What lessons can we learn from Denzel Washington? It seems to be a lot. How to succeed in both personal and professional life is best exemplified by the 68-year-old acclaimed actor. He is one of Hollywood’s most prominent actors, appearing in over 60 movies and earning three Golden Globes, two Academy Awards, and a Tony.
But his journey has not been easy. He has worked hard for everything he has accomplished over the course of a career spanning more than four decades, and he still works hard today.
Young Denzel Washington played Demetrius Williams in the 1991 romantic drama, Mississippi Masala, which was directed by Mira Nair. He even received NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for his performance.
No, twenty-five years later, at The Hollywood Reporter’s annual Director Roundtable (2016), Indian-American filmmaker, Mira Nair sat next to Washington, who has since developed into a successful filmmaker himself. They were accompanied by other prominent figures, sharing conversations on a wide range of subjects.
This Film Helped Denzel Washington to Become a Legendary Actor
Mel Gibson, Oliver Stone, Damien Chazelle, and other outspoken industry figures participated in the hour-long discussion, accompanying Denzel Washington and Mira Nair at The Hollywood Reporter’s annual Director Roundtable.
Naturally, the discussion quickly evolved into a heated debate between peers, touching on their frequently paralyzing fears (“I was like, ‘I can not do this’.” recalled Washington of his first directing gig), and more.
Near the end, Nair completed the circle with Washington by admitting she had originally cast the actor in a scene with him. Washington laughed and retorted:
“I did’t know she had not acted!”
When asked, where did they first develop a love for movies? The Mississippi Masala director said:
“Under a mosquito net in East India, where I grew up. We had a foster grandfather-type who used to shoot man-eating tigers, and he took us to the only cinema that existed in this little town – and they showed only one film every Sunday morning, and that was Doctor Zhivago. So the contrast of Siberia with Omar Sharif and the heat of tropical India was palpable and memorable and made me want to tell stories.”
To which Washington, now 68, said:
“Same story. (Laughter.) But it was ‘Creature From the Black Lagoon’ because I grew up in the Boys & Girls Club, and for whatever reason, that was the only film they got, so we watched it over and over. The creature from the black lagoon – he’d come out of there with the bad makeup and the stuff hanging off …”
This Denzel Washington Co-star Is Fond of him
Denzel Washington, one of Hollywood’s most well-known actors, has starred in a plethora of hugely popular and highly regarded movies.
He will next be seen reprising his role as Robert McCall in the Antoine Fuqua-directed action thriller, The Equalizer 3. For the first time since 2004’s Man on Fire, the veteran star will be sharing the screen once again with Dakota Fanning.
Despite only appearing in two films together, Washington and Fanning maintained contact over the course of the 20 years that passed in between. Recently, the actress discussed their relationship in an interview with Entertainment Tonight:
“I’ve obviously, you know, known Denzel for a big part of my life, and one of his daughters is one of my closest friends, so I’m always in the loop. He has always been so good to me and kind to me, and I feel such a connection to him because he’s known me for so long.”
Dakota Fanning, then just ten years old, starred alongside Denzel Washington in the 2004 movie Man on Fire. For a young actor, it was difficult to think of many people better than Washington as a mentor for the I Am Sam actress, who undoubtedly had one of her most significant early roles in Man on Fire.
Washington undoubtedly taught Fanning a lot while filming Man on Fire. Finally, they will work together once again in the upcoming movie The Equalizer 3.
The Equalizer 3 is the sequel to the 2018 film The Equalizer 2, and the third and final film in The Equalizer trilogy.
The film is set to release on September 1, 2023. Meanwhile, you can stream Equalizer 2 on fuboTV.
Source- THR Oscar Director’s Roundtable
