Denzel Washington has not been shy, in recent years, about the fact that he’s done close to pretty much everything he needs to do in the world of making movies. Last year, the Gladiator II star ticked off what was essentially a checklist of projects he intended to do before finally retiring, the bulk of which were Shakespeare, mixed with just a bit of a Marvel Cinematic Universe victory lap. Now, though, the Oscar-winner has apparently gone beyond disinterest at being in movies to being done with the concept of cinematic entertainment as a whole. Movies? Denzel Washington is “tired of movies,” friends.
This is per Variety, reporting on a GQ interview Washington recently gave with Spike Lee and A$AP Rocky, who he just collaborated with on kidnapping thriller Highest 2 Lowest. We’ll start by noting that the whole thing is pretty cute—mostly on account of Rocky, who is nerding out very hard to be hanging out with these two men, talking about their careers. But also because Denzel Washington, for as much as he clearly enjoys making jokes and screwing with his pals, is also done with mincing words on basically any topic. When Rocky, in full film-nerd mode, asks Washington if he has a favorite of any of Lee’s various dolly shots (including a number of ones centered on the man himself), Washington—who is distractedly checking his phone in the moment—busts out a simple “I don’t watch movies. I really don’t.”
As the other two men laugh, Washington looks up and doubles down. “I’m just being honest with you. I don’t watch movies. I don’t go to the movies. I’m tired of movies.” (He’d previously noted that he’s never watched any of the four other films he’s made with Lee since the first time he saw them.) When Lee then asks Washington how many films he’s made, the answer is instant: “Too many.” (The guys in the room end up settling on 50 or so; IMDB lists 52, if you don’t count stuff made for TV.) Washington’s clearly having a good time (a minute later he’s faking playing a violin to mock the fanboying rapper), but he’s also just very clearly over it. It is, among other things, a very interesting study in contrasts with the two-years-younger Lee, who’s clearly still having a blast as he bounces between earnestly talking movie trivia with Rocky and giving the much younger man shit. Washington is still, of course, one hell of an actor, including in Highest 2 Lowest, where he gives a completely committed performance for Lee when the cameras are rolling. The man can still electrify in front of a movie camera; just don’t ask him to waste time, apparently, sitting in front of a movie screen.
