Denzel Washington’s Odd Response to ‘Curveball’ Question During Interview Leaves Fans Shook
Denzel Washington is settling into an unfiltered and “blunt” approach to interacting with the media, and fans are not quite sure what to make of it.
Such is evident as social media users have become divided in their reactions to an interview the actor did with Collider to promote the 69-year-old’s latest box office success, “Gladiator II.” The follow-up to the 2000 Roman action flick “Gladiator” debuted in theaters on Nov. 22.
In the weeks leading up to the big release, Washington set the internet ablaze with his relaxed, often humorous, but almost always raw and unexpected responses and revelations that were unveiled during the interviews.
In the video published on Nov. 20, he sat down with Collider’s Editor-in-Chief Steve Weintraub.
Upon praising the Academy Award winner for his portrayal of the villainous Macrinus, Weintraub threw a “curveball” to break the ice. He said, “I decided to go with my [Stanley] Kubrick shirt so I could ask everyone if they have a favorite Kubrick movie.”
The director is behind flicks such as “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “The Shining,” “Full Metal Jacket,” “Eyes Wide Shut,” and “Lolita.”
Much of his work was released between the years of 1962 and 1975, with only two projects in the 80s and one in 1999 — the same year Kubrick passed away at age 70.
Staring at the shirt, Washington, 69, offered up, “I’m not a movie buff,” which appeared to come as a shock to Weintraub. “I’m not a big movie fan. I was in the street when he was making movies. What’s the ones in the ’70s? I would be the one outside looking to rob you when you came out of a Kubrick movie,” he added with a laugh.
Furthermore, the American Conservatory Theater alum recounted that during his adolescent and young adult years he was more interested in Blaxploitation films like “Shaft” and “Superfly.” He claims he didn’t catch the acting bug nor did he get into watching a variety of movies until he was well into his 20s.
Denzel just cooked every single one of us
“I’m not a movie buff…I would’ve been out in the street looking to rob you” pic.twitter.com/eVg2Rv46ZT
— Brandon Streussnig (@BrndnStrssng) December 16, 2024
A clipped version of their chat generated mixed reviews on Instagram. Some onlookers said that Washington had become “insufferable” during the press tour and that he was “always [had] some pseudo intellectual bulls—t.”
But a supporter declared that they are “here for the blunt honest Denzel lmao.” A second IG user took a jab at the interviewer writing, “Dude thinks real life is a Reddit forum. Denzel put him in place.”
Another user wrote that Washington’s answer was “his polite way of avoiding the question. He doesn’t like Kubrick films and doesn’t want to say it, so it’s easier to say he’s not a film buff. Of course he’s seen some of them and definitely has an opinion on them.”
That same person also suggested that the Hollywood A-lister likely rejected the “white, western lens his [Kubrick’s] films were made through.”
From there, the comments did a nosedive into warring perspectives, some of which controversially treaded into racist hot takes.
“Everyone wants to be a thug these days, they’ve convinced us it’s the highest status we can reach as [Black] men Sad s–t, a fine actor like that lowering himself to this bs, as if he was a thug,” said one viewer.
Another said, “I hate it when white people don’t know anything about us and/or don’t care to. This is cringey but Denzel had fun with it lol.”
we truly do not deserve the gold that is denzel washington on the gladiator press tour pic.twitter.com/GdJV44j3VU
— claire rowden (@clx1re) November 20, 2024
Similarly, someone else crassly wrote, “Ask him if he’s seen any spike Lee movies…” Spike Lee and Washington are longtime friends who worked together on multiple flicks such as the acclaimed “Malcolm X” in 1992.
Despite fan speculation, Washington once said he missed out on a role in Kubrick’s 1987 film, “Full Metal Jacket,” in a GQ interview in 2012.
But for several other fans of the “Training Day” star, the clip was a reminder of the real man that exists underneath the allure of celebrity.
Some of those reactions include, “Oh, y’all thought unc was a gentle giant? Nah…. fella was on the BLOCK” and “it’s refreshing to see that somebody as established as Denzel isn’t gonna be pretentious and lie.”
Last month, the two-time Oscar recipient sent social media into a panic with speculation of a looming retirement.
But to their delight, Washington has five projects lined up, including a potential role in the forthcoming “Black Panther,” and he is more interested in doing more directing—and that is hardly a last curtain call.
