In an era obsessed with categorization, Denzel Washington resists being pigeonholed as merely a “Hollywood actor.”
During a recent CBS Sunday Morning interview with Bill Whitaker of 60 Minutes, the topic arose while discussing Washington’s latest Broadway venture in Othello. Whitaker remarked on the “star-studded season on Broadway, with lots of Hollywood actors and producers flocking to—” only to be interrupted by Washington.
“What’s a ‘Hollywood actor,’ exactly?” Washington interjected. “I’m from Mount Vernon, so I’d call myself a ‘Mount Vernon actor.’ I’m not sure what ‘Hollywood’ even means.”
At the opening night after-party for Othello on March 23 at Tavern on The Green in New York City, the Training Day star admitted that while the term “Hollywood” puzzled him conceptually, he was familiar with it as a location.
Whitaker offered a definition: “I think it’s someone famous for film—a film actor who’s achieved great success on screen.”
Washington seized the opportunity to redirect the focus to his true passion. “I’m a stage actor who happens to do film, not the reverse,” he clarified. “I cut my teeth on stage. That’s where I learned to act—not in front of a camera.”
Joined by Jake Gyllenhaal during the opening night curtain call at The Barrymore Theatre on March 23, Washington elaborated with the finesse of a seasoned performer. “Film is the director’s domain,” he explained. “You shoot your part, leave, and they piece it together with edits, music, and all that. Theater? That’s the actor’s realm. The curtain rises, and it’s just you—no one can step in to save you.”
Marking his sixth Broadway role, Washington shared with Whitaker that Othello has reignited a spark he hasn’t felt “this century.”
