Denzel Washington Shuts Down Repeated Questions About His Past In Tense Exchange with Reporter, Resurfaced Clip Shows

It’s been a few weeks since fans of Denzel Washington saw the actor going off paparazzi in New York City. The shocking incident was caught on video and slightly mirrors his demeanor in another interview where Washington appeared annoyed.

A similar moment showing the seemingly ill-tempered entertainer being interviewed in 2010 has since resurfaced causing more shock value.

A fan reposted the awkward interview where Washington sits across from a woman reporter asking him about the then-upcoming film, “Unstoppable,” as he responded with terse answers.

“How did you feel about climbing all over a moving train?” she asked to which he responded, “Eh, you know … you got used to it.” 

She goes on to say “You’ve had some amazing co-stars who stands out.  Who do you think stands out when you look back as some of the most amazing talents?” and Washington replies back, “I don’t look back. For what?”

In her professional composure, the interviewer pressed on. “So what do you to – is there anybody that your keen to work on what do you still want to achieve?” she asked. “Well, you know I want to have a good day today,” he said. “I want to achieve that and I take it one day at a time.”

She went on to ask Washington if winning two Academy Awards was at the height of his career highlights. He responded, “There you back to the past again.” Chuckling, she said, “because I want to show all of this great stuff.”

At this point, while talking over each other, Washington cut her off first to say, “You’ve got an agenda here going. Well, alright, just tell me what it is you want and maybe I can help you there. I won two Oscars, yes.”

He softens up a bit as he begins to talk about the talent that Angelina Jolie and Dakota Fanning hold. But later Washington points out the interviewer’s desire to keep dwelling in his previous works which seems to irk him.

She asks him about Alonzo Harris and working with him in “Training Day,” a film that earned Washington his second Academy Award.

“Training Day!? Yeah, yeah it was good,” he said before giving a sarcastic smile adding, “You keep going to the past. You got your thing worked out?”

Before signing off the interviewer shakes his hand to get up and leave and he responds, “Now you got to send me this clip. I want to see what you put together. It’s pressure.”

Fans were shocked by Washington’s behavior in the video, including some who thought he was a bit harsh. One person said, “There is no need to treat someone this way. No matter how big you are…”

Someone else wrote, “He does have a nasty streak. No wonder he can play such characters with startling intensity.”

There were some fans who offered other perspectives. One said, “The interviewer wanted to do a career retrospective, probably because she really admired his body of work. Denzel was there to plug his movie, it was business and I think that’s why he got frustrated. Talking about Training Day won’t make you go see his runaway train movie.”

Another wrote, “Actors and their studios agree to these kind of interviews in order to promote the newly, or recently released, movie. Not to have the interviewer, talk show host, or whoever, sit there and gush about the actors past works.”

The interviewer, Leila Mckinnon, detailed what took place during the awkward interview during a press junket. She was flown into town for the eight-minute interview she thought almost wouldn’t happen.

“I sit in the hotel corridor with a couple of dozen reporters from around the world. And wait for hours,” she stated in an article with Australian outlet, Honey.

She continued stating, “Flocks of young publicists flutter up and down barely hiding their panic. “He’s arrived”, I hear one whisper, “But he won’t come out of the room”. An hour later, as another rushes past, I hear a breathless, “He wants more tea”. 

As she patiently waited, Washington eventually appeared, “Huge, graceful, gorgeous, and full of attitude (and presumably tea).”

A similar awkward interaction occurred between Washington and a group of photographers at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. While posing for photos, someone in the crowd shouts “Show us some love.” 

The “Fences” actor comes over to the guy and says, “Yo, yo, yo … put this down. You’re talking to a man right now,” he said. “I heard you. You’re talking about ‘showing love’ and this and that. How about … respect me?”

One guy, a part of the paparazzi, continued by saying,“We always do.” Washington responded with an irritated look, “I said I’ll see you when I get out. Which part of that don’t y’all understand?”

He added, “Or not. We can do it another way. I can do it more ways, y’all. You feel me?”