Denzel Washington

Summary

Podcast Summary: This Life of Mine with James Corden

Episode: Denzel Washington
Date: February 24, 2026
Host: James Corden (for Lemonada Media)

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Episode Overview

This richly reflective episode features Denzel Washington, legendary actor, director, producer, and two-time Academy Award winner. In a candid conversation with James Corden, Denzel revisits the pivotal people, places, memories, music, and experiences that shaped his life and career. The dialogue traverses his upbringing in New York, the crucial decisions that set him on another path, his unwavering faith, musings on retirement, familial pride, and the music that moves him.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Place: Mount Vernon, New York

Timestamp: 04:17 – 06:52

• Denzel’s Roots:
  Denzel grew up in Mount Vernon, right across from the Bronx, a home he describes with simple affection:

  "That's my home. That's where I grew up. So it's not like I didn't have any of that, what you just talked about. Yeah, I grew up there. I got my freedom at 11 when I got a bike, right? So when I got a bicycle, I was ready to roll." (05:44)

• Youthful Freedom & Forks in the Road:
  At age 13, Denzel went to boarding school in upstate New York—a decision that, in his words, probably saved his life:

  "Why did I go to boarding school? Because I would have been in the penitentiary otherwise... By the grace of God, I didn't do a day." (06:08)

• Parallel Paths:
  Denzel’s account of his old friend Roy, who served decades in prison, underscores a sharp fork in the road:

  "At 13, I went upstate New York. And at 13, he stayed in the projects." (07:49)

2. Early Acting Aspirations

Timestamp: 09:03 – 11:25

• Finding Acting—Almost by Accident:
  Denzel’s journey to acting was not preordained; he began college wanting to be a doctor, only for acting to "find him."

  "I wanted to be a doctor. No. But acting just found me." (09:23)

• Early Flops & Musicals:
  His early acting attempts? Not all were triumphs:

  "You know, are we ever gonna see the Denzel Washington musical?"
  "No. Because I can't sing." (09:47)
  "I did a little musical... That didn't go so well." (09:51)

3. Family & Legacy in the Arts

Timestamp: 10:38 – 13:05; 27:04 – 28:15

• Children’s Artistic Pursuits:
  Denzel’s children have followed creative paths, a passion he credits to his wife, Pauletta:

  "My wife loves movies, so they all grew up watching movies... They learned to love movies, I think with mom, just watching movies." (10:45)

• “They got it honest from both sides”:
  Pauletta’s musical genius and his own career made for a rich artistic environment:

  "My wife was a child prodigy Van Cliburn competitor... They got it honest from both sides." (11:05)

• Pride in Son’s Accomplishments:
  Denzel’s youngest son, Malcolm, directed a family affair film ("Piano Lesson") and Denzel’s pride is clear:

  "Malcolm, my youngest son, is very talented, very smart. UPenn graduate, graduated number one in his class at the American Film Institute directing program. So he's the real deal." (28:02)

4. The Stage vs. The Screen

Timestamp: 12:00 – 13:36

• The Enduring Pull of Theater:
  Denzel’s first love has always been the stage:

  "I've never been a film person. You know, I started in theater... I thought I was going to be on Broadway and make $600 a week one day and that would be it. And that was good enough." (11:25)

• Returning to Stage:
  Family obligations kept him from theater for a spell, but he returned once his children were grown:

  "I couldn't go back [to stage] because of the children... Once they got to a certain age then I went back to Broadway in 2016 with Fences, but I did something before that." (13:05)

5. The Film That Formed Him: Shaft

Timestamp: 13:36 – 14:26

• Impact of “Shaft”:

  "My four best friends, that's where we were... going to the city, you see, we probably saw it on 42nd Street... hadn't seen anyone like that." (13:39)

• Representation:
  Movies like Shaft and Superfly offered representation and inspiration for young Denzel and his friends.

6. On Gratitude, Faith, and Prophecy

Timestamp: 15:43 – 19:58

• Prophecy and Purpose:
  Denzel recounts a prophecy given to him just before he began acting:

  "It was prophesied that I would travel the world and preach to millions of people. That's what the woman wrote in a prophecy." (15:43)

• Spiritual Experience – “Face of God” Story:
  In a moving story, Denzel describes a moment on a boat where he prayed to see God’s face, only to have a vivid encounter:

  "As I was saying, I want to see your face. I heard as clear as day. I heard, 'Turn to your left.' I turned to my left... took the picture. This is what I saw." (18:26)
  (The photo showed a cloud formation resembling a human face.)

  "God is good. God is great. The opposite of fear is faith. But it's difficult in these times to have faith." (19:18)

• Faith vs. Religion:
  Denzel distinguishes between faith and religion, focusing more on purpose and connection than dogma.

7. Giving Back & Generational Wisdom

Timestamp: 16:15 – 17:24

• On Influence:

  "We're there to do a job. If asked, I share. I'm not there to preach or teach. I'm there to do my job..." (16:43)

• Advice for Young Actors:

  "Theater is an actor's medium. Get on the stage is what I tell..." (17:24)

8. Reflections on Mortality and Retirement

Timestamp: 26:04 – 27:04

• Retirement and Next Chapter:

  "The reason I'm talking about retirement now as an actor is because God has more important things for me to do. I don't know when, but I'm grateful for opportunities like this because this is what it's really about." (24:10)
  "Seven more August Wilson plays to produce... I love being by the sea. I love the water. So I may have to work a little longer to get one more piece of property. That's what I'm really saying – this house I want to get." (26:22)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On nearly going down the wrong path:

  "My three best friends probably did 100 years between the three of them... By the grace of God, I didn’t do a day." (06:14)

• On his mother’s foresight:

  "My mother saw it. My mother saw it. What I couldn't see. And she was right." (06:33)

• On acting and serendipity:

  "Acting just found me." (09:23)

• On representation (regarding Shaft):

  "Hadn’t seen anyone like that." (13:39)

• On stage vs screen:

  "Stage is an actor’s medium. Get on the stage is what I tell." (17:24)

• On faith and clarity:

  "God is good. God is great. The opposite of fear is faith. But it’s difficult in these times to have faith." (19:18)

• On his life’s purpose:

  "I know who I belong to, and I know where I’m going. So I just want to do God’s will until He calls me home, period." (25:46)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [04:17] Denzel discusses Mount Vernon & New York childhood
• [06:08] Fork in the road—boarding school vs staying in the Bronx
• [09:08] Discovering acting (“Acting just found me”)
• [10:45] Family and artistic heritage
• [13:39] The impact of "Shaft" and representation
• [15:43] The prophecy about preaching to millions
• [18:06] The “Face of God” story on the boat
• [19:18] Faith and contemporary challenges
• [17:24] Advice to young actors—do theater
• [24:10] Early faith experiences and thoughts on retirement
• [27:04] Family as his chosen person—particularly Pauletta
• [28:21] Music choice: "Soulful Strut" by Young Holt Unlimited

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Music & Cultural Touchstones

• Music Choice: "Soulful Strut" by Young Holt Unlimited (1968)

• Why the song?

  "And I remember the dance we used to do to it. Something where you put your foot over. Something like that." (29:20)

• Music’s Role:
  Denzel’s musical influences are diverse; his wife’s musicianship is a key part of the family culture:

  "My wife introduced me to Miles Davis. She was, like, under his wing. And I’m all over the place. Music, though. Yeah." (29:37)

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Final Reflections

Denzel Washington’s episode is a portrait of an artist grounded in faith, humility, gratitude, and enduring love for his family and craft. While uninterested in cinematic glory, his stories reveal a deep awareness of providence, a sense of mission beyond acting, and an unpretentious appreciation for the joys and responsibilities that have defined his journey. The episode is rich in wisdom, humor, and authenticity—a valuable listen for fans and newcomers alike.

Transcript

[Denzel Washington]

Lemonade.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Hello and welcome to this Life of Mine, the show where our guests pick the places, people, possessions, music and memories that have made them who they are. My guest today is a Tony Award winner, a two time Academy award winning actor, producer, director, and quite frankly, a Hollywood icon. He has starred in some of the biggest movies over the past 35 years including American Gangster, Philadelphia, the Pelican Brief, the Equalizer trilogy. His films have grossed over $3 billion. There's also his extensive work on the stage including Fences, the Iceman Cometh, and his much anticipated return to Broadway in Othello opposite Jake Gyllenhaal. It will surprise no one that the New York Times named him as the greatest actor of the 21st century. It's an honor to have him here today.

[Denzel Washington]

Are you ready for introduction?

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

There you go. Well, it's all true. Are you ready? Yeah.

[Denzel Washington]

Yeah.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Then kick us off.

[Denzel Washington]

I'm Denzel Washington. Welcome to this life of mine.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

That might be the best intro we've had in the time though. I'm serious. How are you?

[Denzel Washington]

I'm good.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

You're tired?

[Denzel Washington]

I am knackered. I am cream cracker.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Oh, good, because we're in London and you're using a London parlance. I love that.

[Denzel Washington]

You know, it's all swinging roundabouts at the end of the day. Ducking and diving. Wow. Ah, you didn't know?

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

I didn't know.

[Denzel Washington]

Wager Street.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

There you go.

[Denzel Washington]

I mean, you're actually had a terrible accent. I. I did a film called For Queen and Country. So I was here in the 80s, right. And tried an accent that didn't go that well.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

How do you stand on doing accents? It's tough when you reach a moment in your career that you've been in now for sort of, I would say 30 years.

[Denzel Washington]

When are you so guy.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

No, no, no, but you know what I mean. When you get to a point and it's like, oh, well, what am I gonna. If suddenly a script comes along and you're gonna. They say, oh, we'd love you to play her Scotsman. Do you immediately go, ah, I don't know if I can. Or do you like.

[Denzel Washington]

Nobody's asked me to play a Scotsman, but at this point I'm really. It's about the filmmakers. I'm on the last of my career as an actor. I'm looking to do other things. So I've talked to some really great directors. One British director, Steve McQueen, and we'll see what happens after that.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Have you seen Steve McQueen's? I was about to Call him Steve, then. But I saw it a couple of weeks ago, the Blitz. It's kind of magical, actually. Because what's interesting about that film is if you grew up in Britain, you hear these stories of the Blitz all the time. And they are without question, without question. The stories of the Blitz are white stories. And he has framed this story in a way that I never experienced before. And that. That's the gift of a true great filmmaker like Ridley. Yeah, I would say. Wouldn't you? I mean, you've worked with him. Imagine if you said yes. He's atrocious. Well, I'm so happy that you're here for a start. Truly. It's an absolute honor to meet you.

[Denzel Washington]

Right.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

I think.

[Denzel Washington]

Why am I going? Right. Yeah, right.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

I like it. I'm excited. I'm excited for this Steve McQueen movie where you play like.

[Denzel Washington]

Don't do. Don't do it, Steve. I didn't say a thing. We just talked, that's all.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Each week on the show we ask people to pick a person of possession, a movie, a memory and a piece of music. Let's start with your place. Okay, tell us a place. And I know that there was many, many places you could choose. Tell us the place that you chose to talk about today.

[Denzel Washington]

Well, I grew up in Mount Vernon, New York. I grew up literally across the street from the Bronx. So that's where I got my start.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

What is it about New York, do you think, that makes it continually resonate with people all the time?

[Denzel Washington]

I don't know the difference. I mean, I was born and raised there, so that's just home for me.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

I didn't get to go to New York until I remember it so vividly. I went to New York in 2001, and I felt like I'd been there.

[Denzel Washington]

How old were you?

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

I would have been mid. Early 20s, but I felt like I'd been there 50 times. Okay. Do you know what I mean? If you grow up. I grew up in a small town outside London. So you are fed these images of New York. And in a sense, part, if I'm honest, when I was flying there, I thought, there's no way this place can live up to what I imagine it's going to be. And it exceeded it. And then the times that I was lucky enough to do plays on Broadway there, I was like, oh, this place is magic. So I know why I.

[Denzel Washington]

What theater. What theaters were you in?

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

I had the first theater. We were in the Broadhurst Theater. I did a play called the History Boys.

[Denzel Washington]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Yeah. And then the second time was in 2012. I did a play called One Man, Two Governors at the Music Box. Okay. And I fell in love with the place. Every time I set foot in Manhattan, I just do that stupid thing of thinking, oh, I should just buy an apartment here. And then I go and look at the prices. There's no way I can. But what is it about and the heartbeat of the city that makes it resonate with you?

[Denzel Washington]

It's my home. That's where I grew up. So it's not like I didn't have any of that, what you just talked about. Yeah, I grew up there. I got my freedom at 11 when I got a bike, right? So when I got a bicycle, I was ready to roll. So by 13, I was rolling through the South Bronx. I was hitting five boroughs when you

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

were 14, when you went to boarding school, right?

[Denzel Washington]

13. 13. 13 or 14.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

So why. What can you tell me a bit about that time? What was the reason for that? What happened?

[Denzel Washington]

Why did I go to boarding school? Because I would have been in the penitentiary otherwise.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Really?

[Denzel Washington]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. My three best friends probably did 100 years between the three of them. Good. 60 years, something like that. By the grace of God, I didn't do a day.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Can you look? When? If you look back and think about that time, do you see, like, a real fork in the road of what your life could have been? Your mother did.

[Denzel Washington]

My mother saw it. My mother saw it. What I couldn't see. And she was right.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

How much of a culture shock was it? Suddenly leaving the city. Like you say, you're riding around on your bike, leaving the city, and suddenly you're in upstate New York. I mean, which feels like a million miles away, Right?

[Denzel Washington]

Also, my father's from Virginia, so I'd been down there to the countryside. This is what we were gonna talk about, but I guess whatever you call it. The truant officer, the person at the school I was at, said I had abilities and they better get me out if I was gonna be around to exercise them. And I don't know what conversation he had with my mother, so I can't tell you what he. What he saw in me, but they worked it out for me to. To go upstate. I'm gonna show you my boy. Or maybe I don't have that photo here. Roy. I've known Roy since we were like, 11, 12, right? He did a smooth 40. Mother killed a man in self defense. Both of his brothers killed men. Crackhead sister got her life changed around. So I Went up to Mount Vernon. This is who I would have been if I didn't get out. 40 years, 30 years, whatever he did. And we were two young, healthy guys. And at 13, I went upstate New York. And at 13, he stayed in the projects.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

And how is it when you go back and see Roy?

[Denzel Washington]

I take care of him. That's my boy, right? Yeah. Period.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

See. Cause I think that's the extraordinary thing about you. I think the reason that your performances resonate. There is a depth and a history in your craft. I feel sometimes when I've seen you, I've never been lucky enough to see you on stage, and I'm excited for Othello. But when I've watched you on, I feel like I can feel Roy. And a past and a history that's there with you.

[Denzel Washington]

Thank you.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

No, I mean it.

[Denzel Washington]

We had a band. I played the keyboards. Roy played the bass. McCutcheon, he's dead, he played the lead guitar. And Carl, who's dead, also, he played the drums. So I guess we were working out kind of an artistic thing even then. You know, I mean, I never thought about being an actor at that time or anything like that.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

But when did it come that you. That you decided that acting was gonna be something you do?

[Denzel Washington]

I'd done a lot of work with children. I worked at a YMCA camp. We put on a little show for the kids. And someone asked me, well, no, let me back up. I flunked and everything else. Let's start in college.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Yeah.

[Denzel Washington]

I wanted to be a doctor. No. But acting just found me.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Was there ever any early disasters in that time when you were starting to try acting? Was there ever any sort of type of performance that you might have ventured towards that didn't. That you thought, oh, no, probably all of them. No, come on.

[Denzel Washington]

Yeah, I'm sure.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

You know, are we ever gonna see the Denzel Washington musical?

[Denzel Washington]

No.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Why?

[Denzel Washington]

Because I can't see.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

And how did you figure out.

[Denzel Washington]

No, I did.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

I did.

[Denzel Washington]

I did. I did a little musical that. That didn't go so well. Not a musical, but I did. That was in college, though. What musical? That was actually my first show. Once I became an actor, started acting, or second show was a musical, and I had to sing when Mabel came into the room. From the very moment I see Mabel come in the room. You know that song?

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

No.

[Denzel Washington]

Yeah, me either. Evidently.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

And it didn't work out.

[Denzel Washington]

Didn't.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

I love that. There's somebody somewhere else, maybe even right now, telling a story about how when they were in college, they were in A musical with Denzel Washington and it absolutely sucks.

[Denzel Washington]

Yeah, somebody. I'm sure.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Your children are now following in your footsteps. Was that inevitable in the Washington household?

[Denzel Washington]

I'm not a film person. I don't really watch movies. Never really been much of a, you know, I wanted to get out in the street, but my wife loves movies, so they all grew up watching movies. So that's where they really. I mean, they watch me maybe as an actor and her as an actress, but they learned to love movies. I think with mom just watching movies,

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

that's very generous, but there must be a.

[Denzel Washington]

No, that's a fact. That's not just generous. I mean, now they're a God given ability. I mean, we're both, you know, my wife was a child prodigy Van Clyburn competitor and she, you know, masters in piano and all of that. So they got it honest from both sides.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

So when you say you don't watch films.

[Denzel Washington]

I've never been a film person. You know, I started in a theater. So the films I watch and I think. You want to talk about that later, were, you know, Superfly Jaff, when I was, you know, whatever we went to go see. But I thought I was going to be on Broadway and make $600 a week one day and that would be it. And that was good enough.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

I do love your commitment to the stage.

[Denzel Washington]

We're just trying to get better.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

When was the last time you were

[Denzel Washington]

on stage doing Iceman? 2018.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

I love that you choose just the little light roles.

[Denzel Washington]

Yeah, right.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Iceman Cometh. Othello. How long is the Iceman Cometh? Three hours.

[Denzel Washington]

Too long.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

It is too long, but I mean, how are you feeling now? How far out do you start thinking about the character? Because you've done Othello before, right?

[Denzel Washington]

In college.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

In college. Does it feel quite full circle to be coming back to Othello?

[Denzel Washington]

That's exactly how it feels. I'm happy about that. You know, now he's placing it. Kenny Leon, the director is placing it today or he said the near future or right now or five minutes from now. So, yeah, it's going to be interesting

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

because I think the stage really is the only true actors medium. I feel like film is a director's medium, television is a writer's medium. And I think really a play is the only time where actually when you step on, you're like, and I'm going to tell a story from start to finish. That's the thing I love about it so much. But there's many people in your position don't come back to the stage. They don't come back to.

[Denzel Washington]

I was that guy. But I couldn't go back because of the children. We were raising the kids. So once they got to a certain age then I went back to Broadway in 2016 with fences, but I did something before that.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Fences is a piece of.

[Denzel Washington]

Oh no, that's right. I'm sorry. Fences was 2010. The movie was 16.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Yes.

[Denzel Washington]

So I went back in 2010.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Well, look, I'm very glad that films aren't a big part of your life, but you have chosen one film and you just mentioned it just then that was important in your life.

[Denzel Washington]

Life.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Tell us the film you've chosen.

[Denzel Washington]

What?

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Shaft?

[Denzel Washington]

Yeah, well, because, you know, my four best friends, that's where we were, you know, 12, 13, whenever it came out, going to the city, you see, we probably saw it on 42nd Street. We went downtown to see it, you know, and hadn't seen anyone like that.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Who is the man that would risk his neck for his brother? Man,

[Denzel Washington]

can you dig it? Those were heroes to us. Shaft, Superfly. I mean, it was like, in fact, one of the guys in the band, he used to call himself Priest. I think it was Priest. And he would start scratching Priest all over the walls and the elevator doors and stuff.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Talking about your friends growing up, when you express an interest in acting, how do your friends react when you tell them that that's what you're going to do?

[Denzel Washington]

I've had different sets of friends. Once I went upstate to school and really once I went to college, it was a different set of friends, you know, from these guys. And then really once I started getting into acting, I transferred, I went to Fordham University. So I transferred from the Bronx campus to the Lincoln center campus. So I was further away from the guys uptown and in a whole new world.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

But you still have this incredible bond with these people. When you, when you, when you go back to those parts of your life, what is their response to the fact that you're now a two time Academy Award winner?

[Denzel Washington]

Well, first of all, half of them are dead, so there is no response.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Sure.

[Denzel Washington]

He's the only one of my closest friends that's still alive and I just help them. It's not that kind of thing. It's just, that's not what I'm there for.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

You don't strike me just sitting as someone who enjoys sort of a rear view mirror looking back at what you've done, your incredible achievements, everything that's happened in your life, Would that be fair?

[Denzel Washington]

I'm thankful for my God given ability, it was prophesied that I would travel the world and preach to millions of people. That's what the woman wrote in a prophecy.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

What do you mean? Tell me more about that.

[Denzel Washington]

She just said, months before I started acting, she said, boy, you're going to travel the world and you're going to preach to millions of people. So that's what I was putting on this earth to do.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Because you seem to me somebody that many young people look to for advice. You've got such a great sense of who you are in the world that you have just a natural aura, which I'm not the first person to tell you this, I'm sure. How aware are you when you're shooting Gladiator or when you're just kicking around hanging out whatever, of giving your advice and knowledge over to a younger generation?

[Denzel Washington]

Well, you know, I mean, we're there to do a job.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Sure.

[Denzel Washington]

If asked, I share. I'm not there to preach or teach. I'm there to do my job, you know, but. And he was down there fighting lions and yeah, we, we were sitting up, you know, twilling out glasses and drinks.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

That must have felt really great.

[Denzel Washington]

Yeah. Up there. Yeah, it's perfect.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

You're not imagining that a tiger's running at you. But what advice would you give to any young actor today? Because I feel like the entire experience of film, movies, television, quote, unquote, fame has changed so much. What advice would you give out there?

[Denzel Washington]

Theater is an actor's medium. Get on the stage is what I tell. But those guys were all from theater.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I saw Paul in Streetcar Named Desire. Yeah, The Almeida.

[Denzel Washington]

Oof.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

You know, I'd seen his TV series, Normal People, and then I see him on stage. I was like, wow, this guy has got it.

[Denzel Washington]

He's a genuine guy.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

He's just got it. Oh, he's just got it. That thing. I hope he does continue to step on a stage. Let's move on to your memory. And I'm very excited to hear this because you actually started to tell me this story before we began taping. And I was like, no, no, no, wait, save it. The story you just told me, you said that you were on a boat. Oh, water all around you. Go on, tell me about this.

[Denzel Washington]

Well, well. So, yeah, on the boat, listening to a song. And the song was called the Face of God. You are the face of God.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

I hold you in my heart and

[Denzel Washington]

then I see the face of God. Whatever the song was, no musicals in my future. And I'm Like, Lord, you know. And I was in prayer. I just finished my prayers and meditation, listening to the music, and I said, lord, you know, everybody can see the face of God. I want to see your face. And as I was saying, I want to see your face. I heard as clear as day. I heard, turn to your left. I turned to my left and I picked up my phone and I took the picture. This is what I saw.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

So for listeners, I'm just trying to describe the photo to you. It's essentially the clouds have formed, like a human face in the sky.

[Denzel Washington]

And when I saw this, asking to see the face of God, I didn't then turn and search the skies, nor did I finish asking while I was asking. I heard clear as day, turn to your left. God is good. God is great. The opposite of fear is faith. But it's difficult in these times to have faith.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

My dad was a musician in the Royal Air Force. Saxophone player, clarinet player, flute player. And we always used to go to church every weekend. We were a Salvation army family.

[Denzel Washington]

Hallelujah.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

One day we come home from school, me and my two sisters, and you know it's bad when your mum and dad call you in the living room and the TV's off. Because if the TV's off, it means there's bad news. Do you know what I mean? Because the TV's always right, right, right,

[Denzel Washington]

right, right, right, right.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

So if you get called in and the TV's off, oh, shit, something's about to happen. And my dad says that he's been caught up and is going to the first golf war, being called up as a mini saxophone player. So we're just like, what? Anyway, he leaves, goes, I was 14 at the time. And my dad tells this story where he's in the car on the way to the airport and he puts his hands over his face and he prays. He says, God, I promise you. I promise you, if you bring me back safe, I will dedicate my life to you and your word. I will do whatever you tell me to do. Four and a half months later, dad comes back. He'd been in the Air Force 26 years, and he decides, I think that's long enough. I'm done. He leaves and he gets a job selling insurance on the phone, cold calling to try and sell him pearl insurance. Three weeks in, a guy picks up the phone and Dad's trying to sell him insurance. And this guy goes, you know what, Malcolm? You're a really good salesman. Do you ever think about, what are you doing selling this insurance? He Says, well, I was in the Air Force just on this. He says, come and see me. We're looking for some salesmen. And I think I could probably offer you more security than you've got. Cold calling insurance. Dad goes, sure, go to meets him. This guy is a Christian. Book publishers, they sell Bibles, Christian books, cards, CDs, those fishes you see on the back of the car. And he spends the next 20 years selling the very word that he made this promise to God for. So to hear you talk about your

[Denzel Washington]

dad is a good person.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Oh, yeah. Oh, my God.

[Denzel Washington]

Great person.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

He's great. But like you say, it's such challenging times right now. But to hear you talk about faith with such clarity and what I love about when you talked about that and the face of God is you're talking about faith and you're not necessarily talking about religion, is you're talking about faith and you're talking about purpose and a notion of why you are here. And I'm interested, I suppose, to know how much of your life have you felt that in you? Has it been since the prophecy?

[Denzel Washington]

When I was five or four or three, I woke up and I thought it was my sister in front of the bed. But it looked like she had wings. And like. I thought it was like a leopard suit or something. I don't know what it was, but I'm looking and it's looking at me. I thought it was my sister with wings. I get up and I head toward the door just to open the door, let the light in, and the light came in. It looked like the angel, as my mother told me, turned toward me. Then it went away. So I asked my mother, I said, ma, some. You know. And I explained it. She said, oh, it's just your guardian angel. All right. Good night.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

You know.

[Denzel Washington]

What do you know? You're five. Sure, yeah, a guardian angel. Good. Yeah, good. So he was protected. Your father is my point. He had a purpose. That's why he got home. The promise was fulfilled because God had more important things for him to do. The reason I'm talking about retirement now as an actor is because God has more important things for me to do. I don't know when, but I'm grateful for opportunities like this because this is what it's really about. I hope to be the man your father is.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

If I play him that clip, his head is so big.

[Denzel Washington]

I mean, well, yeah, yeah. All right. If we slow down, he'll just. You ain't sold as many books as me, dad.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Honestly, the way that you're showing that photo of God's face.

[Denzel Washington]

Yeah.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

I gotta see what Denzel Washington said about me.

[Denzel Washington]

He'll make sure the world sees it. I mean. Yeah. Listen, where are you with God, or where's God with you?

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Now? I'm thinking that I prayed last night, and then I'm thinking that you're being here and the turn that this show has taken is really just God's just saying, no, listen, it's gonna be all right.

[Denzel Washington]

It's gonna be all right.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

I'm gonna talk to you through Denzel Washington.

[Denzel Washington]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's funny. Yeah. What do they say? God works in mysterious ways. I did not come here today.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

That could be the most mysterious ever.

[Denzel Washington]

Yeah. Listen, I know who I belong to, and I know where I'm going. So I just want to do God's will until he calls me home, period.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

You mentioned retirement there.

[Denzel Washington]

Yeah.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

How much of your time right now is thinking about. Well, I wanna. Like you said, you said at the start of the show, there's a few directors that you're looking at going, I'd love to perhaps help them tell stories.

[Denzel Washington]

Seven more August Wilson plays to produce.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Right. Really? I'm not asking you for a time, but do you have a time frame in mind of when that might.

[Denzel Washington]

Well, my. My youngest son, Malcolm, has directed a wonderful film, Piano Lesson, which is an entire family affair. Yeah. Yeah. His sister produced Brother Stars. So I'm already. They're already pushing me to the back of the bus, and I'm fine with that. I mean, it's. It's their. You know, it's their turn. It's their time. I don't know. I love being by the sea. I love the water. So I may have to work a little longer to get one more piece of property. That's what I'm really saying is this house I want to get.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Let's move on to your person. And I know that this was difficult. You talked about a few different people that it could have been. At one point, you were going to talk about God as your person. But in the end, you've picked your family, which we have allowed.

[Denzel Washington]

So I'll change that person. The most important person is my wife.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

She.

[Denzel Washington]

The love that they have for each other, they learned how to love from her, not from me, because I didn't have a lot of that in my life. So they're very close. They love each other. They work together. And mom was there on the set every day. Malcolm was ready to send her home, but we were shooting for about two Weeks or three weeks. And I told Todd, my producing partner, I said, there's nothing for me to do around. I'm going home. He's got it. He's gone. Malcolm, my youngest son is very talented, very smart. UPenn graduate, graduated number one in his class at the American Film Institute directing program. So he's the real deal.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Let's just talk, finally, about some music. Oh, will you tell us the piece of music that you've chosen?

[Denzel Washington]

Well, here's a song I just bought.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Oh, okay.

[Denzel Washington]

That I hadn't heard. Where is it? And those in this late 60s and 70s will know this cut, especially in America, from a group called Young Holt Unlimited. And it's called Soulful Strut. Soulful Strut. This is probably 1968.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Yeah, this. Oh, this is just great.

[Denzel Washington]

Young Hope Unlimited. Oh, you notice.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Go ahead. Of course.

[Denzel Washington]

Okay. Wait, how old are you?

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

45.

[Denzel Washington]

How do you know this?

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Because I love music.

[Denzel Washington]

Go ahead.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

It's one of the greatest.

[Denzel Washington]

All right.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Now, why this song? What does it make you feel when you hear that?

[Denzel Washington]

I just, you know, just been buying stuff, and I saw their picture somewhere online or something. I was like, oh, I forgot that song. So I bought it. And I remember the dance we used to do to it. Something where you put your foot over. Something like that.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Anyway, how big of a part does music play in your life?

[Denzel Washington]

Ooh, big. I mean, I'm from the Beatles to Pharaoh Sanders, from John Coltrane to my wife. You know, my wife introduced me to Miles Davis. She was, like, under his wing. And I'm all over the place. Music, though. Yeah.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Denzel Washington. Your place was Mount Vernon, New York. Your movie is Shaft. Your memory is being on a boat and seeing the face of God in the sky. Your person is your wife, Pauletta. And your music is. Is Soulful Strut by Young Holt Unlimited. I cannot thank you enough for this moment of time that we've spent together. I've loved every single second. Thank you so much for sharing this life of yours.

[Denzel Washington]

Thank you.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Next week is this.

[Barry Keoghan]

I'm Barry Keoghan. Welcome to this life of mine. We were in foster care from five or six, me and my younger brother. My mom was addicted to drugs and heroin, so she couldn't look after us, but she wouldn't tell my granny because she was sort of ashamed and embarrassed. I had a lot of problems with trust. Never trusted love. And then having a child myself. Like, what do I show my child? Usually people have something to draw from, some sort of experience from their father.

[Denzel Washington]

Sure.

[Barry Keoghan]

But I had none. Now I'm in LA and I'm like, taking Stella Adler beginning acting class.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Are you?

[Barry Keoghan]

Yeah. I don't know.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Are you serious?

[Denzel Washington]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Barry Keoghan]

I don't know.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

When did you start that?

[Barry Keoghan]

I started that back in about four or five months ago.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Hang on. Right, so you walk in there as a Bachelor Award winner.

[Barry Keoghan]

Yeah.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Academy Award nominee.

[Barry Keoghan]

They're like, mate, what are you doing? I was like, I don't know. And then they asked me to get up on stage in class and I was like, I'm nervous. I can't.

[Host (possibly a British interviewer)]

Oh. If you haven't subscribed to Lemonade Premium yet, now is the perfect time. You can listen to this life of mine completely ad free. Plus you'll unlock exclusive quickfire rounds of questions with all of my guests. They're all in two minutes or less. Just tap that subscribe button on Apple Podcasts or head to lemonade premium.com to subscribe on any other app. Or you can listen ad free on Amazon Music with your prime membership. That's lemonadapremium.com. don't miss out.