Denzel Washington Says He Never Fully Watches any of His Own Films for One Crazy Reason

As a die-hard fan of Denzel Washington, I must say his humility and self-awareness are nothing short of inspiring. His approach to his craft, where he learns from each project but avoids dwelling on past performances, mirrors my own approach to life – always moving forward, always striving for improvement.


Denzel Washington is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors ever, but he’s not a fan of watching his own movies. Recently, Washington shared, “I watch my work so I know what I’m talking about, but I’ve never watched any of my past films from start to finish—not even Malcolm X. All you notice are the mistakes. And really, why bother?”

He compared it to writing, asking interviewer Jonathan Dean if he rereads his own articles (“Absolutely not”). Washington said, “It’s the same thing. ‘Oh wow, I nailed that sentence — I should use that again.’”

Looking back on the release of Gladiator in the year 2000, Washington mused that life can be divided into three stages: learning, earning, and giving back. If a person lives for 90 years, the first 30 are dedicated to learning, the next 30 to earning, and the final phase is about giving back. At that time, he was in his ‘earning’ stage of life.

My career took flight with a fantastic agent, and I began earning an income. However, life got complicated – there were bills, four children to raise, and a house to maintain,” he noted. “But after ‘Malcolm X’, I made some real flops. You can find them if you search – I’m not disclosing the names.” He explained that these films, which he refers to as his “lemon cars,” were all produced in the 1990s.

Even with those missteps, Washington said he always brought his best to every project. “You bring yourself to your work. I think I’m a good person who tries to do the right thing. I’ve got a great job, and maybe people sense that goodness in my roles. No matter what, you give it your all. And I try to help people along the way.”

He recounted an incident where he stopped for gas and noticed a distressed woman. “I seem to have a keen eye, I suppose. My sister has bipolar disorder, so I could tell she was having a tough time mentally. I inquired about her well-being and proposed giving her money. I asked, ‘Would $500 be helpful?’ She replied that she needed $1,000 instead! I thought to myself, ‘She may not be entirely unaware of her situation.’

Despite the woman not recognizing him, he went ahead and gave her the money. Later on, when it seemed like a store employee was about to ask her to leave, Washington intervened. “The woman noticed me and exclaimed, ‘I adore you!’ I replied, ‘You have an opportunity to assist someone, just as I helped you.’ And she did. I cherish moments like that.

Regarding the alleged same-sex kiss scene in the movie Gladiator II, Washington admitted that the scene was indeed filmed, but ultimately did not appear in the final version of the film. “I believe they became hesitant,” he eventually commented.

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2024-11-17 10:43