Denzel Washington, 69, has announced his plans to retire from Hollywood after completing his current slate of acting projects.
“I don’t know how many more films I’m going to make. Probably not that many,” Washington said during an interview with Australia’s Today on Monday. “I want to do things I haven’t done. I’ve played Othello at 22, I’m about to play Othello at 70. After that I’m playing Hannibal. After that I’ve been talking with Steve McQueen about a film. After that Ryan Coogler’s writing a part for me in the next ‘Black Panther.’”
He added, “After that I’m going to do the film ‘Othello.’ After that I’m going to do ‘King Lear.’ After that I’m going to retire.”
Washington began his career with the 1977 made-for-television film “Wilma,” followed by his big-screen debut in the 1981 film “Carbon Copy.”
“Black Panther” emerged as a key franchise for the MCU, with the 2018 film starring Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, and Michael B. Jordan grossing over $1.3 billion.
Following Boseman’s death from colon cancer in 2020, the 2022 sequel, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” honored his legacy while continuing Wakanda’s story.
Meanwhile, Washington is now focused on promoting “Gladiator II,” the sequel to Ridley Scott’s 2000 action hit, according to the New York Post.
“Gladiator II” takes place over two decades after the original, with Paul Mescal portraying a grown-up Lucius Verus II, the son of Russell Crowe’s character Maximus. Lucius, like his father, is forced into slavery and becomes a gladiator to earn his freedom.
Washington plays Macrinus, a former slave and Lucius’ mentor.
He hinted at his potential retirement in August. “There are very few films left for me to make that I’m interested in,” Washington told Empire magazine. “I have to be inspired by the filmmaker, and I was tremendously inspired by Ridley.”
The pair previously worked together on the 2007 film, “American Gangster.”
“We had a great go-round the first go-round [on ‘American Gangster’], and here we are,” continued Washington. “He’s engaged. He’s excited about life and his next film. He’s an inspiration.”
“We should all want to feel like that at 86,” the star added.
