Refer to him correctly.
Denzel Washington said that he doesn’t consider himself a “Hollywood actor” during his March 23 appearance on “CBS Sunday Morning.”
“What’s the definition of a Hollywood actor?” Washington asked during the interview. “Myself, I’m from Mt. Vernon, so I’m a ‘Mt. Vernon actor.’ I don’t know what ‘Hollywood’ means.”
Denzel Washington at August Wilson’s posthumous Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in January 2025. Getty Images
“Somebody who’s famous on film? A film actor, great success on film?” the New York native continued.
Washington described himself as “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,” he explained. “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.”
Denzel Washington in “Gladiator II.” ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
Washington began his career acting in off-Broadway productions, before making his feature film debut in the 1981 comedy drama “Carbon Copy.”
Since then, Washington has starred in dozens of popular movies, winning Oscars for his roles in “Glory” in 1990 and “Training Day” in 2002.
He was also nominated by the Academy for “Cry Freedom,” “Malcolm X,” “The Hurricane,” “Flight,” “Fences,” “Roman J. Israel, Esq.” and “The Tragedy of Macbeth.”
Denzel Washington on SiriusXM promoting “Gladiator II.” Getty Images for SiriusXM
Now, Washington is back on Broadway in the new “Othello” revival at Ethel Barrymore Theatre. He stars in the production alongside Jake Gyllenhaal.
Speaking about reimagining William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy to CBS, Washington said, “People, you know, they ordinarily think, ‘Oh yeah, it’s about jealousy. And he betrays him.’ No, it’s about two soldiers who trust each other with their lives.”
Denzel Washington, Jake Gyllenhaal at a photocall for “Othello.” Bruce Glikas/Getty Images
Washington previously rejected being called “a big Hollywood star” in an interview with The Talks in 2012.
“I’m an actor. I’m called a star. That’s not what I am,” he said. “First of all I’m a human being; my profession is acting.”
Poster for “Othello” on Broadway. Othello
The “Remember the Titans” actor continued, “People give you titles. They say you’re an up and coming star, then they say you’re a star, then they say you’re a washed-up star. So I don’t get caught up in what I’m called. My job, my profession, is acting.”
When asked if he resents the title “movie star,” Washington responded, “I’m a trained actor. What I’m called is whatever someone says and that’s fine.”
He added, “But I don’t walk around like, ‘Hey! I’m a movie star. Excuse me, can you get my car for me?’ I’m just an entertainer.”
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