Denzel Washington Sparks Debate After Pushing Back On Being Called A 'Hollywood Actor'

If you ever get a chance to talk to Denzel Washington about his acting craft, be careful how you address him.

Big-time actors Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal are currently starring in a Broadway rendition of Othello, which is the first Shakespeare play to be produced on Broadway in more than 40 years, alongside other big actors and producers traditionally found in Hollywood-based productions.

In just its second week of performance, the Broadway show has grossed more than $2.8 million dollars, and a single ticket costs over $900.

While being interviewed by Bill Whitaker at CBS, Washington was asked about his thoughts on so many "Hollywood actors" making appearances on the Broadway scene.

Washington deflected the question:

"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 know it's a place?"

Whitaker clarified that a Hollywood actor would be someone who's experienced "great success on film."

Washington, however, did not agree with that definition at all.

"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, and you're on. Nobody can help you."

Some fans in the "Fauxmoi" subReddit understood where Washington was coming from.

"I get it!" - Lali_mco11

"I love this quote. It reminded me also of this Anthony Boyle's quote I saw last spring, he also seems to love theatre (I do too, I need to go to see play soon, to be honest)."

"He said, 'Theatre is an actor’s medium, and film is the director’s final say. When you’re on stage, you’re the editor and director, and you set the tone and pace, it’s a conversation between you and the audience. It’s the most alive you can feel when you’re acting.'" - Working-Ad-6698

"It’s a weird way to express that. But he is classically-trained. And one of the few big names who can pull off Shakespeare because of it. So I guess he’s referring to his theater background and training."

"I highly recommend him in the Cohen brothers’ Macbeth. Even in interviews about that film, the producers said they couldn’t find enough actors who could do Shakespeare." - creakyvoiceaperture

"Why is everyone being so serious? I thought it was well established that Denzel is not into the Hollywood scene outside of work. He's talked about how he doesn't have a lot of Hollywood friends. So him saying this is not surprising." - mintleaf14

"It’s Denzel. He can say whatever he wants, and he’s at the age where he also doesn’t care what people are thinking. His interviews have been hilarious in his older 'wisdom from a sometimes cranky elder' era." - Chaoticgood790

Others understood what Whitaker meant by "Hollywood actor" but also understood why Washington wouldn't want to be labeled.

"Denzel, it just means you are a very popular actor and known mostly for your movies. Don’t overthink it." - stay_fr0sty

"He knows what it means... that’s his way of saying he doesn’t like the term." - kayodoms

"Nobody likes being labeled, especially artists, because it puts them into very specific bins that don’t reflect their whole identity as an individual (musician, painter, actor, etc)."

"But these labels exist because a journalist needs a quick way to refer to a famous person, and 'Mt. Vernon Stage Actor who does film, and perfers the difficulty of theater, Denzel Washington says...; is just a bit too much."

"Artists have been dealing with it since being famous for your art was a thing." - stay_fr0sty

"I get it… but what Bill should’ve said was it means being able to charge $900+ for a single ticket, lol. There are a lot of stars on Broadway right now." - Faitchierrire

"Definition of a humble brag but I love him too much to care." - Federal_Street_8895

Later in the interview, Jake Gyllenhaal spoke specifically about the power of getting to perform in a play like "Othello."

"You get to a point where you're like, 'Oh, I've worked my whole career for this moment.'"

Washington could not agree more with that take.

"That's what it feels like for me, too. I've worked my whole career for this moment. This is a 48-year journey for me."

You can watch the full interview, which also features Gyllenhaal, here.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

It's interesting to see Washington's perspective on how he defines acting and how he wants to be recognized. Clearly, his focus is on the craft and deliverance of the acting, rather than the final polish that's offered in the final cut of a film.

While he and Gyllenhaal surely have had their share of enjoyable roles over the years, it speaks volumes that they felt that Othello was a defining moment for them and one they've both been waiting their entire career for.