Denzel Washington Shuts Down Interviewer Who Labeled Him A ‘Hollywood’ Actor

In a world that thrives on labels, Denzel Washington refuses to be boxed in as just another “Hollywood actor.” Bill Whitaker of “60 Minutes” used the term during a recent interview for CBS Sunday Morning about Washington’s new role in Broadway’s “Othello.”

Whitaker noted that this was a “pretty star-studded season on Broadway, lots of Hollywood actors and producers coming to—” before Washington jumped in. “What’s the definition of a ‘Hollywood actor’?” Washington asked. “Myself, I’m from Mount Vernon, so I’m a ‘Mount Vernon actor.’ I don’t know what ‘Hollywood’ means.” The “Training Day” star confessed that while the term “Hollywood” eluded him in precise meaning, he knew it well enough as a place. “I think it’s somebody who is famous on film. A film actor with great success on film” Whitaker explained. After Whitaker’s explanation, Washington seized the moment, steering the conversation toward his craft.  “I’m a stage actor who does film. It’s not the other way around,” the actor said. “I did stage first. I learned how to act onstage, not on film.”

With the precision of a master thespian, Washington further clarified his stance on the distinction between stage and screen.  “Movies are a filmmaker’s medium,” he said. “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.” As “Othello” marks his sixth Broadway appearance, Washington confessed to Whitaker that the role has filled him with a thrill he hasn’t felt “this century.”