Denzel Washington Balanced Acting and Directing for 'Fences': Go Behind the Scenes to See How He Did It in Exclusive New Featurette
This Sunday, Denzel Washington and Viola Davis will both be up for Oscars — he in the Best Actor category, she for Best Supporting Actress — for their work in Fences, an adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer- and Tony-winning play that’s also a contender for the Academy’s biggest prize, Best Picture. Making Washington’s performance even more impressive is that he pulled it off while also directing the acclaimed film, and in a new behind-the-scenes featurette, debuting exclusively at Yahoo Movies (watch it above), he and his fellow artists discuss the tremendous, and tricky, work required to wear these two hats at once.
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The clip, taken from the film’s upcoming digital and Blu-ray home video releases, finds Washington, Davis, and others addressing Washington’s decision to work both sides of the camera for Fences. To Davis, the key to Washington’s success was that he had already played (and thus deeply knew) his character, Troy Maxon, thanks to their 2010 run in the Broadway revival of the play, which netted both of them Tony Awards. Washington concurs, admitting that he was always set on performing the part on the stage before spearheading a Hollywood version — and that he now understands the entire story better, because as a director, he’s had to become intimately aware of its every facet.
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While Washington isn’t up for a Best Director award at the Oscars, his stewardship is certainly a major reason that he and Davis and the film are prime contenders for Oscar gold. Fences arrives on Digital HD on Feb. 24, and on Blu-ray combo pack and DVD on March 14.
‘Fences’ Young Star Saniyya Sidney Explains How She Got Her Role:
