which he means male or female, anyone will do. The actor claims that he shot a gay kiss for the film, but it was cut in the edit. ?I think they got chicken.?
He doesn?t watch his films: ?I watch it so I know what I?m talking about,? he says. ?But I haven?t watched any film from my past from start to finish, not even Malcolm X. All you see is what you did wrong. Also why would you do it anyway?? He cackles before, rather campily, snarling: ??Oh, wasn?t I good?? You don?t read old articles do you? ? It?s the same. ?Ooh, I was brilliant here ? what a sentence. I should try that again.??
The three phases of life: ?Well, in life, you learn, earn and then you return ? as in give back. So if your life is 90 years long, up until 30 you learn and from 30 to 60 you earn.? He was 30 in 1984. ?So in that era I was earning,? he laughs. ?With a great agent, my career built into making money and so the earning kicked in and then life also kicked in, with bills, four kids and a house ?? He grimaces. ?After Malcolm X I made some real clunkers. Look them up ? I won?t say their names.? However, I say, if you type his name into Google, one of the most common questions is ?Is there a bad Denzel Washington movie?? ?They are all in the 1990s. But I was earning. I had responsibilities.?
A good Samaritan: ?You know, I stopped for gas the other day and I saw a woman stressed,? he continues. ?I?m just sensitive, I guess. My sister is bipolar, so I could tell that she was mentally ill. So I said, ?How you doing, sweetheart?? and asked if she needed money. I said, ?$500?? She said no ? $1,000! I thought she ain?t that crazy.!? Did she recognise you? ?I don?t think so, but I gave her money. Then, as I?m pumping gas, she walked over to the shop window just rocking and a woman came out and looked like she was going to shoo her away. Then she saw me and said, ?I love you!? So I said, ?You have a chance to help somebody, like I helped her.? And the woman did. And I love that.?
[From The Times]
Denzel really can?t stop talking about all the rings he got to wear in this movie and it cracks me up! I guess the poor guy has been costume and accessory-starved in his previous films, and now he has a taste for the fun stuff. Welcome, Denzel, but fair warning: this path can get expensive. And speaking of money, I like the pragmatic way he acknowledges that there are films he made to pay the bills, the ?clunkers.? And of course he?s too classy to name them, because they are solid parts of his resume that allowed him to live a life, support a family, and have enough wiggle room to help a lady out at the gas station. It?s also worth noting that he was still giving great performances even in ?bad? movies. Not that he would exactly know, I guess, since he says he doesn?t watch his work. And boy did Denzel successfully spin that back on the writer, asking if he praised himself while reading his articles. I mean, to go back and marvel at your own particularly clever-witted, well-crafted sentence? That would totally be silly/idiotic/egocentric and is absolutely 100% not something I?ve ever done myself.
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| | Denzel Washington says his same-sex kiss was cut from Gladiator II | | Added 7 days ago | Source: CeleBitchy |
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Gird your loins, we are now in the final countdown until Gladiator II comes out in exactly one week. The strapping stars were all spiffy at the London premiere on Wednesday including Paul Mescal, Joseph Quinn, Pedro Pascal and Denzel! Not only did Denzel Washington tell King Charles? minions that he wouldnt be rushed away from fans at his own premiere, Denzel did so in sneakers. The gauche American wore sneakers on the red carpet and didn?t scurry away when told to! Clearly the people on Charles? team had not caught the trailer for the film they were about to see, or they would?ve known not to mess with the man who plots the fall of the Roman Empire. And speaking of said empire, Denzel recently spoke with Gayety, a digital LGBTQ-focused magazine, and he was straight up asked ?How gay was the Roman Empire??. Denzel went on to lament that a scene where he kisses a male costar was cut from the final edit:
Denzel Washington revealed that a same-sex he filmed for Gladiator II was but from the final movie.
Speaking with Gayety, the actor, who portrays Macrinus in director Ridley Scott?s sequel to the 2000 blockbuster, said he kissed a male costar for a since-deleted moment. The revelation came after Washington was asked ?how gay? the Roman empire was.
?I actually kissed a man in the film but they took it out. They cut it,? Washington, 69, said. ?I think they got chicken.?
?I kissed a guy full on the lips and they, I guess they weren?t ready for that yet,? he added, before joking that in the sequence he ?killed him about five minutes later? in what he called the ?kiss of death.?
Gladiator II also stars Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal, who play the characters Acacius and Lucius, respectively. Mescal revealed in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly that their forehead kiss didn?t make the final cut either.
The actor, 28, said he and Pascal were rehearsing a fight scene during filming when he ?had an idea? of kissing his costar ?on the forehead? toward the end of the combat.
?I did it in one of the takes, and then we?re getting the radio messages back to Ridley [in video village], and I was like, ?Ridley: Kiss of the forehead, did you like it? Yay or nay?? There was radio silence for a second,? Mescal said. ?His radio crackles back, and [Ridley] goes, ?I?m afraid I did.??
?I think Ridley?s one of the funniest men I?ve ever come across,? he added, revealing that the forehead smooch was eventually scrapped.
[From People]
So not only has Ridley Scott recently insulted actors by saying that they barely have to do any prep work, but now he?s officially been outed for cutting their genius moments of improvisation. The man is a serial kiss-cutter! Seriously, now I?m going to be watching the movie with an eagle eye towards picking up on moments that feel kiss-starved. And it?s not like same-sex relationships aren?t historically accurate for Ancient Rome. I guess yet again, I will have to fill in all the homo-erotic subtext in my head as I?m watching, thanks Ridley. Fingers crossed we get to see all the cut scenes in an extended version somewhere down the line. In the meantime, if you have 3:36 minutes to spare, Denzel?s interview with Gayety is a delight. The interviewer starts out by showing off all the rings she?s wearing as a nod to Denzel?s character, and he is SO excited it?s adorable, even following up with, ?But what about the earrings?!? And while he doesn?t name drop Black Panther again, Denzel does say he?s having conversations with Ryan Coogler, Steve McQueen, and Paul Thomas Anderson about potential upcoming projects. Sounds like there are actually quite a few films left for him to make, after all.
Photos credit: James Shaw/Avalon, Alan D West/Avalon
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| | Denzel Washington says Ryan Coogler is writing a part for him in 'Black Panther 3' | | Added 8 days ago | Source: CeleBitchy |
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By all accounts, Denzel Washington has a scene stealing supporting (yet pivotal!) role in Gladiator II. Denzel plays Macrinus, an arms dealer who?s probably/definitely plotting the fall of the Roman Empire. The promotional campaign has been steadily ramping up, and one talking point Denzel keeps returning to is how he?s selective with his projects these days. As a young 70-year-old, Denzel wants to work on films, and perhaps more importantly with filmmakers who excite him, challenge, take him to places he?s never been before. And apparently, one of those new places will be Wakanda. While talking to an Australian network during a big press junket, Denzel revealed that ?Ryan Coogler is writing a part for me in the next Black Panther.?
Marvel Studios has not officially confirmed that a third film in the Black Panther franchise is in the works, but actor Denzel Washington on Tuesday indicated that there is, and that he will have a role.
Speaking to the Today show on Australia?s Channel 9 as part of a Gladiator II press junket, Washington said that director Ryan Coogler is writing a part for him in the next Black Panther film.
When asked about his future plans, Washington said that ?at this point in my career, I?m only interested in working with the best, I don?t know how many more films I will make, probably not that many. I want to do things that I haven?t done.?
?I played Othello at 22, I?m now going to play it at 70,? he continued. ?After that, I?m playing Hannibal. After that, I?ve been talking with Steve McQueen about a film. After that, Ryan Coogler is writing a part for me in the next Black Panther.?
Black Panther has become one of the MCU?s signature franchises, with the 2018 film starring Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong?o and Michael B. Jordan garnering not only critical acclaim but a massive box office haul, earning more than $1.3 billion.
Boseman died at age 43 in 2020.
The 2022 sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, functioned as a tribute to the late actor, and a way to continue the story of Wakanda and its people. It also launched to success at the box office.
[From The Hollywood Reporter]
I really liked both Black Panther movies. They were each so visually and musically sumptuous! Losing Chadwick Boseman was devastating ? he was a lovely, honorable, empathic human. The impact of his death was obviously bigger than how it affected a movie, but I thought Coogler found a way to make Wakanda Forever a thinking, feeling piece on how we process grief. Was it a perfect film? No. But it was pretty impeccable what Coogler created after the tragedy of losing their hero.
All that being said, and bearing in mind that I?m not well-versed in the original comic book lore, I can?t imagine where Black Panther is headed for a third film! Or how Denzel will be fitting into that world. Based on his comments, I?m guessing Denzel wouldn?t settle for being anything other than a Wakandan himself, right? So who could he play ? the late Queen Ramonda/Angela Bassett?s brother? M?Baku/Winston Duke?s father? Or maybe a leader from one of the five tribes that hasn?t been so prominent in the previous movies. So many possibilities! Also, who else but Denzel Washington could get away with casually breaking Marvel casting news? Was he supposed to share that with the world now? I think not! But what can they do ? if we know anything about Denzel at this moment, it?s that he could easily plot the downfall of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Empire.
Photos credit: Jimmy James/Avalon, Eddie Mulholland for The Telegraph/Avalon, IMAGO/mpi099/MediaPunch/Avalon, Nicky Nelson/Wenn/Avalon, Jerry Perez/Avalon
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| | Denzel Washington on Trump: 'God puts kings in a place for a season and reason' | | Added 6 years ago | Source: CeleBitchy |
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Denzel Washington is still promoting his now Oscar-nominated role in Roman J. Israel, which is how he got the cover of the UK?s Sunday Times Magazine. I generally enjoy British people interviewing American actors, because there?s generally an anthropological vibe to it, like the Brits are studying the Americans for clues about their politics, thoughts on racism, and more. This is particularly true of this interview with Denzel, arguably one of the most famous and beloved African-American celebrities in the world. Denzel has been around for a while though, and he?s able to walk that weird apolitical line. You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:
He wished he had kept a piece of his Roman J. Israel afro: ?Maybe it?s a black-community thing. When my first son was born, we cut the pieces of hair from his first year and you keep it. I guess it?s like keeping baby teeth.?
On the Dallas Cowboys kneeling, and the owner?s threat to kick them off the team: He shrugs. ?You gotta pay the cost to be the boss. You can take a knee ? but don?t complain if you go home, you know? It?s a free country. You have the right to protest. Are they being benched? I don?t think so. You can?t bench a whole team.?
On the #MeToo conversations changing Hollywood: ?I?m sure it already has. I?m sure there are those who thought they could get away with anything and they don?t feel that now. I mean, I hope they don?t. I think it will change the industry for good. Hmm, Harvey. It?s about 10 years. I haven?t talked to Harvey in about 10 years.?
He gave up alcohol on his 60th birthday: ?I just had enough. Some things you can have enough of. Not peanut butter yet, but all alcohol. I gave it up with the idea of putting my best foot forward. I tried everything else, let?s try this.?
Whether he cares about awards: ?Of course people care about them. First of all, it?s an opportunity for the industry to celebrate those who have achieved. I don?t know if it?s a measuring stick … I remember they all used to go to Swifty Lazar?s party at Spago?s after the awards. There used to be a parking lot and you could look down over Spago?s, and I remember seeing people going in ? Warren Beatty and people like that ? and I said to myself, someday I?m going to get in there. It wasn?t so much about getting the award, it was, like, I wasn?t invited to the party and I needed to be.?
Whether America will ever ?recover? from going from Obama to Trump. ?What do you mean, ?recover??? Obama was a good guy in charge. A good president and a good man, and now we have the opposite. ?Well, it?s early days yet …? Really? ?It?s not like Barack and I are old pals, you know. I think he watched someone and was inspired by someone and someone will be inspired by him,? he says obtusely. Does he think the current regime is inspiring? ?Is it not?? he replies. He seems determined to remain ambiguous on politics, and although he?s sitting in front of me, in his head he?s already left the room. But after we meet, I notice he looked mesmerised while watching Oprah Winfrey at the Golden Globes.
His final thought on Trump: ?There?s a pastor who talked about this. I think his name is AR Bernard and it?s Daniel, chapter 10. He says that God puts kings in a place for a season and reason, and we don?t always know the reason, so this is what it is right now. There?s a reason behind it and I say to people that, if nothing else, we should be more unified. All the more reason to work together.?
[From The Times]
Denzel is basically saying what so many people said, trying to find some kind of silver lining in the sh-thole that is American politics today, which is that ?well, at least people are organizing and focused now.? That?s not a silver lining, peeps. But mostly I think Denzel is just trying to sell his movie and not piss people off by talking about his views on politics and race. Which is his right, absolutely. But at some point, do you judge apolitical people for staying silent publicly when we?re in the midst of all of this fascism and racist terrorism?
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| | Denzel Washington on Oscar unfairness, lack of diversity: 'I?ve lived it' | | Added 7 years ago | Source: CeleBitchy |
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Denzel Washington is generally believed to be one of America?s greatest actors, if not one of the greatest actors of all time. He already has two Oscars, a Supporting Actor Oscar for Glory and a Best Actor Oscar for Training Day. He also got four other Oscar nominations, for roles in the films The Hurricane, Malcolm X, Flight and Cry Freedom. Most people believe that Denzel will probably get nominated for another Oscar for Fences, which he directed and stars in, although I?m not sure if he?ll be nominated for Best Director. I think there?s a good chance he?ll be nominated for Best Actor though, considering he already won a Tony for playing the same role.
What?s my point? I don?t even know. Like, I think Denzel has been well-rewarded during his Hollywood career, although I do believe he probably could have and should have won more awards along the way. Is that a racial issue? Again, I don?t know. During the Sony Hack, we learned that studio executives believed that Denzel?s movies don?t sell overseas because of his race, and that perception affects the kinds of films he?s offered, which of course affects which awards he?s up for. That being said, Denzel has never really participated in the #OscarsSoWhite conversations so we don?t know how he really feels about all of this. Until now? Denzel sat down for an interview with 60 Minutes to promote Fences and he was asked about #OscarsSoWhite and diversity.
Denzel Washington doesn?t have to think about whether the Oscars are unfair when recognizing diverse talent ? because he?s lived it.
?I don?t have to think about it, I?ve lived it. I?ve been the guy at the Oscars without my name being called? when my name is called? when everybody thought they was going to call my name and they didn?t,? Washington said to CBS? Bill Whitaker during an interview on Sunday night?s 60 Minutes.
The 61-year-old Oscar winner, who won for his roles in Training Day and Glory, addressed those who think the Academy?s selection process is unfair.
?Yeah, and so what? You going to give up? If you?re looking for an excuse, you?ll find one,? he responded, adding that you can find excuses ?wherever you like. Can?t live like that. Just do the best you can do.?
[From People]
Looking at Denzel?s Oscar-nomination history provided me with some clues to what he?s referencing ? I think when he was up for Malcolm X, a lot of people thought he was going to win? But he didn?t ? he lost to Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman. He was probably told that he was going to win for The Hurricane too, but that Oscar went to Kevin Spacey for American Beauty. So, yeah, he?s lost to white actors. But he also beat white actors when he did pick up his two Oscars. So I still don?t know. I think it’s too simplistic to go with the message of “just keep your head down and worry about your own work,” because actors of color have tried doing that and we still had two years in a row of #OscarsSoWhite. So I would love to hear more from Denzel about the state of Hollywood today, but then again? maybe he?s too busy working to comment, which is great.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
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| | Denzel Washington partied too hard during his vacation, so he went to rehab | | Added 10 years ago | Source: CeleBitchy |
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I?ve always thought Denzel Washington had everything in his life in order, you know? You never hear about him on the gossip level (except for all of the people who say he?s unpleasant in real life). He?s happily married, his kids are grown and they?ve all gone to college and seem to keep on the straight and narrow. Denzel works consistently in film and theater and no one is every like, ?This dude is a mess.? But every year, Denzel and his wife rent a yacht and sail around for their summer vacation. And after this year?s yacht-tastic vacation, Denzel came to the realization that he?s a mess, so he checked into to some kind of rehab. Isn?t that weird? Denzel would have been on my list of ?people I never thought would have a problem with drugs or alcohol.?
Denzel Washington just left an Orange County residence where he was staying for more than 2 weeks to detox after a wild, alcohol-fueled, gluttonous month-long vacation … TMZ has learned. Sources connected with the actor tell TMZ Denzel was on a yacht during the month of July with his wife … and was partying and partying hard.
When he returned to L.A. … our sources say Denzel went to the OC residence where he had professionals help him “detox.”
One source says this was more than just alcohol … it was an overall cleanse for toxins. In addition to the professional who supervised the detox, we’re told Denzel had a nutritionist, a trainer and a chef. Denzel we’re told is out and back on his game.
[From TMZ]
What?s the line between ?an awesome summer vacation on a yacht? and ?sh-t, y?all, I was blackout drunk for one month straight?? I suspect the answer differs for everybody. And I guess we should give Denzel credit for being self-aware enough to understand he had crossed over that line and he went to get help on his accord. Like, he wasn?t arrested or anything and this wasn?t court-ordered. Isn?t this the way it should be? That being said, I don?t think two weeks is much of rehab. Maybe he?s doing more of an outpatient thing.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
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| | Has Denzel Washington been cheating on Pauletta, his wife of 30 years? | | Added 11 years ago | Source: CeleBitchy |
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Denzel Washington has spent the last thirty years in an industry that?s known for spitting people out in 30 days. Denzel has managed to win two Oscars and a slew of other awards, and he?s currently on the ?lifetime achievement? path. Meaning that if he continues to keep everything locked down, he?s going to spend the next decade winning lifetime achievement awards from every critics? circle and awards show out there. And throughout it all, Denzel has barely been touched by scandal. Sure, there are rumors that he can be rather unpleasant and grumpy, but there?s never been a real ?scandal? or ?controversy? associated with him. As I recently found out earlier this year, Denzel even returned to the Pentecostal church, and he?s an avid church-goer and he?s still married to his first wife, Pauletta. This year is their 30-year wedding anniversary.
So, this Radar story took me by surprise. Apparently, there?s a rumor going around that Denzel has been cheating on Pauletta. Damn.
Flight star Denzel Washington has been married for 30 years, but despite a seemingly idyllic relationship with his wife, he is now caught up in a cheating scandal as photographs of Denzel apparently with and kissing another woman are being shopped, RadarOnline.com has learned exclusively.
Denzel, 58, and his wife Pauletta, 62, recently did an interview with Ebony magazine giving what what called a ?rare portrait? into ?one of Hollywood?s longest running couples.?
But several photos that have been shopped to various media outlets appear to show Denzel with another woman and kissing her on the lips, in what appears to be a passionate moment.
Those photos are a stark contrast to what his wife Pauletta recently told Ebony.
?I live with this man. I see the down part. I see the sad part. I see every part,? Pauletta told the magazine. ?He has and knows he has stability in me as his wife. That?s what gives him strength, regardless if he misuses it. I can?t dwell on that. But I do know that gives him a great platform to go and fly.?
But is Denzel flying with another woman?
Four photographs, seen by Radar and shopped to other media outlets, show him sitting on a couch with a young lady, and then throughout the series of pictures he grabs her arm and pulls her in for a kiss on the lips in one. The woman is not identified and Radar was not able to verify the authenticity of the photographs.
In 2003 rumors floated that Denzel was having an affair with his Out of Time co-star, Sanaa Latham, but she denied the allegations.
There have been other reports and allegations of infidelity regarding the superstar.
?Denzel has always sweet-talked his way out of it,? an insider told Star magazine in their latest issue, which has details of the new cheating scandal.
?She (his wife) confronted him, and once again he denied he did anything wrong,? the source said of Denzel?s latest situation.
However, a rep for Denzel denies that he and Paulette are on the verge of a split or divorce.
[From Radar]
I never heard that rumor about Sanaa Latham! That?s interesting. Are there any other rumors about his alleged cheating? Huh. Now, I guess I could believe that Denzel has gotten some on the side here and there, and the deal he and Pauletta might have is that as long as he doesn?t get seriously involved with his side-pieces, there will be no problem. Thirty years of marriage? that?s a lot of forgiving and forgetting and compromising, and Pauletta is nobody?s fool, you know?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
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| | Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington Bring "2 Guns" to the Summer of Sony | | Added 11 years ago | Source: Celebrity Gossip |
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Posing with a truckload of cash, Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington attended the "2 Guns" photo call at the 5th Annual Summer Of Sony at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Cancun, Mexico on Saturday (April 20).
The "Boogie Nights" star wore a blue polo shirt and dark jeans while he struck some tough poses alongside the "Flight" stud, who chose a simple black T-shirt and jeans.
Directed by Baltasar Kormkur, the action flick follows a DEA agent and an undercover Naval Intelligence officer who have been tasked with investigating one another, and find they have been set up by the mob -- the very organization the two men believe they have been stealing money from.
Joining the handsome pair in the film are Paula Patton, James Marsden, Bill Paxton, and Edward James Olmos. "2 Guns" hits theaters on August 2nd.
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| | Denzel Washington: 'For whatever reason, I never befriended any white actors' | | Added 11 years ago | Source: CeleBitchy |
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You know what?s surprising? Denzel Washington?s complete lack of an Oscar campaign this year. Denzel was nominated for Best Actor this year for his performance as a substance-abusing airline pilot in Flight, his first Oscar nomination since he won his second Oscar in 2002 for Training Day. Eleven years without a nomination? you?d think that Denzel would be engaged in at least an undercover Oscar campaign, but it?s almost like he?s been sitting this one out. Maybe he just thinks it?s time for the other actors to do the hustlin?. Maybe he doesn?t need the accolades at this point. I don?t know. What I do know is that he has a new interview in The Guardian, and it?s pretty much the first thing I?ve read about him in two months. It?s actually a really good piece ? The Guardian can be kind of judgy and patronizing, especially towards American celebrities, but I think the interviewer liked Denzel, and Denzel was in the mood to talk. And talk and talk. Some highlights:
The first & last time he drank on the job: “I did a movie in London in the 80s, For Queen and Country, and there was a scene where we had to drink. So me and this other young actor said: ‘Man, let’s really drink.’ We had some scotch and thought we were playing it pretty cool. And the director said: ‘What’s wrong with you guys?’ We thought we were wild but we were really just dull. The director was pissed off and it taught me a lesson. That was the last time I ever drank while working. Because it doesn’t work. I’ve worked with actors who’ve crossed that line and it’s just not worth it. You think you’re giving 100%, but all the while your level is dropping.”
He became an actor by prophecy: “Acting was my calling,” he says today. “The year I started acting there was a woman in my mother’s beauty shop, a kind of seer if you like, who kept looking at me in the mirror. Finally she got a piece of paper and wrote ‘prophecy’ at the top. She said: ‘You are going to travel the world and preach to millions of people.’ Now, bear in mind that I’d just been kicked out of school. I said: ‘You see anything there about me being let back into school?’” He chuckles. “That was March 75 and September 75 I started acting. I still got that piece of paper too.”
His father was a Pentecostal preacher, and Denzel has returned to the Pentecostal church: The actor was raised in a religious household, strayed briefly in his youth and is now firmly back on side. In 1995 he donated $2.5m to help build a Pentecostal cathedral near his Los Angeles home. Regular attendees include Magic Johnson, Stevie Wonder and Washington himself.
He wonders if he should preach: “I remember some years ago asking my pastor: ‘Do you think I’m supposed to be a preacher?’ And he said: ‘Well, you are. You have a pulpit of your own.’ That’s not to say that I’m preaching, necessarily. I don’t want to tell you what you need to do. I mean, I’m not turning it up to 10 when it comes to being correct, I’m not that guy, I like my wine.”
Playing a character in Flight who calls on God for help: “That’s right,” says Washington. “But by that point he’s got nowhere to hide. It’s like what’s going on with this Lance Armstrong stuff now. The jig is up. And that line ‘God help me’ was very important to me. As an arc as much as anything. You see this butt-naked, coke-sniffing, weed-smoking guy finally get to the point where he can say: ‘God help me.’ He gets his life back.”
He doesn?t have friends within the industry: An upright, Christian movie star must be something of a rarity in the modern-day Gomorrah of Beverly Hills and he shrugs and frowns and insists that I’m confusing the town of Los Angeles with the industry itself. “But actually, even within the industry, I don’t have any actor friends,” he concedes. “My friends are old friends. One’s an ex-music guy, the other’s a restaurant owner and the other’s an ex-pro ballplayer.” Why hasn’t he made any actor friends? Washington chortles. “Because I don’t make friends! Maybe I’m not a butt-kisser, maybe I’m not a schmoozer. I’m not about to go to a party to try to get a job. And then when you have children, the other friends become other parents. We’d coach baseball or basketball. My wife and I were raised right. I don’t want movie-star friends. And? being African American, there were no big movie stars to hang out with anyway, not when I was starting out, they were just the third guy from the back! For whatever reason, I never befriended any white actors.”
He?s a working actor, not a celebrity: “I had one six-month period in 1982 when I couldn’t get a job. I had done a movie called Carbon Copy and then I did a play and then I had these six months where nothing happened, where I started looking at the department of recreation and thinking: ‘Acting’s not for me.’ And then I caught a play about Malcolm X, off-off-Broadway in New York and I haven’t been unemployed ever since. I’m a working actor! What’s a celebrity anyway? Paris Hilton’s a celebrity. I’m just a working actor.”
[From The Guardian]
See? Denzel was really talkative and not grumpy at all, which seems unusual these days. I guess we should talk about ?For whatever reason, I never befriended any white actors??? I don?t know, I feel like he was just shooting the sh-t and he might not have meant that at face value. Denzel has a lot of ?professional friends? and work acquaintances who adore him. Tom Hanks thinks he?s the bee?s knees. Julia Roberts is crazy about him. He?s tight with Spike Lee too. See? He has friends in the industry. But I understand what he?s saying about ?when you have children, the other friends become other parents.?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
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| | Denzel Washington Premieres 'Flight' in UK | | Added 11 years ago | Source: Celebrity Gossip |
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Heading across the pond for some international promotions, Denzel Washington showed up at the premiere of his new film ?Flight? today (January 17) in London, England.
The ?Man on Fire? star was more than happy to engage fans and pose for pictures, despite the chilly winter weather outside the Empire Leicester Square.
Now playing here in the States, ?Flight? is about an airline pilot who saves a flight from crashing. However, during an investigation into the cause of the malfunction, troubling findings are uncovered.
Denzel scored an Oscar nod for his performance in the movie, though he definitely isn?t taking the honor for granted. He told press, ?It still feels good to know people appreciate what you?re doing.?
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