Denzel Washington recently warned fans that they may be seeing him take less onscreen roles as he starts to transition to more behind-the-scenes work. Washington said at the American Black Film Festival, “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.”
While this change may come as a disappointment to many of Washington’s fans, it’s 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 and focus more on the still-involved producing and directing roles.
As he is taking on more leadership roles, Washington is also bringing his faith to Hollywood by grounding his projects in Christ. While directing “A Journal For Jordan,” for example, he would start every day on set in prayer. “[We] always started the day with prayer,” Washington told Relevant magazine. “There’s all kinds of little miracles that you run into that you didn’t anticipate.” He believes that this approach transformed the movie.
His faith has also kept Washington grounded despite being one of the most recognizable names in Hollywood. “One of the most important lessons in life that you should know is to remember to have an attitude of gratitude, of humility, to understand where the gift comes from,” he told Desus & Mero in 2022. “It’s not mine,” he added, speaking to his success in Hollywood. “It’s been given to me by the grace of God.”
Therefore, because of Washington’s faith, while fans may lament over seeing him less on screen in the future, they can rejoice knowing he will have more opportunities to sow seeds of the Gospel through the leadership roles he will be taking instead.