And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Pleased to welcome Denzel Washington back to the program. The twotime oscar winner actor has an outstanding body of work that includes films like glory and training day of course, and now connect philadelphia and the hurricane, american gangster, i could do this all day and all night. Flight. Most recently of course magnificent seven, star and director in fences, the film damgs of the beloved August Wilson play. The film is in theaters. Mr. Washington, first a scene from fences. Oh, we come here. Ohio, look at your photo. When i first met this woman, i got out that and hitched up my pony, saddled up my man, theres a woman out there for me somewhere. And i looked at him, looked at there and i latcheden to her. I latched on to her and i told im going to tell you the truth, i latched on to her and told her, baby, i dont want to marry, i just want to be your man. Rose told me, telling him if he wasnt a mankind and move out the way so the mankind could find me. Youre in my way. Youre blocking the view. Move out the way so i can find me a husband. Thought it over two, three days come back, told her, okay, baby, but im going to buy a baggy rooster, he going to flap his wings and crow. I havent washed that front door my myself. That was that back door i was worried about. Sometimes the best part of this show happens when you cant see. So while the clip was playing, how long are you filming this . I dont remember. A year ago. No, not even a year. Okay. Eight months. So the clip is playing, and hes sitting here all these months later reciting his lines. I edited the picture, im watching it over and over. Whats amazing to that about me though is what happens when August Wilsons words get in your spirit. When i is that true film, first let me start by saying thank you, i talked to a thousand friends who have all seen this man, and i think there is this as i talked to my friends, there is this overwhelming desire just to say thank you to you. People run into you on the street, and this is a dent, putting this thing on film. Really . I think so. I mean, nobodys its the first time its been given this kind of treatment. To put it on film, its a beautiful thing. As many times as ive seen this play, of course saw you in broadway. When i saw it on film. His words, the power of his words hit if he a different way. It made me appreciate the stuff even more, the words. Because were here. Yeah. You know, in a play, whatever depending on what ticket youve got. You watch the whole thing at once and you decide where youre going to look. Usually based upon whos speaking. But in a film, the decision to editorial, and youre this close. Youre very close. So you feel like you just feel its just closer. Its more effective. And we have the i took the luxury of chl spending time with people when theyre alone. Theres a scene when troy knocks all the stuff off the table, and now were alone with rose. We didnt have those moments in the play. You know, hed walk out and the lights would go down, but here we stay. We get to feel what rose is feel pg. Yeah. What do you hope people come away with or put another way, are forced to wrestle with when they have to marinate on his words . I always say this, it depends people ask me what do you want people to get from this . Right, i always say it depends on what they bring to it. Some are destroy, some are the sun. Ive met people weve been doing screenings all around and q a, and one screening i like to come in, sit the last five minutes and just get a feel of the order. And i saw an empty seat and i sat down, it was a guy who was really irish guy, redhead guy. Right guy. And it was really he was struggling. Yeah. And i leaned over and said you okay . He said yeah, you know. I said you up there . He said i said is that you up there, he says my father. And i said well are you the son . No, my brother was a son. Great athlete. And so, you know, its universally, its specifically an African American family, but the themes are universal. What do you make of the fact that august wrote something that was so specific and yet, to your point now, im glad you gave me that example, it is so universal . I think if you try to please everybody, you dont please anybody. So he wrote about what he wanted to write about, about this family. And, like i said, the themes are universal. I mean, the specificity of it is whats so universal. Whats so effective. I mean, just the way troy because its his frustrations, the way he beats down his son and just wont allow him to and the son says, what all sons want to say. Just because you didnt have a chance and takes it further, afraid that was going to be better than you. Yeah. I had the honor of working out in the same gym you work out in. I see you in the gym a lot. And we talked about this while you were working on and edit lg, i did not know, i did not know that august actually wrote the screen play for this. Yeah. I mean, the screen play just 25,000 words, 24,900 are August Wilson. Right. So i had to add a little thing here. And it was also a deciding where scenes were going to take place because in the play they were all in the backyard. We have to present it to the audience. We obviously moved in the house and to the front of the house and, you know, then on to really one of the Big Decisions that i had to make was, or that was nervous about was bringing rose to his job. Right. Because i was never in the play. And thats a big statement and it sort of it tweaked the balance of things against troy because shes making the extra effort. Shes going out of her way and he still rejects him. With what amount of trepidation does one approach even tweaking augusts work . Given that you had to put stuff in that wasnt in the play . I read different versions of it, so there are longer versions of the play. Right. His original version is much longer, a lot longer. There were cuts made anyway. Long before me. So, you know, i have to do whats best for the film. Yeah. So its one thing to write something that is specific its another both specific and universal, but its another thing to write specific, universal, and accessible. And i can tell you now, and i wouldnt i didnt have the nerve to tell you when you were woshingen to. You did a brilliantly. What worried me most is whether or not you could make on film augusts stuff accessible because as you know web the stage is one thing, film is something else, and the stable and the mind of a lot of people, especially the work can be labeled highbrow for people that dont want to have a patience to wrestle with it. Were you ever afraid that you would have trouble making it accessible . I didnt no. No. I didnt think about that or i didnt i mean, my point is this, when you watch augusts stuff, you got to wrest wl that thing. Its not acting. I mean you aint got a bunch of stuff flying through the air, pyrotechnics. You mean youve got to listen . Thats what i mean. Imagine that. Which is why i started the film in black. Exactly. So that you had to lean forward and listen. I did that on purpose. Yeah. You know, so that you would listen. What made you feel that people in an era where fans are like that, faster than that would sit, be patient, take it in, listen. Thats a risk to take. They need water. They need water. And it just reels you in. At first it seems like entertainment or just fun and i remember kenny leon directed this on broadway, kenny said troy is television there. He is the television. Friday night he gets the same lines, they know hes going to tell them. And they all its the rich youl. Yeah. When did you know that you wanted to or were going to do this as a film . When did you commit yourself to that . When they made me . Scott roouden, one of the producers asked me seven years ago. Yeah. And i read the screen play and i realized i hadnt read the play. I read the play and said troy, 53. Well, i was 55 when i read it. And im thinking, because when i saw it in the 80s, im looking at it through corys eyes because i was younger. Im thinking i was too young for troy, but when i read it and said 53, oh, i better hurry up. So i called scott and said, i want to do the play. How much thought time you put into, how much time you had to wrestle with it on film. Well, you know filmmaking is the collaborative process. You put some of the best people around you, editor, and you all work together, and you want to inspire them and so, i dont think i know enough ive been around long enough to know that i dont think i know everything. So i put the best around me, let them do what they do. Ultimately i have to make the final decision, let the best do what they do. Let viola go. Im going start directing now. Well you are the director. And i did direct. You know, but the smartest thing i did as a director was to take michael t. And steven and viola and who i am leaving out, russell, the guys that did it, the core group that did it on broadway, take it to film. Hes a guest on this program next week. Are you . He killed that role. He killed it. He killed it. Boom. Thats how that go. Thats the way this go. And i can do it. I love that, man. Keep doing that, im directing. When we did the play, i was always in the dressing room, i never saw the end of the play. Yeah. That much and maybe i saw it in rehearsal. So when we were reverse hearsing the film for the film, and he said thats the way theyre going and ran off there, i was like, what you doing . I said you didnt even say it. No, im done. Like he got to go off and deal with other problems. Delivered it masterfully. Bang, and whats great, i figured it out on the day was we changed the angle and the girl looks at him. The little girl, and shes like, im going with him. I dont know where hes going, but im going with him. Yeah. Any director i suspect has to be very careful about the choices they make and what theyre going to direct. Youve done this a few times now. How did you see fences fitting into your direct tomorrow body of work . Thank you for thinking that i even thought that way. August wilson i mean, you didnt pulzer prize. No, i dont. Let me tell you. Okay. This is not a willy nilly decision. You can have agreed to act in this, but to put your namen to as director i i wanted someone else to direct it. Now imen to something here, see. I was just qualified for the job, i guess. Nobody, i didnt know anybody other than kenny that knew the material better than me. But i had, you know i dont know. I just did it. Im overthinking it then. Yes. Okay. Thats my story and im sticking to it. Yeah, im not buying that, but im going let you have that. Thank you. Thank you. You have been everywhere talking about the brilliance of your decision to keep that cast in retrospect, how brilliant was it really though . It went brilliant at all. Thats a nobrainer. Viola davis is brilliant. Me choosing her is not brilliant, shes brilliant. Like i said, guys like steven and michael tee and russell, especially steven, whos a great actor who hasnt gotten that he hasnt been seen as much as some of us, but had done as much. You know, so i was happy to flost way i would have changed that. Oh yeah. You have had so many just huge successes in the course of your career. In film. Number one film is money making film. But i have to believe that you have a different way of judging the success of your work and its not just about box office numbers. If im wrong about this, tell me im wrong. Sometimes it is. Its called show business. You know, you know, if i loan you 25 million, i want my money back. I dont to want hear how good of an experience it was. I want to get that. I got you. Yeah man, this is business. I want my money back. Oh, you will not anymore for me again. Im glad it was good for you. But wasnt good for me. Okay. Here he is. I get the box office and its getting critical, but when you approach a project like this, i mean, you knew this wasnt going to be a 200 million. This wasnt rogue nation. And it doesnt need to be. Thats my point. Going into this, what was your definition, your measure of success for this project . You got it done . I didnt look at it that way. I didnt look at it, weve had so much success. It was more about, you know, this. We were a big hit on broadway and won all the awards. I think we were i think, we were nominated for more tonys as a drama or straight play than any other play in the history of the tony, Something Like that. So that was the pressure. It was already good. Will it work as a film . Can i deliver it . And you know, it worked out all right. Um the film again is universal. I may get myself into trouble here. It has universal themes, but was there a part of you that hoped that black america would see this in a particular way, accept in a particular way, did you have any thought about that . I made too many movies to try to figure out what people should, you know, just put it out. It stands on its own. Get it out there, and the people will decide that. I dont know what people feel. Or, you know, im glad that theyre getting a chance to experience the brilliance of August Wilson. Not everybody gets a chance to go to broadway. Right. Or see a play or can afford to get in or whatever. Or even knows what the theater experience is about. Black people love to watch film. So i thought and thats why i said thank you for just doing this because it made his material. So much more available for people to see to appreciate and go steady. Who else did this guy write . What else did he do . In that sense, i saw the movie Hidden Figures the other day. As a matter of fact, the guest on the show earlier this week. And its hard to watch a film like that thats a person of color and just not be proud of what that storys about. These three black women at nasa helped get us up into space. Its hard to sit and watch that and not be proud of this guy, Denzel Washington for doing it. The people who starred in it. Do you have a pros . You dont process any of that. Yeah, yeah. Im like, you know, im trying to get the folks in the theater. And you know, im happy. Yeah. Yeah. I get sense you went, im going follow you there. You dont spaend the lot of time in introspection, you are busy doing the work you dont have the time or you dont take the time. When i was in college, i still do it, i remember we had a blow dryer. Whatever. And i pull midhair back and people was like why do you have your hair back . Because im going that way. The wind. I like that. Im just a forward i had thinker. I dont apologize for it. Im just a forward thinker. Im an aggressive thinker and i believe things i believe in myself. Yeah. So everybody else studies your body of work. When, if ever, are you never going to get around to like really trying to assess what you put oefbl for us to see . Everybody else talks about it. Thats not my job. You know, its just to do. I mean, i dont know. I dont know what good oh, look at me. I was good, wasnt i . You are busting my chops today, man. Ive got to go somewhere. No, no, im just teasing. Ill go with you. So. Reporter becau because i look better. You were better than good. So at this point, we see what you did with fences, it is different from manager any of sent seven than the east from the west and the north and the south. And at this point, at this age, how are you making decisions about what you want to do at this point and has that changed . Im freer to make those kinds of decisions, ive been making them a long time. I tell young actors, its not what you choose to do, its what you choose not to do. Especially early on in your career. So ive been making those decisions of what not to do. At a point where i did last, you know. I wasnt looking to get on a horse. Thats magnificent seven. You know. Did you love that by the way . I did. But it was 105 degrees. Black man, black hat, black shirt, blackws9alf [zgv tcw black boot oons black saddle on a black horse. 105 degrees. A lot of black. Ffw8v cool. We had to sit there, it was too hot. Your son. Reporter which one . John david. Is good in that. Takes after his mother. Hes really good. And whats funny is i was talking to him the other day, if you listen to him enough, he is your son. Thats what people said. I canter that. I guess you cant tell. I said son, he always wanted to be an actor, so he thought there was too much with who his father was. So he decided to play football. I said, be u you made it he played for the st. Louis rams. You had two dreams and accomplished both of them. You know, i wanted to play in the nfl and didnt quite work out that way. Yeah. I should be glad this worked out. For me . More importantly im glad it worked out for him. Yeah. What is that you that you hope to get across through your acting . You dont act just for thats the only reason. What do you hope to do . Well, im not that specific, but i pray a lot. And like i said, i dont try to decide what the message should be. Just try to be a good messenger. You know, and i owe it to the people to do my best. You know what they should get from it, i dont try to decide for them. Yeah. Have you ever done something, looked backen to to your point now, and say to yourself that really wasnt my best . Ive been on yes, second day of shooting come to think about it. Oh, im in trouble how are we going to fix this . Im good, but i aint that good. In those moments when denzel even doubt himself, what do you you do . Well doubting yourself is okay. You know, and thats a part of life. I mean, in the last whatever ten years ive been going back to broadway three times i think. That first night, first performance, whatever. What . Are you crazy . All youre going to remember. So you still have that fear, but i think its good. Its healthy. Yeah. Is there a point at which you already know the rest of us dont, that you will stop doing broadway because theres so much material to try to remember . Hasnt happened yet. Not yet . And now they have ear things yeah. So do you feel that call again . You think in the next few years. Oh no question. No question, yeah. I havent figured out what yet, but yeah, im already planning on it. Yeah. 18 or 2019. Yeah. When you said a moment ago as weve been talking, ive been thinking this any head. Ive heard you say it so many times, it is about the stuff you turn down not the stuff you take. Whered you get that . He said to me, the first four or five films you may determine how youre perceived in this business. Im not going to tell you what to do, but what not to do. Keep that in mind. I passed that on to young folks if they ask me. The end verse of that statement is whether or not you ever turned anything down and then saw it on film and said man, i should i turned down seven. Yeah. I turned down michael clayton. It happens. Yeah. It happens. Yeah. All right. So after you finish all of this award season for fences, whats next . Um, i have a script called inner city, and i play this lawyer whos very, very bright, but has social issues. Yeah. So im really excited about that. Its sort of like asbergers or in that world, im just starting to get into that role. If my memory is correct, the last time you played a lawyer and you were pretty brilliant at it which one . Philadelphia. Was that the last time. You played a lawyer since then . I dont remember. I spent that