Denzel Washington talks working with Whitney Houston, “I always wanted to protect her”

Denzel Washington is reminiscing about his time working with Whitney Houston on the 1996 film "The Preacher's Wife." 

At the African Black Film Festival retrospective on Saturday, June 15, Washington, 69, shared his memories of the late singer and actress while reflecting on his long career.

"I felt like I always wanted to protect her," Washington said, speaking of the "I Will Always Love You" singer. He added, "She wanted to be so tough, but she really wasn't."

Chaz Ebert, host of the event and widow of film critic Roger Ebert, noted, "There was a vulnerability that you saw." Washington responded, "So you really got that?" When Ebert affirmed, the audience laughed as Washington added, "Well, of course."

Washington reiterated, "I always felt like I wanted to protect her. You know? She wanted to be so tough, but she really wasn't. That's all. Okay."

"The Preacher's Wife," directed by Penny Marshall, also starred Courtney B. Vance, Jenifer Lewis, Gregory Hines, and Justin Pierre Edmund. Lionel Richie, Loretta Devine, and Houston's mother, Cissy Houston, made notable appearances. The film is a remake of the 1947 movie "The Bishop's Wife."

Whitney Houston developed close friendships with the cast before her untimely death in February 2012 at age 48. She died of accidental drowning, with heart disease and cocaine use as contributing factors.

Courtney B. Vance, who played Houston's husband Reverend Henry Biggs in the film, shared with PEOPLE in November how working with Houston impacted his career. "I loved her so much," he said. "For me to be playing her husband, I was in a state of euphoric shock."

Vance described the experience as a turning point in his life, highlighting Houston's significant influence. He noted that they maintained a mutual "respect" on set and did not delve deeply into each other's personal lives.

“We just were on sets together and respecting each other,” Vance said. He admitted that he didn't attend Houston's funeral, explaining, “It might've hurt my spirit. And I have in my mind our time together and it was beautiful.”