Denzel Washington insists there are a limited number of films left for him to make.
The 69-year-old double Oscar winner recently hinted at his retirement at the American Black Film Festival in Miami Beach, Florida, in June, and, now, he’s said that after Sir Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, there’s not much else that has piqued his interest.
“There are very few films left for me to make that I’m interested in, and I have to be inspired by the filmmaker, and I was tremendously inspired by Ridley,” he told Empire magazine.
“The things that are going on for me professionally behind the camera are as important to me now as in front of the camera. I think there’s less and less time I’ll be spending in front of the camera,” he explained at the festival.
During the talk, Washington also opened up about working with his children on a Netflix adaptation of August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson, which was co-written and directed by his son Malcolm Washington, stars his other son John David Washington and was produced by his daughter Katia Washington.
“After about two weeks [on set], I went home. I was like, there’s really nothing for me to do here. I’m just in the way,” the actor — who produced the movie — joked.
“I’m not saying this because he’s my son, but he’s very talented. He went to the American Film Institute. He graduated number one in his class,” he added of Malcolm’s directing work.
Washington also credited his wife, Pauletta Pearson, with inspiring their children to take up careers in the movie industry.
“They all got it from their mother’s side. As long as I’ve known her, she’s been a movie buff, she got those kids to watch movies,” he said.
He placed a video call to Pauletta during the onstage chat, and she joked that he wouldn’t be getting anything for Father’s Day after putting her on the spot.
“Tomorrow’s Father’s Day so you can forget getting a gift!” she said.
Washington’s upcoming projects also include Spike Lee’s crime drama High and Low.
