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Katie Couric dished on how Denzel Washington left her “shaken” and uncomfortable” during a 2004 interview with the actor about the film “The Manchurian Candidate.”
Appearing recently on the “Everything Iconic with Danny Pellegrino” podcast, the journalist recalled Washington’s reaction when she asked whether “Hollywood folks should stick to acting?”
“I don’t know what Hollywood folks are, first of all,” Washington replied. “Hollywood is a town that has some stars on the sidewalk. I don’t know anybody from there. So, I don’t – that’s like saying – calling you a ‘type’ of folks. I’m not a Hollywood folk. I don’t know who they are.”
The remarks begin at the 18:32 minute mark of the video below:
In an attempt to rephrase the question, Couric asked: “Are you one of those people that –”
“Ah, there you go,” Washington interjected. “Am I one of those people? Hmmm, isn’t that interesting?”
“Oh, stop, stop, stop,” Couric protested.
“No, don’t stop. I heard what you just said. ‘Am I one of those people?’ No, I’m not,” Washington replied.
Rejected twice, Couric stubbornly tried to make a third attempt, only to be rejected again.
“No, are you an actor who would rather not —” she began, before being cut off by Washington, who was determined to not allow her to pigeonhole him as an elitist Hollywood actor.
“No, I’m not that either,” he interrupted. “I’m a human being. My job is acting.”
Couric characterized the exchange as Washington having “jumped all over me.”
“I think he totally misconstrued a question I asked and kind of jumped all over me,” she told host Danny Pellegrino. “It was so uncomfortable because he was doing it with Meryl Streep…”
Actress Meryl Streep was also present during the interview — she played the role of Sen. Eleanor Shaw in the film, a manipulative mother who pushed her son to become president.
Couric recalled that she left the interview thinking, “I don’t think I said anything wrong… I don’t know what happened.”
“I think he must have been having a really bad day because he later wrote a really big check to my colon cancer organization, which I thought was super sweet,” she added.
“I love him, I admire him so much. He’s one of my favorite actors,” Couric said. “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.”
A comment Washington once made about his career may help explain the stance he took with Couric.
“The one thing I’m the most happy about in terms of my career is the fact that I got there, by the grace of God first of all, but short of that I got there just by working hard. Not partying with the right people, not compromising myself in any way or cutting any kind of deals, just by working hard. Just by plugging along — sawing wood as I like to call it,” he said.
Either way, social media users weren’t buying the victim ploy Couric was selling, as seen in the responses to the story from Twitter:
When i see Katie Couric and Denzel… good to know he did nothing wrong… https://t.co/5DrvEyP2Ga pic.twitter.com/7ncOUhdfR0
— coinhawk (@magnetmill) April 28, 2020
Katie Couric is a clown, and Denzel Washington set her ridiculous a*s straight. https://t.co/SxEKZo7a5r
— I’m That Type Of Guy (@Marrrrcussss) April 29, 2020
They are mad they can’t destroy his career for some allegation, so she will say she felt “threatened”
— Quarantine King 🇺🇸 (@for4reed) April 28, 2020
Exactly anyone should react if a reporter called them a “type of people” stereotyping into a group & asked if they should stay in their lane. Good for Denzel. Of course she’s the type that dined with Epstein and reported him as accused sex trafficker not convicted.
— Tippypivrad (@tippypivrad) April 29, 2020
@katiecouric Simply ridiculous. Rude, entitled and prickly-overly sensitive. Itchin’ to feel insulted. This gets very old.
— EJK (@Kemp_ejk) April 29, 2020
Did she recall an uncomfortable moment with Matt Lauer?
— Kristen EXTRA Bright (@KBtheOriginal) April 29, 2020
A non-story trying to be a story.
— ⚖️*~WyldPhoenix~*⚖️ (@PinkWyldflower) April 29, 2020
Aaaw @katiecouric, Denzel Washington made you cry for asking him a dumb question? Girl, stop trying to paint yourself as a victim. Katie Couric is going to get a well-deserved verbal beatdown. pic.twitter.com/VvFWqBxweX
— Island Girl (@bluepolitics_) April 29, 2020
Katie Couric is not slick I understand that dog whistle. Denzel Washington is not checking for you. pic.twitter.com/FqUNFOWo4L
— Toni Carter (@ToniLaNae) April 29, 2020
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