Denzel Washington, like Tom Hanks or Jessica Lange, is one of those actors whose connection with the audience is such that the public follows him wherever he appears, practically anywhere.

In this occasion he plays Joel Coen’s Macbeth, where the filmmaker separates from his brother to direct a Shakespeare classic made unforgettable for the cinema by Orson Welles and Akira Kurosawa, as an unexpected detour in a cinematography hitherto defined by brotherhood.

The Coens, two Jewish filmmakers who have wowed audiences with their quirky and original work for over thirty years, are now shockingly divided working separately. Filmed with light effects reminiscent of German Expressionists, this version features Denzel Washington and McDormand as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth respectively. Washington explains in the interview how his father instill on him the passion for reading, the curiosity for looking in literature for the answer to all problems of the soul.

Q: You are a veteran successful actor. What is your attitude when you shoot a movie of these characteristics?

A: We all arrive at the shoot with the same tools: the script. There are many actors who are daring, different, capable of understanding the complexity of their characters. For me, it is fascinating to see them work, to follow their footsteps in this profession that is absolutely frustrating and wonderful at the same time. 

Q: Do you compete with the new generations?

A: As an actor you compete above all with yourself.  The shooting of a movie can become a transcendental space, where mental games arise between the actors. There is a shortage of good material: in film, television and platforms. That's the reality. It's hard to find a script of the quality needed to develop it; but if you have good material it's probably easier to do now than it was under the old system when there were far fewer movies. The script reflects the project and if it's not on the page, it's not on the screen. If I'm asked to do Othello for any streaming service, I'll do it because it's Shakespeare.

Q: You actually play Macbeth.

A: Yes, a film directed by Joel Coen and with Frances MacDormand. I was first a theater actor; I debuted as a performer with Emperor Jones and Othello. In my youth, the cinema was not in my plans because before it was not like now, there were not so many possibilities. When Joel called me, I immediately said yes because I thought it was an amazing trip. I played Othello when I was 20 years old and I didn't know what I was doing. Now, however, I've done it differently, talking at a table before shooting, understanding the nuances of the reading, savoring my role in each scene.

Q: You have several interpretations of Shakespeare behind you, some very important such as Richard III or Julius Caesar. 

A: Macbeth is the icing on the cake, the great challenge for any actor. “The reward for work”, Washington reveals excitedly and continues, “there is a built-in sense of urgency, this is the last chance”.

Q: Do you think it's easier to find characters for African-American actors?

A: Of course, it is much easier now than when I started. I've been an actor for forty years, obviously the situation in the industry is nothing like the first years of my career. Before, the most I could aspire to was to do theater without dreaming of becoming a star. I make a lot of jokes about it, but I must admit that I never settled for it. I have too much ego to stare at my name at the end of the credits. I have always wanted to succeed and neither my skin color nor the racist culture were going to stop me. If he had not succeeded in the cinema, he would have done so in the theater.

Q: Where do you find your motivation as an artist?

A: In reading. We all have something in life that motivates us. My father was an avid reader, a gentleman. He was not interested in sports, he always told me to pursue my diploma, but it was my mother who encouraged me to study and go to the University. I always try to discover new authors.

Q: Some Spanish authors?

A: There are many; from Lorca to Alberti passing through a very interesting young generation. I like to look for authors, young talent with different perspectives, but also classics like Cervantes and his Don Quixote.

Q: Do you speak Spanish?

A: Poorly, but I understand more than I speak.

 

María Estévez

Correspondent writer

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