Is it wrong for Denzel Washington to encourage film actors to act on stage?

Posted: 6/25/10 at 2:18am

For years in interviews, Washingtion has constantly stressed that he feels you can't learn to become a good actor on film. Something about picking up too many bad habits.

He makes a habit of encouraging other film actors, with less stage training and experience than him to do stage at some point. I believe Julia Roberts made her Broadway debut after seeking advice from Washington. When Washington was asked by some of the young members of his cast that he directed in The Great Debaters, what they should do next in their careers....Washington advised them to work on stage. Washington's own daughter is an aspiring actor. Washington probably could have done the old Hollywood nepotism thing and gotten her cast somewhere without her doing much, but he told her that she had to train properly for the stage (which she's been doing for a few years now) and not try to get a quick movie career.

Is this really the attitude of a dillitante film actor? Someone who thinks it's just a lark to turn up once in awhile on stage to win an award and thank the "Tony commitee". Not really. It's somewhat ironic that Washingtion himself is critical of film acting as a form of training.

But on the other hand, what do the "give Broadway back to to Broadway" people think of Washington's attitude. On one hand, he's saying stage actors are generally better and more disciplined. But he's telling film actors to go and get some of that discipline, to improve themselves.Is that a bad thing?

[AC126748]

Posted: 6/25/10 at 6:59am

Considering that Washington cut his teeth on stage for nearly a decade before making films, I'd hardly say that he considers his own film experience as a form of training. He's always maintained that he sees himself as a stage actor first and foremost, even though he doesn't get to do plays as often as he likes. And up until this year, he'd never even been nominated--let alone win--a major theatre award.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 6/25/10 at 8:56am

You belong to Hunter Foster's Tony group, don't you?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/25/10 at 8:56am

If he's talking to actors that WANT to do film, what is wrong with his advice? He's right. Live stage work is the most dedicated and grueling work. The way you approach the work is different...and SHOULD be the springboard for all performance preparation

It's not like he's going up to b'way actors and "recruiting" them away from Bway. I daresay, there are few bway performers that would NOT accept tv or film work. Are they all suited for it? No. But not every film/tv actor could handle live stage work either.

Posted: 6/25/10 at 10:46am

AC126748: I believe that's incorrect, about Washington not having won a major theatre award before this year. He won an Obie for his role in A Solidier's Play in 1981, before it got transferred to film as A Soldier's Story. Last I checked, the Obie was the most prestigious theatre award for Off-Broadway shows.

organgeskittles; I think Foster's group is full of spiteful babies...so no, I don't belong to that group. Besides, I doubt Foster's group like the idea of Washington marching a bunch of film actors towards Broadway, no matter their level of stage experience, just so they can get better trained. I just thought this was an interesting subject. Especially considering that one of Washington's former co-stars, Russell Crowe, seems to hold a different view. Crowe cut his teeth as a journeyman stage actor in Australia (touring with The Rocky Horror Picture Show for quite awhile), but seems to have no wish ever to return to the boards, I believe Crowe gave an interview a few years ago saying film actors only do theatre, if their film career is on the skids and they can't find a movie gig.

I found Crowe's opinion to be horribly unfair and dismissive. But that's how he feels about stage.
Updated On: 6/25/10 at 10:46 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/25/10 at 10:55am

Don't see the jump to Crowe in this discussion at all. But from the tone of your OP, it SEEMED as if you didn't think Denzel should be encouraging stage work...which WOULD have put you in the same camp as Foster's group. (Certainly may have not been your intent, but that is the way it reads.)

Posted: 6/25/10 at 11:16am

The jump to Crowe is that I find it relevant to see what other film stars of Washington's level, think of film actors doing stage. Nothing more.

I didn't think I came off as dismissive of Washington's attitude (I thought it was commendable). In fact a lot of Foster's group have been attacking Washington because he didn't remember the name of the American Theatre Wing in his acceptance speech. Apparently, this was "evidence" that he didn't care about the Tonys and was dismissive of stage acting and those who do it regularly. Washington's consistent statements elsewhere suggest the opposite...he places stage acting on a pedastal, compared to film.

[esparza 333]

Posted: 6/25/10 at 11:31am

I think what Denzel is said is absolutely true and it is wonderful that he is encouraging actors to come to the stage and really work and builld a strong a discipline which is what theatre actors have to do. And while Washington did forget to say the American Theatre Wing he has been gracious enough to come to broadway and give a spectacular performance. I think people are forgetting that Denzel Washington is huge film star and has two oscars. He is one of the most famous actors in the world. The fact that he would even return to his roots should be respected. The way I see it people like Denzel Washingon and Viola Davis are actors who started in theatre and would have had long theatre focused careers had they not have gotten the big breaks they had got. The fact is they got offered great roles in hollywood and they would have been silly to turn them down especially as those roles have made them some of the most respected actors in hollywood. And while they are busy film stars they still kindly come back to broadway and give us brilliant performances.

I think Hunter's group is overdoing it in their attacks. While Green Day playing for such a long time was not good, almost all of the film actors who won Tonys gave excellent performances. Being a film actor and doing a broadway show is not a crime. I do find it bad when a talentless movie star comes and does a show so it can generate money. And while I find it bad I always want to give them a chance regardless and respect their decision when they say they want to try broadway. The truth of the matter is very few film stars have walked away from a braodway show without a tremendous amount of respect for what stage actors do.

[wonkit]

Posted: 6/25/10 at 11:58am

"One of the most famous actors in the world." Really?

Posted: 6/25/10 at 12:22pm

He's one of the most famous actors of all time. I figured that was undisputed. If you mention "Denzel" in Europe or Africa, everyone knows who you are talking about. The guy doesn't even need a last name.

Bizarre factoid; Washington's filmography is the most "remade" filmography of any Hollywood actor in India. Bollywood has Indian versions of many of his films, including John Q, Fallen, Man On Fire, Training Day, Out Of Time ect.

[musicalfandukie]

Posted: 6/25/10 at 12:46pm

Washington never said actors had to go to Broadway. He just said stage training.

Posted: 6/25/10 at 12:56pm

I do believe Washington has encouraged working film actors (ie Julia Roberts) to act on stage. Not neccesarily Broadway...just stage (I guess that includes regional theatre, off-broadway, west end, summer stock). So he does both. He advises aspiring actors to get stage training first, and encourages experienced film actors who haven't done stage, to at least try it. Al Pacino does something similar from what I've read (Pacino has been trying to get Johnny Depp to do stage for awhile, and trying to get Sean Penn to do stage again)

I really doubt Washington would tell an experienced film actress like Julia Roberts, to go back and get some extensive stage training before going on stage. That'd probably be insulting.

[rjm516]

Posted: 6/25/10 at 8:06pm

I really like that Denzel promotes stage acting so strongly. I think it's great. Also, wonkit, Denzel is definitely one of the most famous actors in the world today! Undoubtedly.

Ha, scrumpyjack, I'm sure Denzel wouldn't tell Julia Roberts that she needed stage training. If he were truly the catalyst for getting her to do Three Days of Rain, it was probably just that he recommended it and persuaded her that she should do it.

[jo]

Posted: 6/25/10 at 8:12pm

Re Russell Crowe's comment, it is dismissive but there is an iota of truth in it. He can get a movie gig but are they the kind of gigs that he really wants to do?

Here's an interesting article on movie fans wanting to get their movie stars back to Hollywood ( and the realities of movie choices in Hollywood these days) --

http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/blog/2010/06/give_the_movie.html
Updated On: 6/25/10 at 08:12 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/25/10 at 8:12pm

Julia had wanted to go on stage for quite a while and found a project she felt strongly enough about to commit herself to and while if I live a million years, I'll never understand the hate surrounding her performance, I hope she returns very soon!

[rjm516]

Posted: 6/25/10 at 8:15pm

Yeah I enjoyed Julia in Three Days of Rain! Thought it may have been due to the fact that Paul Rudd and Bradley Cooper were great. Or...just that they were in it!

[jo]

Posted: 6/25/10 at 8:18pm

It is not so much hate but disappointment about Julia's performance in THREE DAYS OF RAIN. I was one of those expecting a strong stage presence ( as she generally lights up the screen when she is in a movie) but I found her presence in the first act of THREE DAYS very unimpressive, although she seemed to have improved somewhat in the second act.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/25/10 at 8:20pm

Julia on stage was exactly like she was on film. I found her to light up that stage every second she was on it.

[jo]

Posted: 6/25/10 at 8:23pm

Sorry for disagreeing - I had gotten a 3rd row seat because I was very keen to see her emote onstage. But I was quite disappointed with her, especially in the first act.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/25/10 at 8:27pm

Don't know what to tell you. I saw the show over 20 times and never thought she was anything other than the Julia I love so much.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 6/25/10 at 8:30pm

20 times?!

Jesus, Jordan, get a life!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/25/10 at 8:31pm

Not counting how many times I've watched it, er..."remembered" it from home.

[jo]

Posted: 6/25/10 at 8:31pm

Maybe it was a poor choice of stage material for her?

I saw Denzel Washington in Julius Caesar and it was also quite a disappointing performance ( I don't think he should do Shakespeare, and certainly not the role of Brutus), to which people around me at the theatre agreed. Now he is a TONY winner for the better choice of role in FENCES.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/25/10 at 8:33pm

Oh it TOTALLY wasn't the right thing for her to do. It's a really minor play that's not all "that" great but even having said that I still think she did a really great job.

Posted: 6/25/10 at 8:53pm

jo; I don't think Shakespeare is an issue at all for Washington. Having seen him in Kenneth Branagh's film version of Much Ado About Nothing, I thought he was fantastic. He's arguably the defintive Don Pedro, even taking into account stage versions of the role. I noticed that black actors started being cast more in the role on stage, after Branagh went that way with Washington, and it worked so well. I read Branagh's biography a few years ago, and it actually stated that Washington's performance got the strongest reviews from the British film critics (alongside Emma Thompson's). Washington got better reviews than Branagh in a Shakespeare....imagine that.

I think his performance in Julius Ceasar probably suffered more from rustiness. He hadn't been on stage for nearly 15 years when he did it, and I think his stage performance was a lot more muted and reserved, because that's how he was used to acting on film for so long. He had to find his stage legs again, and maybe diving into Shakespeare and Julius Ceasar straight away wasn't the wisest move, considering the difficulty level involved. I think with the confidence he's found from getting it right with Fences, he could probably give a greater Shakesperian turn. It's a bit of a cliche at this point, but he'd probably make a great Othello.
Updated On: 6/25/10 at 08:53 PM