1 week Ago By [email protected] (Lucas Hill-Paul)
Denzel Washington, hailed as one of the finest actors in the annals of film, admitted to feeling starstruck just once before. The Academy Award-winning star is set to play the cunning slave-owner Macrinus in the eagerly awaited Gladiator II, and he graced The One Show on Tuesday, November 12, to discuss the upcoming blockbuster. Joined by fellow cast members Paul Mescal and Connie Nielsen on the programme, Washington shied away from describing his character as "scheming", concurring with guest host Clara Amfo that "resourceful" was a more apt descriptor.
Reflecting on his illustrious career, which has seen him grace both stage and screen for over six decades, Washington confessed that he's seldom overwhelmed by the renown of his co-stars. "I don't think so, that I can remember," he divulged, reports the Mirror . Denzel Washington promoted Gladiator II on The One Show (Image: BBC) Read More Related Articles Netflix fans go wild for new holiday thriller dropping next month Read More Related Articles Until I Kill You set to make history for ITV after viewership figures released Yet, casting his mind back to his debut movie role in the 1981 comedy Carbon Copy, he recounted his time working alongside an Oscar-nominated legend.
"The first movie I ever did was with George Segal," he reminisced. "But, by the time I got onto the set I had done so many auditions with him." While he never shared the screen with the next icon he mentioned, the mere encounter with this storied figure of cinema left a lasting impression.
"I didn't work with him, but meeting Sidney Poitier...
" he paused. "I definitely was starstruck." He explained his awe, saying, "Because he was sort of the Northern Star for me as a young, Black actor.
He was the only one that...
if he made it, I maybe had a chance." Washington's stint on the BBC talk show arrived in the wake of a bombshell announcement from the star. Chatting with Today, the esteemed actor from critically acclaimed hits like Training Day and Malcolm X, divulged his plans to bow out following his upcoming slate of films.
Sidney Poitier is the only other actor who made Washington feel starstruck (Image: GETTY) "I don't know how many more films I'm going to make," he confessed. "Probably not that many. I want to do things I haven't done.
I've played Othello at 22, I'm about to play Othello at 70. After that I'm playing Hannibal [the historical war general]. "After that I've been talking with Steve McQueen about a film.
After that Ryan Coogler's writing a part for me in the next Black Panther. "After that I'm going to do the film Othello. After that I'm going to do King Lear.
After that I'm going to retire." Moreover, he's clinched a deal to star in Spike Lee's reimagining of Akira Kurosawa's iconic crime movie High and Low, reassuring fans that there's still a flurry of fresh ventures on the horizon before he takes his final bow. The One Show airs weekdays at 7:00pm on BBC One.
Gladiator II is in cinemas from Friday, December 15..
