Denzel Washington is hellbent on holding off from his acting retirement for a little while longer, but a recent and bizarre injury he suffered might be threatening to push it up sooner. Don’t worry, we’ll explain.
Sitting down for a chat with the New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast over the weekend, the “Gladiator II” star revealed he’d severely bitten his tongue a few months back and the healing process is making it hard for him to perform. For context, Washington is gearing up to take the stage on Broadway in the Kenny Leon-directed iteration of “Othello,” with previews beginning later in February. The show officially opens the following month and will conclude in June. But thanks to his mouth injury, rehearsals have proven to be a bit difficult.
“I bit my tongue almost half-off a few months ago. It’s affecting my speech. It forces me to slow down. I have to use it,” he said. “I have a line: ‘Whither will you that I go to answer this your charge?’ It’s hard because my tongue is swollen. It has affected everything.”
Yet and still, Washington appears to be in good spirits in spite of and shared that he views the unfortunate mishap as a potential divine message.
“I’m like, ‘OK, Lord, I’m here, I think this is what you wanted me to do.’ Now I’m not sure why [I bit my tongue], but one can say coincidence and serendipity and all those things,” he said.
Elsewhere in the interview, the “Equalizer” actor gave his two cents on not receiving Oscars recognition for his highly-praised role in “Gladiator II.”
Sarcastically saying that he was “so upset,” he went on to say that he was proud of the work he did, the work he’s currently doing and proud of the other actors in the category as well. He also let it be known that it was a thing of the past and that given the longevity of his career, his focus is on bigger and better things.
“Listen, I’ve been around too long. I’ve got—I don’t wanna say other fish to fry, but there’s a reality at this age. The beginning of wisdom is understanding. I’m getting wiser, working on talking less and learning to understand more and that’s exciting,” he said.
Another part of his reality will also be a handful of upcoming films fans can expect to see him in which include Spike Lee’s “High 2 Lowest,” a film about Hannibal Barca, and a undisclosed role in the Ryan Coogler-directed film “Black Panther 3.”