Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington have shared a decades-long, fascinating friendship. The two uber-acclaimed talents have solidified themselves as Hollywood’s finest and their contribution to the industry is nothing short of legendary. During the 2008 Kennedy Center Honors, which is a gala, that is hosted annually to honor the people engaged in the performing arts for their continuous, lifelong contributions to American culture, Washington paid a heartfelt tribute to Freeman.
In his tribute, the Flight alum recounted his first interaction with the now 86-year-old actor. The incident—which involved a sword fight scene—was humorously described to the audience, evoking laughter here and there. However, Washington’s statement ended with appreciative sentiments that deeply moved Freeman.
Denzel Washington’s Hilarious First Interaction With Morgan Freeman
Before embarking on a fruitful journey as an actor in Hollywood, Washington had to go through a hilarious experience with Morgan Freeman just after getting out of acting school. The talent recalled, in his tribute, landing himself a job with the New York Shakespeare Festival at Central Park. Here, he found out that they were conducting a play titled, Coriolanus, which featured Freeman as the leading actor.
Washington was allowed to act in the play, having to his name a three-hit sword fight that involved the Invictus talent. What ended up happening next is that a young, naïve, fresh-out-of-school Denzel Washington thought that the play revolved around his own character. So, he went up to Freeman and put forward his input regarding the scene.
Following is what the Man on Fire lead said:
“I went up to Morgan and I said, ‘I think maybe I could, you know, wound you, and cut, slice, and you know. So, Morgan looked at me with that look, like the one he has now, with that Morgan Freeman gaze … that serious look, and he said to me, ‘First of all, what’s your name?’ I said, ‘You don’t know me, I’m Denzel’ He said, ‘Alright, Denzel. We click the swords three times—click click click. I stab you, you fall down, and you die. Quickly.”
It is safe to say that this encounter was, at that time, a humbling experience for the now 68-year-old actor. The crowd present at the event cracked up at this. What started as a light-hearted, amusing tale, quickly became an admission of respect and appreciation towards Freeman, earning Washington a salute from his idol.
Denzel Washington Expressed His Appreciation For His Glory Co-star
The two talents, who also shared the screen in the 1989 Edward Zwick-directed film Glory, have expressed mutual admiration for one another on several occasions. In his tribute to Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington stated that he was “proud to know” him.
Thinking back to his days of filming with the respected Hollywood talent, Denzel Washington stated that what he saw there was “an actor with a God-given sense of timing, perfect ear for nuance.” Showering his Glory co-star with further praises, the Training Day actor said the following:
“This great man that I’ve been fortunate to know and call a friend for 29 years now. He lives on the same patch of land in Mississippi that his grandparents worked, sails his own boat by himself to the Bahamas, flies his own plane by himself around the country. Morgan Freeman is very much his own man.”
Bringing the audience’s attention to Freeman’s independent movie production company Revelations Entertainment, Washington stated the core beliefs and motto of the company and associated those values with his dear friend and his lifelong contribution to Hollywood. Take a look:
“He now has his own motion picture production company, it’s called Revelations Entertainment. Revelation’s motto is enlighten, express heart, glorify the human experience. Well, my friend, not only is that what you’ve been doing your whole career, but in my humble opinion, that is who you are. I’m proud to know you and proud to honor you.”
Freeman was visibly touched by the tribute. This explains why the Hollywood giant himself thinks so highly of Denzel Washington, having called him a “dear friend” in an Instagram post, where he lauded the two-time Oscar winner for his profound acting skills.
It would truly be a dream come true for many to see the two talents, renowned particularly for their grounded and down-to-earth nature, share the screen once again.
Glory (1989) is available for streaming on Prime Video.
Source: The Kennedy Center
