Josh Brolin on near-fight with Denzel: tensions on 'American Gangster' set
Josh Brolin revealed that on the set of the film American Gangster, he and Denzel Washington almost fought. The actor spoke about the tense situation during an interview on "In Depth with Graham Bensinger."
In Ridley Scott's 2007 film, Josh Brolin played a corrupt policeman trying to control Frank Lucas, portrayed by Denzel Washington, the drug kingpin of Harlem. In a recent interview, Brolin recalled working with Washington and described the situation that nearly led to a fight on set.
"We almost got into a fight," Brolin said. He mentioned that producer Brian Grazer had complimented his scenes with Russell Crowe, which could have caught Washington's attention. Reflecting on the experience, he admitted that he hadn’t considered Denzel's perspective, focusing instead on the excitement of collaborating with such a renowned figure.
Brolin noted that Washington behaved differently on set: "Denzel was a little late to set and there was a whole thing there. And then he showed me the lines…he didn’t change any of my lines, but he kind of changed the structure of it. He said, ‘I think I’m gonna put this down here and I’m gonna put that up there.’ But he wouldn’t really look at me."
During rehearsal, Brolin forgot his lines and touched Washington's shoulder, asking, "I forgot a line. And I put my hand on his shoulder and I said, ‘What’s the line?’ and he hit my hand off and he said, ‘Don’t ever f—ing put your hand on me.’"
"I was like, ‘Holy shit, I’m gonna scrap with Denzel Washington. This is crazy,'" Brolin admitted. The actor later understood that Washington was just "doing his job" and staying in character. "We get along well now," he emphasised.
Brolin noted that these types of experiences are not uncommon for actors, mentioning that he had heard similar accounts about Robert Duvall. He explained that the desire to connect with a cinematic legend stems from wanting to share a meaningful moment with them.
"American Gangster" - what's the film about?
Gangster Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) builds a massive drug empire in New York. He is pursued by incorruptible detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe). Ridley Scott's film was very popular. The director and Washington were nominated for Golden Globes but were overlooked at the Oscars in 2008.
Denzel Washington and Ridley Scott recently reunited on set. They filmed "Gladiator 2" together, which you can now watch in cinemas. You can admire Josh Brolin in "Dune 2." The actor is currently promoting his biography.
