Denzel Washington names his all-time Hollywood hero: “I like seeing other people do well”
Being asked for your favourite movie, actor or director, is simply part of the Hollywood business and an integral part of any press run, just ask Denzel Washington.
We all have our favourites–a favourite band, a team or athlete that we follow with obsessive enthusiasm, or a preferred restaurant or meal. Something as trivial as ‘What’s your Thai Food order?’ or ‘What toppings do you get on your pizza?’ are questions you’ve probably been asked.
And no one gets asked questions more than actors with media obligations. Most people have a favorite actor too, whether it’s for sentimental reasons (I watched them with my Dad as a kid, etc) or highfalutin critical preference for their artistry. It stands to reason that actors have favorite actors, and in an interview with Reader’s Digest, Denzel Washington availed us with his opinion.
Washington shared: “I like seeing other people do well. I enjoy finding young kids and sharing what I know with them. I like the collaboration. Also, I’m looking down the line. Clint Eastwood is my hero. This guy just seamlessly segued from one career to another.”
It’s an interesting answer. And he’s right, it’s hard to make a ‘this actor is mostly known for…’ statement with Clint Eastwood. Because, as Washingtonsays, he’s worn many hats and walked in many shoes. Usually a stetson and cowboy boots, at least in popular imagination. But Eastwood began acting in the 50s and branched out into producing, directing–and even singing and composing music (but that’s probably not what you know him best from).
To Denzel Washington’s point, though, Eastwood hasn’t just had numerous and diverse careers, he has a surprising level of range as an actor. You might not realize this if you’ve only seen his strong & silent gunslinger roles in the Spaghetti western canon like A Fistful of Dollars, or even harrowing moral dramas like Unforgiven, which he won an Oscar for. Or even if you like the Dirty Harry movies, he’s basically playing the same character. He doesn’t really have that many lines in these films outside of raspy threats to the villain of the week, where he sounded like an old man with a nicotine problem far before he actually was one.
Eastwood experimented with films in every genre you might like to imagine. He started off doing bit roles in everything from science fiction monster movies, like 1955’s Tarantula! to screwball comedies such as 1956’s The First Travelling Saleslady. But as he matured as an actor, should you wish to visit the veritable encyclopedia of his filmography–while it’s true that he spent a lot of time playing grimacing cowboys–he also starred in 1970’s The Beguiled and 1971’s Play Misty for Me, psychological thrillers. He had to look scared in those films, which is against his nature. He directed and starred in 1982’s Honkey Tonk Man, which is a musical. There are too many other artistic experimentations to list.
Consider Denzel Washington’s own career and why Eastwood’s would appeal to him. Washington’s done everything. Serious dramatic roles that have gotten him nominated for every award conceivable, reimagined himself as an action star, worked in Shakespearean theater. Why wouldn’t he admire Clint Eastwood, a fellow renaissance man of acting?
