Denzel Washington is an example of an actor who’s in the business not for the fame, but to continue showing audiences what he could do through each transformative performance. From his first IMDB credit in the made-for-TV movie Wilma, to his recent role as Macrinus in Gladiator II (which can be streamed on your Paramount+ subscription), Washington deserves Time’s title of being one of the greatest actors of the 21st century. While The Great Debaters actor has a strong presence in Hollywood, he shares his honest thoughts on not viewing himself as a “Hollywood actor,” and he makes a lot of sense.
You would think that any A-list actor would consider themselves a “Hollywood actor.” After all, they work in Tinseltown, attend movie premieres and grace the covers of magazines. But those actors are not Denzel Washington whom you can tell distances himself from the superficiality of stardom. In fact, he told CBS News one very good reason why the “Hollywood actor” label doesn’t sit right with him:
What’s the definition of a Hollywood actor? Myself, I’m from Mt. Vernon, so I’m a ‘Mt. Vernon actor.’ I don’t know what ‘Hollywood’ means.
I can see where Denzel Washington is coming from. It would be strange for people to make you feel like you were a Hollywood native when that’s just where you work. The famous actor actually came from a blue-collar background where his mom was a beautician and his dad was an employee of the New York City Water Department. Washington studied acting when he earned a BA in Drama and Journalism at Fordham University. After working as a creative arts director at Camp Sloane YMCA, he participated in the staff talent show, and a colleague recommended he pursue acting. After that wise suggestion, the talented performer continued his acting studies at Lincoln Center.
It proves that not everyone needs to be born in California to make it in acting. Hollywood stars don’t even have to live in California to continue working. We can look to actors like Denzel Washington and see that success comes from dedication to your craft compared to blending in with the Hollywood mold.
Audiences worldwide know Denzel Washington because of his Oscar-worthy performances in Malcolm X, A Soldier’s Story, Fences and more. But the Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient actually got his roots on stage, which he explained was another reason why you can’t call him a “Hollywood actor:”
I’m a stage actor who does film; it’s not the other way around. I did stage first. I learned how to act on stage, not on film. Movies are a filmmaker’s medium. You shoot it, and then you’re gone and they cut together and add music and do all of that. Theater is an actor’s medium. The curtain goes up, nobody can help you.
The Training Day actor makes a fantastic point. Movies are a great way to see the artistry of a filmmaker through their vision. Theatre, on the other hand, is when an actor’s skills shine through. They need to deliver a breathtaking performance in front of a live audience all in one take. There’s no room to ask for a line or for a director to yell “cut!” once the curtain goes up. Whether you deliver classic lines from Shakespeare’s classics or modern plays like Angels in America, fully immersing yourself in your character through dialogue, movement and emotions must come through without hesitation.
Back in 1979, Denzel Washington played multiple supporting roles in Coriolanus at NYC’s Joseph Papp Public Theater. From then on, his stage presence continued with stage roles he’d eventually bring to the big screen, like A Soldier’s Story, portraying Malcolm X in the Off-Broadway play When the Chickens Came Home to Roost, and Fences.
This year, Denzel Washington stars in his sixth Broadway show, Othello, in the title role, with Jake Gyllenhaal as the scheming Iago. He first played Othello as a student at Fordham University and is no stranger to Shakespeare, having starred in the stage versions of Richard III and Julius Caesar. Plus, he channeled Shakespeare in The Tragedy of Macbeth film as well as Kenneth Branagh’s film Much Ado About Nothing. With all of this in mind, there’s no doubt that Washington’s got his new Shakespeare performance in the bag.
Denzel Washington may not see himself as a “Hollywood actor” due to being a proud New Yorker and a stage actor who happens to star in movies. However, his impact on the film and theatre world is undeniable. Whatever you throw at the award-winning actor, his dedication and acting chops come in full swing each time. Make sure to watch him and Jake Gyllenhaal in Othello at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre from now until June 8th.