The actor who hates Hollywood

Lesley O'Toole10 April 2012

Grown movie-star women are not reticent when it comes to revealing their feelings about Denzel Washington. Take Julia Roberts kissing him square on the mouth at this year's Oscar ceremony. And Angelina Jolie telling me a couple of years ago that the best sex she ever had was with Washington. On film, mind you. When he was a quadriplegic in 1999's The Bone Collector.

"Well, what can I say?" purrs Washington. We know he got their vote this year, and evidently many more besides.

But this 48-year-old is genuinely embarrassed by all the fuss. "That life is not my world. It's not what I do." He's happy to have won his Best Actor Oscar this year for Training Day, of course, and especially thrilled that he was part of that triumphant people-of-colour triumvirate. But he certainly did not prostitute himself on the promotional circuit, as the vast majority of Oscar nominees do. In fact, virtually the converse - Washington was almost conspicuous by his absence this pre-Oscar season.

He doesn't even do the "movie star at home" thing well, either. Until very recently, he lived in the Valley area of Los Angeles, for heaven's sake, an area where discerning celebrities wouldn't dream of residing. He did eventually wise up and has finally bought a more appropriate property in Pacific Palisades (five bedrooms, pool with cabana) where proper bigwigs like Steven Spielberg live.

Perhaps this is what makes Washington a famously good guy. Perhaps even the sort of bloke who might hold a cocky heart surgeon hostage to force him to give his dying son a new heart.

Such is the premise of Wash-ington's new film John Q, released this week, in which he plays a role he essays often in life - that normal guy with no particular power. He is a father without health insurance of a son who will die without a heart transplant.

"I was a man without power. I've worked in factories, for the sanitation department and in the post office. I know what it is to be unemployed. I've never had an insurance problem because I've never been hurt. But I know what it is not to have. I still have my unemployment book. And I take it out every now and then."

The film is a powerful and not unrealistic indictment of the American health system. It's worth seeing for his performance alone, one infinitely more layered than that which won him his Oscar.

It will also underline Washington's credentials as his country's cinematic "everyman". "In my normal everyday life I have a job to do. I go to my job and I work. Right now, I'm getting into the car every day and going to the editing room, then I get back in the car, go home, eat dinner and turn on the TV. I put my feet up. I'm not out at all the parties and functions.

"Just because I live in LA, that doesn't make me 'in Hollywood'. I don't do Hollywood things. I don't go to premieres for films I'm not in. In fact, the only two I've been to in the last 10 years were Do The Right Thing and Erin Brockovich. And that's only because Julia is my friend."

Washington paints his wife of almost 20 years, Pauletta, as something of a saint. She kissed Julia at the Oscars too.

Roberts and Washington first starred together in 1993's The Pelican Brief and remain close. Washington's resumé offers a Who's Who of Stars Who Will Become Huge - besides Roberts, there's Russell Crowe in Virtuosity (1995), Angelina Jolie in The Bone Collector and Matt Damon in Courage Under Fire (1996).

Did he see their stardom coming? "I did. When I saw Russell, I thought, 'Yeah, he's good', and as you can see now, I was right. I felt the same way about Angelina, and when I did Courage Under Fire with Matt Damon, I said, 'This kid can act'."

YET only Julia appears to have retained best-pal status. "Julia said the other day, 'I'm an ordinary person doing an extraordinary job'. And I thought, 'That's me'. I'm not an entourage person. I'm just a regular guy, driving my kids to the game and doing what my wife tells me."

Washington has four children - teenagers John and Katia, plus 11-year-old twins Olivia and Malcolm (named for Malcolm X) - but appeared to have none in tow at the Oscars which, again, speaks volumes.

He may not parade them in front of the cameras, but he's very happy to brag about them. All are "into athletics. My eldest son was voted one of the top players in the country in high-school football."

Keeping his children out of the public eye has not worked as well as he would like. He was mortified when he asked recently if they would want to be famous. "They said, 'Oh yeah', and when I asked why, 'So we can get in restaurants'. I was shocked."

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