Denzel Washington: All things being equal

Denzel Washington plays a retired intelligence officer who can’t seem to stay out of harm’s way

The symbiosis between TV and film has prove to be a goldmine for the entertainment industry. In fact, it has been quite instrumental for fans of all ages to play catch-up or revisit old favorites that have been given a new lease on life – from the likes of TV’s “The A-Team” and “Mission: Impossible,” to the quirky movies “Fargo” and “Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” among so many others.

One such project that has its roots from ’80s Primetime TV is “The Equalizer.” Now a movie, it stars Denzel Washington as Robert McCall, a retired intelligence officer who just can’t turn away from those who need him most, just like his TV counterpart.

Whereas the series saw McCall (then played by English actor Edward Woodward) exacting justice upon various hooligans – murderers and drug dealers and everything in between – the film zeroes in on violent Russian gangsters and the young girl under their control named Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz). The nickname “the Equalizer” naturally stuck.

“Actually I never watched the television series,” Washington admits candidly. “I may have seen a bit of it as a kid, when I was younger, but I don’t remember the series, and we weren’t really looking to emulate the series. Basically it’s just the name. I guess it’s the same premise… (but) didn’t look back to the TV series at all.”

Now that he’s clarified that, the actor nevertheless describes his role seemingly just as anyone would the past TV character. “When he sees what’s happening to this young girl, Teri, he is compelled to help her because he does have that moral compass. I think that they’re kindred spirits,” he says, noting that there are other girls in the situation that McCall feels he needs to set right.

Sharing that he added the obsessive-compulsive behavior as a means to enhance the character and not make him some “mindless guy running around shooting (people).” He adds, “‘Who is he? What’s wrong with him? How does he overcome that?’ All those (were) real questions that we had to answer for the sake of the story.”

Washington with ‘The Equalizer’ co-star Chloë Grace Moretz

Washington says the obsessive behavior gave him “a real handle, so that he’s not just some perfect guy. He’s got issues that he’s trying to overcome. It just makes it more interesting.”

While the actor points out that McCall is “more than just a vigilante” with his own back story of a failed marriage that he wanted to fix but could not in order to help a girl in trouble, there are plenty of action sequences that fans of the genre can expect. Rehearsing for months with experts martial arts prior to production, Washington says, “By the time we got in that room, I knew what we were doing, and I knew what I was going to use. It was well worked out…”

Physical demands aside, Washington enjoyed the collaborations with the director Antoine Fuqua (with whom he’s worked in “Training Day,” for which he snagged an Oscar Best Actor in 2002), as well as his co-stars like Moretz, whom he describes as “quite grown up” and “very professional.”

“It was long days and long nights and a lot of fighting, a lot of going back and making sure we got what we needed, and all that. So yes, it was physically demanding, but I’ve got a great job. I’m not complaining and making ‘The Equalizer’ was challenging but rewarding, too,” he says with satisfaction.

“The Equalizer” opens in local theaters on Wednesday, Oct. 1.

Denzel Washington: All things being equal

Source: Mb.com.ph (September 30, 2014 at 03:59PM)

Continue...