Last week, we told you about Ellen Pompeo’s unnecessary tea spilling in reference to a “tense” exchange between her and Denzel Washington on the set of Grey’s Anatomy years ago.
Now, in this week’s segment of “Weird Flex, But OK: White Woman Edition,” Katie Couric is throwing it back to a years old interview with Washington, too. Per CNN, during an appearance on the Everything Iconic With Danny Pellegrino podcast, Couric recalled the time she sat down with Washington, Meryl Streep, and director Jonathan Demme in 2004 during a press run for the remake of the Manchurian Candidate.
“As an interviewer, have you left an interview—whether it be with a president or an actor or something—where you felt like they bamboozled you a little bit?” Pellegrino asked before Couric began to share her story.
More from CNN on Couric’s exchange:
“Denzel—are you—do you feel—you know some people say Hollywood folks should stick to acting,” Couric asked.
“I don’t know what Hollywood folks are first of all,” Washington responded. “Hollywood is a town that has some stars on the sidewalk. I don’t know anybody from there.”
He added, “I’m not a Hollywood folk. I don’t know who they are.”
Couric tried to reframe the question a few times, including asking him, “Are you an actor who would rather not...” but Washington cut her off.
“No, I’m not that either,” he said. “I’m a human being. My job is acting.”
Couric then told Pellegrino that she felt “shaken,” her questions were “misconstrued” by Washington, and that he “kinda jumped all over me.”
She later added, “I don’t think I said anything wrong. I don’t know what happened. I love him, I admire him so much. He’s one of my favorite actors, but I remember walking out and feeling really kind of shaken that he had kind of gone after me in a way that was completely, weirdly uncalled for.”
Hmm. Now look, I can understand an actor having an off moment, maybe even an off day and their answers coming out in a way that they probably didn’t intend. Maybe that’s exactly what happened here. (We don’t know that for sure, so that’s purely speculation.) But what I do know is that this is the second story in two weeks where a white woman is literally making a mountain out of a molehill about one of Hollywood’s most elite, respected and beloved actors. And all I wanna know is, why?
Is it “Denzel Season?” Did Denzel shake y’all so much in that newly released MacBeth trailer that the thought of him racking up during next year’s awards season makes y’all want to dish some dirt on him? In the words of Capella Gray’s “Gyalis,”: “like, what is the reason?” I guess it’s just the vibe, he’s that guy.