Denzel Washington has long been regarded as one of the world’s finest actors, and it’s not hard to see why. The public at large has been blessed with some great performances from Washington over the years and, through his efforts, he’s earned two Oscars, a Tony Award and much more. Washington has done so much and, based on recent comments he’s made, he could be close to retirement. After that, the A-lister’s family opened up about working on an upcoming movie alongside him.
What Did Denzel Washington Say About Possibly Retiring?
Later this year, the Training Day icon is set to appear as Macrinus in Ridley Scott’s long-awaited Gladiator II. The 69-year-old actor seems excited to be teaming up with Scott, who he previously collaborated with on 2007’s American Gangster. While chatting with Empire about just how excited he was to be working with Scott once more, the Philadelphia star seemingly alluded to his future as an actor:
There are very few films left for me to make that I’m interested in, and I have to be inspired by the filmmaker, and I was tremendously inspired by Ridley.
It’s an indisputable truth that Denzel Washington has been in the game for some time now and has seemingly done just about everything by this point. Period pieces like Glory, American Gangster and Malcolm X are amongst his credits as are massive action flicks such as Man on Fire and The Equalizer. And, of course, one can’t forget the more comedic pieces of work Washington has been a part of, including Much Ado About Nothing and The Preacher’s Wife.
As sad as it would be to see the Mo' Better Blues star retire, it would be totally understandable. Of course, he’s not done yet, and one of his latest cinematic ventures is very personal for him.
The Washington Family Shared Thoughts On Working With Their Patriarch
Denzel Washington serves as a producer on the upcoming 2024 movie release The Piano Lesson – an feature film adaption of August Wilson’s play of the same name. This iteration of one of Wilson’s seminal works features the involvement of quite a few Washington family members. One of them is Malcolm, Denzel’s son, who’s at the helm in what marks his directorial debut. While debuting the film at Telluride Film Festival. Malcolm spoke to People about making the film alongside his father and other members of his brood:
This movie is so personal to me, and the people that I got to make it with are the closest people in my life. My mom was at the center of it.
Also playing a substantial role in the film is John David Washington, who stars alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Justice League’s Ray Fisher. Denzel’s wife, Pauletta, and their daughter, Olivia, also play versions of the same role in the film. The couple’s other daughter, Katia, also serves as an executive producer on this film. Deadline caught up with Pauletta at Telluride, during which she gushed about being able to work with her family on the upcoming drama film:
All my babies are involved in this. My son directed it, and John David’s in it. And so is Olivia, we play the same role at different ages. And here’s Katia.
It’s easy to get the impression that Mrs. Washington is very proud of her family and how they’ve come together to work on The Piano Lesson. Set in 1930s Pittsburgh, in the aftermath of the Great Depression, the film is centered on the Charles family, as they try to decide what to do with their family’s prized piano. The play on which the movie is based won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1990, so this hallowed text. Pauletta ultimately believes her husband is the right person to help bring it to the silver screen:
They couldn’t have chosen a better person than my husband to make sure all the works are given respect.
Her assumption isn’t far-fetched, and this isn’t the first August Wilson adaptation that Denzel Washington has been involved with. He previously directed, produced and starred in the Oscar-winning film Fences and also served as a producer on the Academy Award-nominated Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. So he was more than equipped to handle this material, and it’s sweet that he was able to do it alongside his spouse and kids. I’m not sure how much longer Washington will be acting but, if he continues to produce, I wouldn’t be surprised if he teams up with his relatives again at some point.
The Piano Lesson will play in theaters for a limited time starting on November 8, before it becomes available for Netflix subscribers on November 22. The latter day also marks the theatrical release of Gladiator II, which should give fans a solid dose of Denzel Washington.
