Denzel Washington on political manipulation: ‘You’re being manipulated by both sides. Period.’

Denzel Washington, the two-time Oscar-winning actor, shared his perspective on the current political landscape and reflected on his career during an interview with The Sunday Times. Addressing the 2024 U.S. presidential election, where Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris, Washington commented on the manipulative nature of politics in the information age.

“It’s all politics. All promises unkept,” Washington, 69, said. “Whatever you feel about the leaders, like this guy’s crazy or the other one is sane, you’d better realize you’re being manipulated by both sides. Period.” He also noted a line from his 1981 film Carbon Copy: “Power to the people? Yeah, they had it once — it was called the Stone Age.” Washington urged people to remain vigilant, adding, “We’re all slaves to information now. We really are.”

Reflecting on his career, Washington admitted to a string of underwhelming projects following his critically acclaimed role in Malcolm X in 1992. “After Malcolm X I made some real clunkers. Look them up — I won’t say their names,” he remarked. He attributed this phase to financial responsibilities, explaining, “I was earning. I had responsibilities.”

While not specifying which films he considered missteps, Washington’s 1990s filmography includes Crimson Tide, Virtuosity, The Preacher’s Wife, and The Bone Collector. However, he expressed pride in his 2000s work, citing Remember the Titans and Training Day. “In life, you learn, earn, and then you return,” he said, reflecting on the transition from learning to earning during that era.

Washington, who stars in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, also emphasized the need for Americans to hold elected officials accountable. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2017, he stated, “We need to demand that they work together through our vote, that they work together to come up with solutions.”