*Tonight, Chaz Ebert moderated the American Black Film Festival Retrospective: Denzel Washington at the New World Center in Miami, FL. The retrospective was described as a journey through Washington’s illustrious career, his evolution as an actor, director, producer and his love for the work of August Wilson.
The conversation started with the icon reading the word of the day.
“Inner peace. Let the small things go. Should I stop right there?” He asked the audience. “I let the small things go and find peace. On those days, I feel quick to irritation and anger. I may mistakenly blame other people in circumstances for the lack of peace in my mind. Amen!
Ebert read a few questions from her cue cards.
“How was it working with Whitney Houston?”
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“I felt like I wanted to protect her,” expressed the actor.
“What’s it like working with Spike Lee?”
[He’s a] “pit bull. He’s someone you want to have in your corner. He isn’t afraid. He’s so Brooklyn,” proclaimed Washington.
Ebert shared a personal story about telling former President Barack Obama, [I see how] ‘you channel Denzel,’ in your mannerisms. Blushing and smiling the veteran actor chronicled a comedic chat he had in the Oval Office with Obama about Just For Men. Then the interview turned…
“I wasn’t into being an actor or director,” explained the Academy Award winner. This answer urged Ebert to stand up, walk off her nerves and then bend over to be eye to eye with the legend, prompting him to jokingly remind her, “I’m from the Bronx.” This triggered the crowed into boisterous laughter.
“This isn’t going how you thought,” questioned Washington.
The publisher declared some of the questions on the cards weren’t her own.
The Tony Award winner tried to take the cue cards out of her hand because the notes seemed to make her less present and more anxious. This gesture launched the crowd to chant, TOSS THAT SCRIPT, TOSS THAT SCRIPT, TOSS THAT SCRIPT! But she clenched to her cards.
From this point the retrospective teeter tottered between uncomfortable, bewildering and humorous during a live FaceTime with Pauletta Washington declaring, “I would’ve at least put my wig on. Tomorrow is Fathers Day you can forget about a gift,” after her husband called her in front of hundreds of people.
The discussion wrapped with Washington wondering, “now what? What else should we do?”
ABFF will air an online segment June 17 – 24 on ABFF PLAY, abffplay.com
Fore more details follow #ABFF2024
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