Denzel Washington struggling with speech after nearly biting tongue ‘half-off'
The two-time Oscar winner, 70, explained how the bizarre injury has 'affected everything,' particularly as he prepares to return to Broadway in the title role of'Othello,' opposite Jake Gyllenhaal. Previews for the 15-week run begin Feb. 24.
'I bit my tongue almost half-off a few months ago. It's affecting my speech. It forces me to slow down. I have to use it,' the Westchester-raised Washington told The New York Times in a sprawling interview published Saturday.
Washington then pointed to a particular line in the show: 'Whither will you that I go to answer this is your charge?'
'It's hard (to say) because my tongue is swollen,' said the 'Fences' star and director.
Washington didn't clarify how he bit his tongue or if he received any medical treatment, but he's not letting it stop him from giving a great performance — and having fun while doing it. The way he sees it, you've just got to 'jump in the water and enjoy yourself, instead of worrying about drowning.'
Washington's starring role in 'Othello' marks his first return to Broadway since appearing in 2018's revival of 'The Iceman Cometh.' In the nearly seven years since, he's starred in two 'Equalizer' films, Joel Coen's film adaptation of 'Macbeth' and the box office hit'Gladiator II.'
But despite being one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, it's acting onstage that brings Washington 'the greatest joy,' though he admits money has always been at the forefront of his mind when choosing projects.
'I've taken every job for money,' he told the Times. 'There's no job I've taken where I went: 'You guys just keep the money. I'm just so glad to be an actor.''
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Fox News
33 minutes ago
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Terence Stamp, General Zod in 'Superman' and 'Billy Budd,' dead at 87
Terence Stamp, the British actor known for his roles in "Billy Budd," "Superman" and "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert," has died. He was 87. Stamp's death on Sunday was disclosed in a death notice published online, according to The Associated Press. "He leaves behind an extraordinary body of work, both as an actor and as a writer that will continue to touch and inspire people for years to come," his family said in a statement to Reuters. Throughout his six-decade career, Stamp — who was nominated for an Oscar for his film debut role in the 1962 film "Billy Budd" — made a name for himself with roles such as General Zod in "Superman" and "Superman II," Freddie Clegg in "The Collector," and Sergeant Troy in "Far From the Madding Crowd." A representative for Stamp did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Born in London in 1938, Stamp found his passion for film at a young age. His father was in the Merchant Navy and spent much of Stamp's childhood away from the family. As a child, Stamp experienced the World War II bombing of London. "The first film I ever saw was called 'Beau Geste,' with Gary Cooper," he told BFI in 2013. "My mother took me to see that. I was probably under 4 years old. It was Cooper playing a soldier in the Foreign Legion. I didn't realize the impact, but it made an indelible impression on me." "It wasn't until we got our first TV — I would've been about 17 I think, and I was already at work — that I started saying things like, 'Oh, I could do that,'" he told BFI. "My dad just turned me off it. He was probably trying to save me a lot of aggro. He genuinely believed that people like us didn't do things like that." After scoring a Golden Globe Award for his role in "Billy Budd," Stamp became one of the most sought-out actors in the 60s. However, everything seemed to take a turn as a new decade approached. "It's a mystery to me," he told The Guardian in 2015. "I was in my prime. When the 1960s ended, I just ended with it. I remember my agent telling me: 'They are all looking for a young Terence Stamp.' And I thought: 'I am young.' I was 31, 32. I couldn't believe it." "During that time away from the screen, I had transmuted myself," he added. "I no longer saw myself as a leading man. What had happened inside of me enabled me to take the role and not feel embarrassed or depressed about playing the villain. I just decided I was a character actor now and I can do anything." After starring opposite Christopher Reeve in the 1978 "Superman," work picked up for Stamp with roles in the 1984 film "The Hit," 1986's "Legal Eagles," Oliver Stone's 1987 "Wall Street," "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace," and more. Stamp was married to Elizabeth O'Rourke from 2002-08. He did not have children.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Terence Stamp, 'Superman' and 'Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' Actor, Dies at 87: 'He Leaves Behind an Extraordinary Body of Work'
Stamp received an Oscar nomination for his film debut in 'Billy Budd' Terence Stamp has died. He was 87. The actor's family told Reuters he died on Sunday, Aug. 17. "He leaves behind an extraordinary body of work, both as an actor and as a writer that will continue to touch and inspire people for years to come," they said in a statement to the outlet. "We ask for privacy at this sad time." A representative for Stamp did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Aug. 17. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Stamp received an Oscar nomination for 1962's Billy Budd. Known primarily for his roles as villains, he played General Zod in 1978's Superman and 1980's Superman II, and appeared in Wall Street, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and The Haunted Mansion, to name a few. Stamp was born in London in 1938. His father was in the Merchant Navy and spent much of Stamp's childhood away from the family. As a child, Stamp experienced the World War II bombing of London. 'The first film I ever saw was called Beau Geste, with Gary Cooper,' he told BFI in 2013. 'My mother took me to see that. I was probably under four years old. It was Cooper playing a soldier in the Foreign Legion. I didn't realize the impact, but it made an indelible impression on me.' He kept his acting aspirations private. 'It wasn't until we got our first TV — I would've been about 17 I think, and I was already at work — that I started saying things like, 'Oh, I could do that,'' he told BFI. 'My dad just turned me off it. He was probably trying to save me a lot of aggro. He genuinely believed that people like us didn't do things like that.' Stamp's dreams endured. He won a scholarship to study at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and was soon performing in repertory theater. He became friends with fellow young actors Michael Caine and Peter O'Toole. His film debut was in 1962's Billy Budd, in which he played the title role. He received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor and won the Golden Globe for most promising male newcomer. He told NPR in 2002 that Caine, who was his roommate, helped him learn some of the basics of film acting before he got to set, and once the cameras rolled he felt at home. 'When I started the movie, a kind of amazing thing happened because I just discovered that — it was like I knew it,' he said. 'It was as though it was absolutely second nature to me. Everything I saw that was new, I understood almost instantaneously.' Stamp became associated with the Swinging London scene of the '60s. Roles for him during that time included 1966's Modesty Blaise and 1967's Far from the Madding Crowd with Julie Christie (whom he also dated). But as the decade ended, his work dried up. 'It's a mystery to me,' he told The Guardian in 2015. 'I was in my prime. When the 1960s ended, I just ended with it. I remember my agent telling me: 'They are all looking for a young Terence Stamp.' And I thought: 'I am young.' I was 31, 32. I couldn't believe it.' He left London and spent most of the decade traveling until, while in India, he got a telegram offering him a role opposite Christopher Reeve in 1978's Superman. 'During that time away from the screen, I had transmuted myself,' he told the outlet. 'I no longer saw myself as a leading man. What had happened inside of me enabled me to take the role and not feel embarrassed or depressed about playing the villain. I just decided I was a character actor now and I can do anything.' He also returned for 1980's Superman II. Stamp starred in 1984's The Hit, which was his first starring role in over a decade. In 1991, he won the Silver Bear for best actor at the Berlin International Film Festival for his work in Beltenebros. In 1994, he once again got to break out of the villain box in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. In it, he played a trans woman named Bernadette who travels on a road trip with drag queens played by Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce. Stamp received widespread acclaim for his performance and was nominated for best actor at both the Golden Globes and BAFTAs. ''Cross-dressing has been around at least since Shakespeare,'' Stamp told PEOPLE in 1994. ''It would be nice if greater androgyny were the next big social development. It would make relationships easier.'' He told PEOPLE he was particularly excited for audiences to see him in a major role. ''I'm sure Hollywood will say, 'We knew he was a great villain; now we know he's got great legs.' I live in hope,' he joked. Stamp told BFI in 2013 that he was afraid to say yes to the project but was encouraged by a friend to do it. 'It was only when I got there, and got through the fear, that it became one of the great experiences of my whole career,' he said. 'It was probably the most fun thing I've ever done in my life.' In 2024, it was announced that the Priscilla cast would be reuniting for a sequel. Stamp appeared in 1999's Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, but he told Empire Magazine in 2013, he felt director George Lucas was more focused on visual effects than actors, and he decided not to return for the trilogy's other installments. His other screen credits included 2005's Elektra, 2008's Get Smart and Valkyrie, 2011's The Adjustment Bureau, the 2019 Adam Sandler film Murder Mystery and 2021's Last Night in Soho. Stamp only made a handful of TV appearances; they included a role as Jor-El, Superman's biological father, on the series Smallville. Stamp's Jor-El only appeared as a disembodied voice. Stamp married Elizabeth O'Rourke in 2002. She was 29; he was 64. They divorced in 2008. Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Terence Stamp, General Zod in early Superman films, dies at 87
LONDON (AP) — Terence Stamp, the British actor who often played the role of a complex villain, including that of General Zod in the early Superman films, has died. He was 87. His death on Sunday was disclosed in a death notice published online, prompting a wave of tributes from and an array of fans and those close to him within the industry, including the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, better known as Bafta. Bill Duke, who starred with Stamp in director Steven Soderbergh's 1999 crime drama 'The Limey,' said he was 'deeply saddened' to hear of his death. 'He brought a rare intensity to the screen, but off-screen he carried himself with warmth, grace, and generosity,' he said on Facebook. The London-born Stamp started his film career with 1962's seafaring 'Billy Budd,' for which he earned nominations for Oscar and Bafta awards. Stamp's six decades in the business were peppered with highlights, including his touching portrayal of the transsexual Bernadette in 1994's 'The Adventure of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,' the second of his two Bafta nominations. But it will be his portrayal of the bearded Zod in 1978's 'Superman' and its sequel 'Superman II' two years later that most people associate with Stamp. As the Kryptonian arch enemy to Christopher Reeve's Man of Steel, Stamp introduced a darker, charming and vulnerable — more human — element to the franchise, one that's been replicated in countless superhero movies ever since. Stamp started his acting career on stage in the late 1950s, where he acted in repertory theatre and met Michael Caine, who was five years older than himself. The pair lived together in a flat in central London while looking for their big break. He got his break with 'Billy Budd' and Stamp embarked on a career that would see him in the early 1960s be part of the 'angry young men' movement that was introducing an element of social realism into British moviemaking. That was perhaps most notable in the 1965 adaptation of John Fowles' creepy debut novel 'The Collector,' where he played the awkward and lonely Freddie Clegg, who kidnapped Samantha Eggar's Miranda Grey in a warped attempt to win her love. It was a performance that would earn the young Stamp, fresh off his Oscar nomination, the best actor award at that year's Cannes Film Festival. While part of that 1960s British movement, Stamp learned from some of the most seasoned actors from the classical era, including Laurence Olivier. 'I worked with Olivier briefly on my second movie (1962's 'Term of Trial'),' Stamp recalled in an interview with the AP in 2013. 'And he said to me, 'You should always study your voice.'' Stamp then segued into a spot-on Olivier impersonation, continuing, ''Because, as you get older, your looks go, but your voice will become empowered.'' His career took a bit of a hiatus from the late 1960s after he missed out on the role of James Bond to replace Sean Connery, that included a years-long stint in India and which saw him embrace a more holistic approach to his self. It was the unexpected role of General Zod that brought him back to the limelight. His career, which also saw him play the role of Finis Valoru, the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, in 1999's first Star Wars prequel 'The Phantom Menace,' ended with the 2021 psychological thriller 'Last Night In Soho.' Born in London's East End on July 22, 1938, Stamp lived a colorful life, particularly during the 1960s when he had a string of romances, including with actress Julie Christie and model Jean Shrimpton. He married 29-year-old Elizabeth O'Rourke in 2002 at the age of 64 but the couple divorced six years later. Stamp did not have any children. Stamp retained his looks as the years ticked by, his natural handsomeness hardened by a more grizzled look. He generally sought to keep his standards high, but up to a point. 'I don't do crappy movies, unless I haven't got the rent,' he said.
