"I don't know what 'Hollywood' means” — Denzel Washington describes himself as a stage actor while rejecting Hollywood actor moniker

During an interview with CBS Sunday Morning on March 23, accomplished actor Denzel Washington said that he doesn't consider himself a Hollywood actor. According to New York Post, he said in the interview:

“What’s the definition of a Hollywood actor?” Washington said in the interview.

He added that since he hailed from Mt. Vernon, he would prefer being called a Mt. Vernon actor:

“Myself, I’m from Mt. Vernon, so I’m a ‘Mt. Vernon actor.’ I don’t know what ‘Hollywood’ means.”

Washington further analyzed the definition of a stage actor, and how he was a stage actor who does films in Hollywood. He said:

“I’m a stage actor who does film; it’s not the other way around,” Washington elaborated to CBS. “I did stage first. I learned how to act on stage, not on film. Movies are a filmmaker’s medium. You shoot it, and then you’re gone and they cut together and add music and do all of that. Theater is an actor’s medium. The curtain goes up, nobody can help you.”

According to Entertainment Now, the actor is excited about the success of his latest play, which is an adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello. Co-starring with Jake Gyllenhaal, Washington's adaptation of Othello has become the highest-grossing Broadway play in history, as per CBS News.

The play reportedly earned a total of $2.8 million in a week, and Washington told the publication he is very excited:

“It’s the most excited I’ve been this century. Seriously. I haven’t been this excited about anything I’ve done as I am about this.”

Othello director Kenny Leon praised Washington while speaking to ABC 7. He said:

"I think Denzel has given his whole self on the stage eight shows a week. He doesn’t have to do that other than he wants to impact lives — his Othello is going on that spiritual journey. It’s just a real special production."

Entertainment Now quotes an article in Time Out to report that the tickets of the play are priced upto $900.

About Denzel Washington

Born on December 28, 1954, Denzel Washington is a veteran actor, director and producer who is known for his dramatic sense. He has been named as the greatest actor of the 21st century by New York Times in the year 2020.

He began his career on television where he worked in the series Wilma (1977) and Flesh & Blood (1979). His feature film debut was in Carbon Copy, in the year 1981. Washington started grabbing eyeballs as Dr. Philip Chandler in the television series, St. Elsewhere. His Broadway debut happened in the year 1988, in Ron Milner's Checkmates.

Denzel Washington is a two-time Oscar winner. He won in the Best Supporting Actor category for his performance in Glory, and in the Best Actor category for Training Day.

At the Golden Globes, he has so far won as Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for The Hurricane, Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for Glory, and the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award.