Denzel Washington, John Q Interview by Paul Fischer in Los Angeles.

 Denzel Washington is nothing if not diverse. Last year he won plaudits [and this week an Oscar nomination] for his bad cop in Training Day, now he's back on screen as a reluctant hero of sorts in John Q. In a year when African-Americans are doing well in the upcoming Oscar race, the acclaimed actor tells PAUL FISCHER in Los Angeles, that he just wants to do good work - but another Oscar would still be nice.

When it comes to talking Oscars, Denzel Washington - a winner for Supporting Actor in Glory- waxes philosophical.  "You know I've been around the block a few times, so we'll see what happens.  I'm more relaxed about it than in the past.  I guess I get a little nervous right before they say whoever's name they are going to say, but it's really out of my hands, so there's no point in worrying about it too much you know." Besides, the 46-year old star ads, "you know that I already have an Oscar.  They're the same size, the same weight. I'm just going to continue to work hard and try to do good work and they're going to have to see me year after year after year.  I mean I may be 80 years old before they finally oh just give me another one." And while he's thrilled that this is a strong year for African Americans, Oscar wise, Washington also believes "that's pathetic, with what, three nominations?"

Dressed casually in jeans and baseball cap, Washington has more on his mind than March's Academy Awards. He has just finished directing [and co-starring] in his first [untitled] feature, based on the true story of sailor Antwone Fisher, who went on to become a screenwriter in Hollywood. Washington also plays a supporting role as a psychiatrist. Washington admits to being in a state of complete fear - but in a good way. "For me, fear is healthy.  .  You know I've done 25, 30 films and I've been blessed to do a lot of good stuff, get nominations and all kinds of stuff and awards, but you can get bored with something." Washington admits that acting  "wasn't fresh and was getting stale for me, while with directing, I'm alive again and I didn't sleep for two months." Washington didn't find his first directing chore difficult, more "exhilarating and frightening.  Every day was great when it was over because I was like: Okay I can do that and actually do that, but then the next day would be like: Well what do I do now?  It's all new."

 He admits that in hindsight, his experience directing was not quite as bad as he had imagined, "but you have all these people that are relying on you and looking to you for answers and you don't necessarily know what the answers are. But I was smart enough to put the best people around me and let them do their job.  I had a great crew and you know a couple of days in, I was just flying.  If I'm allowed to, will be directing the rest of my life," the actor frankly admits, even though "us directors don't get paid well."

In addition to directing, Washington is equally passionate about his latest starring role on camera, John Q, the story of an ordinary working-class guy who takes a hospital hostage when his health insurance fails to cover a life-and-death operation for his son. This father of four found himself identifying with the character. "I was in a car accident with my oldest son when he was a little guy," Washington recalls. "The adrenaline kicked in, because he got his legs jammed in between the door and the seat. I snatched the door open and got him out of there, and he's screaming, and I'm like, 'Oh, my God, it's going to be all right,' and he's like, 'No, Dad, put me down, I'm all right, put me down.' I was flipping out. He was fine." As a member of his acting union, the Screen Actors Guild, Washington has little to worry about in terms of health care coverage, but admits in terms of John Q, he didn't allow himself to get into the issue of the issue. "because I was playing a guy who THOUGHT he had health coverage so I wasn't as concerned with the issue no more than John Q is concerned with the issue. He's concerned with saving his child's life while the filmmaker needs to be more concerned with the issue, but I didn't want to get caught up in the politics of it." But the politics of the health insurance aside, Washington adds that there is more to the film than an undertone of politics. "What's interesting about this film is the question: How far would you go?  What would you do?  I mean I have four children.  If I had the same circumstances as John, what would I do?  I mean any father would say he's going to do whatever it takes for his child to live." 

 Washington sees John as a kind of flawed hero. "He's a father that loves his child and whose back is against the wall. I can remember when I was younger, just starting and not having anything to eat and thinking about how I got to go steal something or do something,  but I couldn't do it.  What do you do in this situation?  That's what's interesting about the movie."

Washington is blessed, well off and successful. Asked what he drawn on to play a character defined by his ordinariness, Washington is dismissive. "That's acting.  You don't have to kill someone to play a murderer. It's just acting and make-believe."

Next for Denzel, his new directorial effort, and his last as simultaneous actor and director.  "I won't do that again. The kind of actor I am, it takes too much concentration and it's too distracting." And when he's not acting, he lives for his kids. "I go to football games with my kids. Basically, I'm a driver and assistant coach! Acting is just making a living. But my kids are my life."

Filmography