Denzel Washington declares his “biggest lifetime achievement.”
The Training Day star – who has children John David, 34, Katia, 32, and 28-year-old twins Olivia and Malcolm with spouse Pauletta – was honored at the AFI Life Achievement Award gala on Thursday, June 6, 2019. Washington admitted he regards his best accomplishments as those achieved outside of his career.
Asked ahead of the event, which took place at Hollywood’s Dolby Theater, what he considered his biggest lifetime achievement, the star turned to his wife and smiled as she said: “His four children”.
He replied: “[Actually] I was pointing to her. That’s my biggest lifetime achievement.”
The 64-year-old actor admitted he felt “humbled” to have been chosen by the American Film Institute for the honor, but felt very “relaxed” to be attending an event in his honor as there was no pressure on him.
“I’m humbled, I’m grateful, I’m thankful… I’ve never done this before so I can’t really tell you how I feel,” he told “Entertainment Tonight.”
“It doesn’t feel like other times I’m on the red carpet. I’m usually promoting a film or at an award show. [Here] I’ve already won, I guess, so it’s different. It’s relaxed.”
Despite his decades of success, the Fences star admitted he “never thought” about a career in acting when he was younger until it was suggested when he was at university.
“I kind of backed into it. I never thought about acting, I didn’t know anything about it. But I fell in love with it. Ignorance is bliss,” he told Variety:
“Someone said, ‘Hey, you ever thought about being on stage? You seem like a natural.’ That fall, I did a musical. I found out I couldn’t sing, [and] I was off to the races.”
