Denzel Washington sees himself as a theater actor before anything else. In a recent CBS Sunday Morning interview, the 70-year-old actor, currently starring in Broadway’s Othello alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, dismissed the idea of being a “Hollywood actor.”
"I don't know what 'Hollywood' means," Washington said. "I'm a stage actor who does film, not the other way around. I learned how to act on stage. Movies are a filmmaker’s medium, but theater is an actor’s medium—once the curtain goes up, no one can help you.”
Washington plays Othello in the first Broadway revival of the play in over 40 years, following James Earl Jones’ legendary 1982 performance. Jones was a major inspiration to Washington, who called him his “northern star” in college.
Reflecting on his journey, Washington admitted he once struggled with the role. “At 22, I didn’t really like the part—I wasn’t wise enough to understand it. Now I see it’s really about a bond. He loves not wisely, but too well.”
With Othello helmed by Tony-winning director Kenny Leon and produced by Brian Anthony Moreland, the production is set for a 15-week run. Washington is thrilled to take on the challenge, saying, “I haven’t been this excited about anything I’ve done this century.”
Source: People