It’s not a hot take to say Denzel Washington is one of the best actors in the world. The man has earned nine Oscar nominations and taken home two Academy Awards for his performances over the decades. And there’s a lot of buzz surrounding his latest effort in “The Tragedy of Macbeth” from filmmaker Joel Coen. So, it makes sense that Washington has entered a place in his career where he only wants to work with the very best filmmakers.
Speaking to Blacktree TV, while promoting ‘Macbeth,’ Denzel Washington hints at the caliber of filmmaker he’s expecting to work with on projects in the future. And the three directors he names are easily some of the most acclaimed, prestigious filmmakers currently working.
“I’ve talked to one or two or three of the top directors, the directors I want to work with,” said Washington. “I spent a wonderful day with Paul Thomas Anderson and his family. I had great conversations with Steve McQueen. I have a call into [Alfonso] Cuaron…Joel [Coen] sets the bar high, and I want to keep [going higher].”
READ MORE: Steve McQueen To Write & Direct A New Film, ‘Blitz’
We don’t know the specifics about any of these projects. Paul Thomas Anderson, as we’ve seen with the lead-up to “Licorice Pizza,” is one of the most mysterious filmmakers working today, always going the extra distance to make sure no one knows anything about his projects until he’s ready to announce. Steve McQueen is a filmmaker with a ton of projects on his slate, so it’s unclear which one he might be talking to Washington about, though it appears his next film will be “Blitz.” Cuaron is about to begin work on his new TV series, “The Disclaimer,” but Washington’s name hasn’t been linked to that project yet.
Obviously, these filmmakers would likely love to work with Denzel Washington and maybe they’ll wait until the time is right. But it’s clear that Washington is going to be a lot pickier when it comes to projects in the future, which is an exciting prospect, to say the least.