Denzel Washington is one of the most respected names in Hollywood. Having ten Oscar nominations and two wins that span a decades-long career, there is no denying that the actor deserves all the success that he possesses today. His success doesn’t simply come from working in successful films, as he is known as one of the most talented and respected actors of all time.
With this, it is not surprising that he possesses a layer of mystery surrounding his person, being more used to playing characters in the eyes of the world than being himself. When the world knows so little about an actor, they are bound to be easily impressed. However, it would seem that Washington has more than a few bombs to drop on his fans.
During an interview, the actor revealed an interesting fact about himself that completely opposes his profession.
Denzel Washington’s Relationship With Cinema
For the promotion of his recently released film, Gladiator 2, Denzel Washington gave an interview with Collider. Here, the interviewer started off his session by asking the actor a “curveball” question, asking him what his favorite Stanley Kubrick film was.
The director was a legend, having made iconic films like The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut, and A Clockwork Orange. Considering the fact that Washington is one of the most critically acclaimed actors of all time, one would expect the actor to pull out a niche and lesser-known film from Kubrick’s career. However, the actor instead ended up dropping a bomb on his fans.
Despite being one of the most respected names to have ever been a part of the film industry, Washington revealed that he was never a movie fan. Looking back at the era that Kubrick was active in, he mentioned that he was in a very different place than he is today as a seasoned actor.
I’m not a movie buff. Nah, I’m not a big movie fan. I was in the streets when he was making movies… I’d be the one outside, looking to rob you when you came out of a Kubrick movie.
Washington revealed that he was more likely to rob someone coming out of a movie theater than enter a movie theater.
Tom Cruise Would Be Disappointed
Denzel Washington famously had a complicated relationship with his morals, having frequently confessed that he fell in with the wrong crowd when he was younger and was basically saved by acting. In an interview with ABC News, he confessed that he got into quite a lot of mischievous behavior when he was younger, revealing that three of his close friends from the time went on to spend a lot of time in prison.
I was mischievous. My three closest friends did quite a bit of time [in jail] … decades.
Although this detail makes Washington’s perspective a lot more clear, fans may still wonder why the actor is not a fan of movies when he has built his entire career on filmmaking. Some of the greatest that Hollywood has to offer are known for staying very grounded in their roots in their profession, frequently watching movies and even getting into the profession because of their love of cinema.
Among these is also Tom Cruise, who famously talked about his passion for movies and how he incorporates that into his daily life during an interview with Jimmy Fallon.
Yeah, I watch a lot of movies. Yeah, I watch about a movie a day. I try to. Yeah, I love movies, I grew up loving movies and had jobs and went to movies. And then I grew up, I got to make movies.
The actor revealed that he tries to watch at least one movie a day. This is because of his great appreciation for films, which has helped him get to where he is today. Considering the fact that Washington does not have a similar attitude towards his profession, one cannot help but wonder if Cruise, as well as fans of the actor, would be upset with his relationship with cinema as a whole.
