“I realized I’m fighting for my life out there,” he said.
Denzel Washington, one of his generation’s most respected actors, has often admired Viola Davis and her acting skills. However, during one of their film collaboration, Denzel felt like he was “fighting for his life.”
Recently, Denzel has talked candidly about the tremendous effect of working with Viola on him. Their first project together was the Washington-directed movie “Antwone Fisher” from 2002.
In an interview with Deadline in 2017, he remarked that he had been moved by the actress’ portrayal of Antwone Fisher and understood the value of not interfering with her performance, saying, “I knew to leave her alone, and it was good that I wasn’t in that part of the film.”
“I remember it was cold, and we were in Cleveland in an abandoned housing project. It was freezing, and I remember she just stayed in character, just stayed with it, and it was just like, you know what, just leave her alone. She’s delivering. I’m watching the monitor, and I’m like, ‘Man, she’s killing it,’” he continued.
In the following years, the two veteran stars worked together once more on the Broadway production of “Fences,” for which Davis won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. However, before taking on the 2010 Broadway play, Washington considered giving up acting, but the production rekindled his enthusiasm for the role.
In a separate interview with Telegraph in 2013, Denzel disclosed, “As we get older, hopefully, we get wiser, and you start to realize how many shots do I have left? And the experience of working with Viola on Broadway was such a thrill.”
“Watching her, I realized I’m fighting for my life out there with this brilliant actress. The whole process is where I am in my life right now. It reawakened me,” he added. “I felt alive again, and I said I want to apply that same work ethic to every job in terms of preparation, investigation, everything.”
Meanwhile, Davis also praised the actor and mentioned the helpful guidance he has offered her. In a 2022 Harper’s Bazaar interview, she recounted how Washington once told her, “[Denzel Washington] said, ‘Viola, what you’re doing, you’re making a living, not a life.’”
“And I thought that was very, very powerful. You need reminders like that. It’s very hard to do. I will admit that I’ve had a very successful career, so you feel like that’s your life. It’s not my life. My mom is my life. My husband is my life. My daughter is my life. The people who love me.”
Overall, Washington’s remarks on working with Davis serve as a reminder of the value of teamwork and the necessity of challenging oneself to be the most excellent version of oneself. Along with producing powerful performances, their collaboration has been an example for others in the field to pursue excellence and a closer bond with their work.
And while Washington still feels the need to push himself and develop as an actor despite having decades of experience in the field, working with Davis has undoubtedly assisted in this.