 Denzel Washington on 'TV One on One'
From Blacknews.com - December 19, 2007
Silver Spring, MD - Two-time Academy Award winner and recent Golden Globe nominee Denzel Washington opens up about his red-hot career, his deeply held religious beliefs, his philosophy about today's children, his newest film, "The Great Debaters" and his commitment to making the world a better place in a revealing interview with host Cathy Hughes in a new episode of TV One on One premiering Sunday, December 23 from 8-9 PM ET.
Over a career spanning more than two decades, actor/director Denzel Washington has won critical and audience acclaim for his ability to thoroughly inhabit a role. Whether he's playing real people such as Malcolm X ("Malcolm X"), Rubin "Hurricane" Carter ("The Hurricane"), Frank Lucas ("American Gangster"), Mel Tolson ("The Great Debater"), or fictional characters like Easy Rawlins ("Devil in a Blue Dress") and Lincoln Rhyme ("The Bone Collector"), Washington creates compelling film performances that universally resonate with audiences.
Washington's newest project, "The Great Debaters," opens around the country on Christmas Day. He stars as the real-life Professor Melvin Tolson who coached an underdog debate team at a small African American college in Texas all the way to a championship match with Harvard. Washington also directed the film, which has been nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Picture of 2007. Washington himself is a Golden Globe nominee for his performance as Frank Lucas in "American Gangster."
Washington believes "The Great Debaters" reinforces the fact that all young people need someone who will inspire and challenge them -- something today's kids don't have. "I don't blame anything that children are doing now. We're the ones that dropped the ball. We're the ones that said, 'Oh, it's about me...the Me Generation, and I'm going to go off and do what I want to do -- what's best for me.' We have dropped the ball, and they are the result."
After graduating from Fordham University in New York with a B.A. in drama and journalism, the Mt. Vernon, NY native went on to San Francisco's prestigious American Conservatory Theatre. He made his professional acting debut in the 1977 made-for-TV movie "Wilma," where he met his wife Pauletta Pearson. They married in 1983 and have four children: John David, Katia, and twins Olivia and Malcolm.
Washington's own career ball started rolling with an inauspicious film debut in the 1981 movie "Carbon Copy." The biggest change came when he starred for six years as Dr. Phillip Chandler in the wildly popular television hospital drama series, "St. Elsewhere."
Dozens of memorable film roles followed, including South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko in "Cry Freedom" (Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor); Pvt. Trip in "Glory" (Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor); the title role in "Malcolm X" (Academy Award nomination for Best Actor); Easy Rawlins in "Devil in a Blue Dress"; Detective John Hobbes in "Fallen"; the boxer Rubin Carter in "The Hurricane" (Academy Award nomination for Best Actor); and Detective Alonzo Harris in "Training Day" (Academy Award for Best Actor).
Still, even with success assured, Washington tells Hughes that he was questioning his chosen path. He decided to ask his pastor for his opinion. "'What do you think I'm supposed to be? A preacher? He said, 'Well, I think that's what you're doing anyway, Denzel.' So, I don't know if I'm supposed to be a preacher, or a teacher, but I know with what I've been given, and I have been blessed with certain abilities, it's my responsibility to share what I've been blessed with, with others."
Washington's philosophy of sharing extends beyond his family, friends and film audiences. He is the national spokesperson for The Boys and Girls Clubs of America; he was a member when he was growing up in Mt. Vernon. "So, again, [the message is] what are you going to do with what you have? [In this society] we're strung out on negativity, and I'm determined to continue to accentuate the positive. There's a lot of good going on in the Boys' and Girls' Club, a lot of positive stories."
Washington continues, "I'm proud to say that since I've been the spokesperson of the Boys and Girls Clubs, we've doubled the amount of clubs. In the inner-city, we've taken over rec centers -- and I don't know how many school programs we're in. We're in Army bases around the world. We're on Indian reservations. We're affecting millions and millions of young people in a positive way."
Washington has also contributed to the Boys and Girls Clubs by writing the inspirational bestselling book, A Hand to Guide Me, published to mark the 100th anniversary of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. All profits go to the organization.
This special episode of TV One on One repeats on December 23 at 11 PM, Monday, Dec. 24 at 8 AM, Tuesday, Dec. 25 at 1 PM, Thursday, Dec. 27 at 10 AM, Friday, Dec. 28 at 2 PM, Saturday, Dec. 29 at 6 AM and Sunday, Dec. 30 at 2 PM.
About TVOne
Launched in January 2004, TV One (www.tvoneonline.com) serves more than 42.2 million households (Nielsen Dec.2007 estimate), offering a broad range of lifestyle and entertainment-oriented original programming, classic series, movies, fashion and music designed to entertain, inform and inspire a diverse audience of adult African American viewers. TV One's investors include Radio One [NASDAQ: ROIA and ROIAK; www.radio-one.com], the largest radio company that primarily targets African American and urban listeners; Comcast Corporation [NASDAQ: CMCSA and CMCSK; www.comcast.com], the leading cable television company in the country; The DirecTV Group; Constellation Ventures; Syndicated Communications; and Opportunity Capital Partners.
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