We live in a time when people give up too easy. Denzel Washington More Quotes by Denzel Washington More Quotes From Denzel Washington I try to encourage actors to work harder off screen because that's where you find things. Denzel Washington actors hard-work trying I didn't want to audition the kids so much; I just wanted to talk to them because I like seeing how they are because their mothers usually mess them up with practice. So, I'd rather talk to them and see how they respond. I just throw things at them and see how they can hit the ball back, and Saniyya Sidney was good. Denzel Washington practice mother kids I get nervous when a picture goes beyond two hours. Denzel Washington nervous hours two Hate put me in prison. Love's gonna bust me out. Denzel Washington hurricanes hate prison If you don't love your fellow man, women, person, then you don't have anything. If you don't treat your neighbor as you would want to be treated that to me is the fundamental message. Denzel Washington fellow-man love-you men A part of me still says, 'Maybe, Denzel, you're supposed to preach. Maybe you're still compromising.' I've had an opportunity to play great men and, through their words, to preach. I take what talent I've been given seriously, and I want to use it for good. Denzel Washington play opportunity men I'm older and wiser. So and now having segued into filmmaking I'm looking at [Ridley Scott ] and what he does in an entirely different way and I have respect for what he does and how he composes shots. So that was what was completely fascinating. Denzel Washington different doe way It's not what you know, it's what you can prove. Denzel Washington law-abiding-citizen abiding prove It was never my dream to be famous. I didn't start acting to be a movie star. I started in the theater and my desire was to get better at my craft. It's still my desire. I don't consider myself a movie star, nor do I really have the desire to be one. I'm just an entertainer. An actor who works hard at his craft. Whatever labels people give me, that's not really me or part of my process. Denzel Washington hard-work stars dream I'm not a big Hollywood star. I'm an actor. I'm called a star. That's not what I am. First of all I'm a human being; my profession is acting. People give you titles. They say you're an up and coming star, then they say you're a star, then they say you're a washed-up star. So I don't get caught up in what I'm called. My job, my profession, is acting. Denzel Washington stars jobs people I've always felt protected. That's the God's honest truth. Denzel Washington protected honest felt It's simple: You get a part. You play a part. You play it well. You do your work and you go home. And what is wonderful about movies is that once they're done, they belong to the people. Once you make it, it's what they see. That's where my head is at. Denzel Washington faith success life You don't pick black actors or black directors because they are black. You pick them because they are good. If you lend somebody 50 million dollars you want you're money back. You don't care if they are oppressed. You just want you're money back. Denzel Washington dollars black directors I walk by faith, not by sight. Denzel Washington walk-by-faith walks sight I'm a parent. I think we're responsible for the problems that young people have. I believe that. I don't blame them for any of it. I blame us for what we haven't done as mothers and fathers, not sticking together as a unit. Denzel Washington mother believe father Every failed experiment is one step closer to success. Denzel Washington commencement experiments steps It just happened that we did [Fences] seven years ago on Broadway. Scott Rudin brought me August Wilson's original screenplay for it, and I realized I hadn't read the play. So I read it. Then I realized that Troy (my character) was 53 - and I was 55 at the time. I realized I better hurry up! I might be too old! Denzel Washington august character years We just had to stay out-of-the-way [in Fences]. [August Wilson] already wrote a masterpiece. And you really don't know how it's going to work until you get it in front of an audience. Denzel Washington august fence way There's things that I can do as an actor that I couldn't do in any other form of life and I've got a strange personality. But film requires strange people, so I've got a nice comfy home. Denzel Washington nice home people The last few years I've been saying I was ready to quit. It wasn't that interesting to me. Now that I'm directing, it's all new again. Denzel Washington lasts years interesting