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 Denzel
Washington has been classified as many things, including 'One of the
Most Beautiful People in the World' by People Magazine. Empire Magazine
seconded that notion and went a bit further by calling the 6-foot-tall
actor 'One of the Sexiest Stars in Film History,' ranking Washington
number 77 out of 100. Even Newsweek has used Washington to demonstrate
the perception of beauty, using a scientific explanation to state why he
is considered to be such a handsome man. Besides being one of
Hollywood's most attractive actors, Washington is also one of the most
talented and sought-after. Since making his acting debut on television
in the late '70s, Washington has starred in close to 30 films over a
20-year time span and even appeared on the hit TV series 'St.
Elsewhere.' He has achieved both critical acclaim and audience approval
for his work, winning two Golden Globe awards for his performances in
'Glory' and 'The Hurricane' and a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for
'Glory.' Most recently Washington won the AFI Film Award for Male Actor
of the Year thanks to his part in Warner Brothers' 'Training Day,' a
role many believe could finally win him his first Oscar for Best Actor.
While it may look as though Washington has a long career ahead of him as
one of Hollywood's leading actors, he has other plans— he definitely
wants to direct.
His latest film, the suspense-drama 'John Q,' is no different.
Washington plays a father whose left with no options but to take a local
hospital hostage in a desperate attempt to get his son the treatment he
needs to survive (and that the insurance company won't pay for) when he
comes down with a fatal heart condition. When I caught up with
Washington just moments before the Golden Globe Awards last month,
Washington was more than happy to talk about how his real life role as a
father of four effected his performance in 'John Q.' We also discussed
his future in Hollywood and whether or not he plans on spending the
remainder of his career in front the camera.
UPBEAT 'John Q.' deals with an issue that is quite sensitive to any
parent, that being how far would you go to save the life of your child.
Being a father yourself, did you find yourself agreeing with the actions
of John Q.? Would you have gone to the lengths he did to save the life
of one of your kids?
Denzel Washington "It's easy for me to
say, in relation to this film and from where I sit today, that I would
not do it— that I don't agree with what John Q. did because it's a
movie. There were actually other things he could have done that the
movie tells you earlier on, like when he talks about taking his kid to
county hospital. He could have taken him to the county hospital. And
what ever happened to that guy who got shot that they brought in? They
kind of wheeled him into the back room and you never saw him again. But
it's a movie so who cares? He's fine, he's in the other room, he's
reading the paper. But that aside, that's what's interesting about this
film. It asks you how far would you go, what would you do? I have four
children and if I had the same circumstances as John Q. what would I do?
Any parent, any father would say he's going to do whatever it takes for
his child to live. I don't think what he did is heroic— I wouldn't even
use the word hero. I think it's courageous to be willing to take his own
life. He's a father that loves his child and whose back is against the
wall. I can remember when I was younger, just starving cause I didn't
have anything to eat, thinking 'man, I need to go steal something. I
need to do something,' but I couldn't do it, or I didn't do it. And I
needed the money so bad. But what do you do in those situations? That's
what's interesting about the movie. What would you do? What would anyone
do?"
UPBEAT Could you relate at all to Anne Heche's character as the
hospital administrator who turns your son away from the care he needs
because of the $250,000 price tag?
Denzel Washington "I think that happens. Not that this is the same
thing, but when my first child was born we paid all this money to the
hospital to get a special room and we kind of got to the hospital at
some odd hour. They ended up putting us in this community room, whatever
it was, and I went bananas. Everyone just seemed so calm and nonchalant.
The nurses— the people there— they deliver 900 kids a week, so they see
that when you come in it's the most important thing in the world to you.
But just because it was the most important thing in my life doesn't mean
it's the most important thing in their lives."
UPBEAT How exactly did you prepare for your role in 'John Q.?'
Denzel Washington
"Well, it's acting. You don't have to kill someone to
play a murderer. It's acting, it's make-believe. One of the handles
though, the way in for me, was that John worked in a factory. The one
that we used in the film, I went to work there. I went there, met the
people, got a job and learned to do what it was you see me doing in the
film. I just hung around. I worked in factories myself and all kinds of
odd jobs, so I could relate to that. Getting into John's world reminded
me of being back in that world."
UPBEAT Was it hard for you to go back and do manual labor after living
off of simply memorizing lines and playing various characters for two
decades?
Denzel Washington "I really don't mind hard work— I remember. I still have my
unemployment book."
UPBEAT I know that 'John Q.' struck an emotional cord for its director,
Nick Cassavetes, since his daughter has a heart condition. You've worked
with so many directors, from Spike Lee to Penny Marshall, how did
Cassavetes' attachment to the story effect both you and the finished
project?
Denzel Washington "I think it was his passion. It was the issue for him,
not that he tried to ram it down my throat— cause he didn't. But when
you heard his story and what he went through— and more importantly when
you saw his daughter come onto the set— it was like, 'Oh, okay. This is
really a personal journey for him. This is not just a movie for him.'
Which for me, in my own little selfish ways, made me know that he was
committed and would make this film even stronger. He brought a lot of
passion and a lot of tears."
UPBEAT Do you think he could relate to the actions John Q. takes to get
his son the care he needs?
Denzel Washington "I would imagine he does. He lived it. Even the little
thing I said about my first born, I imagine that if I had gone through
what he has gone through I would have an entirely different slant on
playing the character and everything."
UPBEAT Your co-star, Daniel E. Smith, said that you two went out to
establish a sort of "father and son" bond before shooting began where he
beat you at video games. What type of video games did you verse him in?
Denzel Washington "I don't even play video games!
(laughs) Maybe I got on for a
couple of minutes, and I'm sure he could have beat me. He said he beat
me in video games? Okay, I'm going to go out there and talk to Daniel. I
don't even know how the play video games. (laughs) Maybe I played for two seconds
and he probably won (laughs). He's a good kid. He, Kimberly (Elise) and
I kind of stuck together like a little family. We even had a family
outing to Niagara Falls by pick-up truck."
UPBEAT What made you decide to drive a pick-up truck there?
Denzel Washington "I drove a pick-up truck throughout the whole movie,
so when they tried to give me a car I said, 'no, I want a pick-up
truck.' So we took the truck and drove down. It's really nice in Niagara
Falls— it's unbelievable. They have casinos, a chapel... it's a real
vacation destination."
UPBEAT Was there ever a time in when you didn't have
health insurance?
Denzel Washington "Yeah, a lot of moments— I just didn't need or it just
so happened I didn't get sick then. I don't remember when I was paying
off my Screen Actor's Guild how fully covered I was early on in my
career, but fortunately I didn't get sick and I never had to use it."
UPBEAT So you and your family are now fully covered?
Denzel Washington "I don't even know how much coverage I have to be
honest with you. When something happens with the kids my wife takes care
of it. I have the card and she has a copy, but nothing has happened to
me lately. But what does fully mean? They cover the whole deal? So in a
situation like John Q. they would pay the whole $250,000? I don't know."
UPBEAT Let's move on to another subject, the upcoming Academy Awards.
You were nominated for your performance in Antoine Fuqua's 'Training
Day' and are considered to be one of the front runners, next to Will
Smith and Russell Crowe. Do you find the numerous award ceremonies you
attend to be tiresome, or are they still fun after all these years? And
after all the awards you have already won during your career, does
another one— even if it is an Oscar— really mean that much to you?
Denzel Washington "It's fun. It's nicer to win than not to win. I've
been around the block a few times so we'll see what happens. I'm more
relaxed about it than in the past. I guess I get a little nervous right
before they say whomever's name they are going to say, but it's really
out of my hands so it's not worth me worrying about it."
UPBEAT Does the Best Actor Oscar mean any more to you than the Oscar you
already won for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for 'Glory?'
Denzel Washington "I already have an Oscar and they are the same size
and the same weight. I know this— I'm going to continue to work hard and
continue to try and do good work. The Academy is going to have to get
used to seeing me every year. I may be 80-years-old before they finally
say, 'Aw, just give him one.' I may not be able to carry it by the time
they give it to me, but I'll be at the party. I'll be back."
UPBEAT Now 'John Q.' deals with an enemy America seems to have forgotten
about since September 11th— the health care system. I hear you have an
interesting story about where you were when the Twin Towers were hit.
Denzel Washington "I was in San Diego. Interestingly enough, this film I
just directed about a young man in the Navy, one of the ships we did our
research on left in, I think, July. I remember talking to the Master of
Arms because they were going out for six months and he was talking about
how excited he was, 'we're going to Thailand and Hawaii,' and they ended
up in Afghanistan. In fact, John Walker was held on that ship."
UPBEAT What exactly were you doing on the ship?
Denzel Washington "We were doing our research there because we used that
same type of ship."
UPBEAT What's the film about?
Denzel Washington "It's about a young man from Cleveland. It's about his
life— he's had a very tough life— and he joined the Navy. It actually
took place in the 70's and 80's but I changed it to now because I felt
it was more important to have the issues discussed now so that young
kids could relate to them. So it's a recent story."
UPBEAT Does the film have a title?
Denzel Washington "No, it doesn't have a title yet.
I guess it's just the Woody Allen
in me (laughs)."
UPBEAT What about a release date or distributor?
Denzel Washington "Not yet and Fox Searchlight."
 UPBEAT To millions of people you seem like a man who is
absolutely fearless. You
have accomplished so much in your career, and the types of characters you play seem
to be so
head-strong and powerful. However, I recently heard you state in an
interview that your first time behind the camera had you throwing your
hands up in complete fear. Is that true?
Denzel Washington "Fear is a good feeling. There is another time when
people throw up their hands in the air and that's when you are on a
rollercoaster— it must make it all go away or something. Fear is a healthy
thing.
For me, I've done 25 to 30 films and I've been really blessed to have
been able to do a lot of good
stuff, to have been able to get nominations and awards, but you can
really get bored with something.
It wasn't fresh anymore and it was staring to get stale for me. With directing, I
feel like I am
alive again."
UPBEAT Since you were scared, I am assuming that you found that being a
first-time director was difficult?
Denzel Washington "I didn't sleep for two months. It wasn't difficult—
it was fun, it was exhilarating, it was frightening. Everyday was great
when it was over cause I'd say to myself, 'okay, I can do that. I do
that.' But then the next day would be like, 'Well, what do I do now?'
It's just all so new."
UPBEAT So looking back the process wasn't too horrible?
Denzel Washington "It's always in hindsight not that bad. But you have
all these people relying on you and looking to you for answers and you
don't necessarily know what the answers are. Just the 'can I actually do
this' of it. What if after about two days they say, 'he's terrible!'
Maybe they did, I don't know (laughs). But I was smart enough to put the
best people around me who knew how to do the job. I had a great crew and
after a couple days in I was flying— I was gone. If I'm allowed to, I
would direct for the rest of my life."
UPBEAT Really? Does that mean that your days as one of Hollywood's
leading on-screen men are over?
Denzel Washington "Acting pays well— it pays me very well. I'm already
in the red on my film; my bills as a director are higher than my salary.
Relatively speaking directing pays a lot, just not as much as acting."
UB
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