Hollywood legend and two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington is admired for his natural acting chops and impressive ability to inhabit a wide range of characters fully. Washington, who has a reputation for commanding the screen with his charisma and giving electrifying performances, has never held back.
While Washington is known for his dedication to realism and authenticity in his roles, he recently revealed that he took an unconventional approach to his role in the psychological thriller The Little Things. The actor admitted to following co-star Jared Leto around off-set to learn more about his role and the tension in the film.
Denzel Washington Sets The Record Straight
Washington plays Deputy Sheriff Joe Deacon in The Little Things, a lawman deeply involved in a chilling murder investigation. Albert Sparma, played by the adaptable Jared Leto, is his main suspect because of his suspicious behavior and potential for murder.
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As a result of his innovative approach to acting, Jared Leto has become a household name. Denzel Washington, however, was quick to set the record straight and say that Leto did not employ any of his famous method acting techniques during their work together on The Little Things.
“He didn’t do any of that with me. Nah. He’d have been paid a visit. That wouldn’t happen.”
John Lee Hancock, who directed The Little Things, has said that throughout filming, Washington and Leto kept an intriguing distance from one another.
Denzel Washington’s Physical Transformation and Dedication
During costume fittings, their only interactions consisted of polite nods and bows to one another.
“I stayed away from him. He stayed away from me, respectfully so. We’d bow or nod from across the highway. Literally, one day we nodded across the highway from each other. I’d follow him [Jared Leto] around. I was outside of his apartment sometimes and he didn’t know… I won’t say anything more about it. I’ll put it this way, he didn’t know.”
Washington’s admission that he had been secretly watching Leto’s work suggests he is committed to studying his co-star’s method. Washington, for instance, sat behind a one-way mirror during a tense interrogation scene involving Leto and Rami Malek.
Notable as much as Washington’s dedication to his roles is his admiration for the next generation of actors. To see young actors with such obvious talent and potential as Leto and Malek is “fascinating” to him.
But the 68-year-old actor takes the most pride in his loved ones, not his career or peers. Washington physically changed his appearance for The Little Things, in addition to mentally immersing himself in the role. The actor resisted temptation and gained weight to convincingly play an “overweight, over-the-hill” version of Deputy Sheriff Joe Deacon.
Source: USA Today
