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Is Denzel Washington Getting Ready to Leave His Acting Career?

Photo from Film Updates on X

Is Denzel Washington Getting Ready to Leave His Acting Career?

By Movieguide® Contributor

Recent comments from Denzel Washington have some wondering if the actor is considering retirement. 

“There are very few films left for me to make that I’m interested in, and I have to be inspired by the filmmaker,” Washington told The Hollywood Reporter. 

Movieguide® previously reported on Washington’s potential pivot from his acting career:

Denzel Washington warned fans they may be seeing him take less onscreen roles as he begins to transition to more behind-the-scenes work.

“The things that are going on for me professionally behind the camera are as important to me now as in front of the camera,” Washington said at the American Black Film Festival. “I think there’s less and less time I’ll be spending in front of the camera.”

While this change may come as a disappointment to many of Washington’s fans, it is only fair after appearing onscreen for close to 50 years. While he is best known for his roles in REMEMBER THE TITANS, TRAINING DAY, THE BOOK OF ELI, and THE EQUALIZER, he has also served as a behind-the-scenes resource in the past two decades, directing or producing most of the projects he would appear in.

Now as Washington approaches 70 years old, it is only natural for him to want to take a step back from the grind of onscreen acting to focus more on the still-involved producing and directing roles.

However, the Academy Award-winning actor added that he was “tremendously inspired” by his most recent director, Ridley Scott. The pair worked together on the upcoming GLADIATOR II. 

“He’s engaged. He’s excited about life and his next film. He’s an inspiration,” Washington said. “We should all want to feel like that at 86.”

Washington plays Macrinus, an arms dealer who “wants to be emperor, and he’s willing to do anything to get there,” the actor shared. 

Scott also spoke about Washington’s character to Deadline, saying, “He was captured in North Africa, and evolved into a free man because he was a good gladiator. But he hides that because also he’s now realizing the potential of his actual power. He’s wealthier than most senators, so already has thoughts and designs of the possible idea of taking power from these two crazy princes.”

The director also shared the reasoning behind his decision to make a sequel to GLADIATOR.

“I thought the [first] film was, as it were, completely satisfactory, creatively complete, so why muck with it, right?” he said. “But these cycles keeps going on and on and on, they repeat globally for the last 20 years. It started to spell itself out as an obvious thing to do, and that’s how it evolved.”

Scott told Empire, “It’s the best thing I’ve ever made. One of the best things. I’ve made a few good [ones].”