Denzel Washington Shares About a Hurtful Injury Impacting His Speech and Making Acting Difficult

Denzel Washington has opened up about sustaining a painful injury that is affecting his acting due to difficulty with his speech.

In a new interview, the Oscar winner credits faith with protecting him from a worse injury and emphasizes the need for daily prayers.

Denzel Washington, who recently got baptized, also notes that he is at a point in his life where everything he does is “through the lens of God.”

The 70-year-old movie star recently suffered a significant tongue injury that has impacted his speech.

However, Washington is attributing his faith in God to protecting him from what could have been a far worse accident.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, the actor known for his role in “Training Day” shared his challenges in preparing for his upcoming Broadway performance as Othello alongside Jake Gyllenhaal. He disclosed that he had a scary moment where he almost bit off his tongue, causing it to swell and resulting in speech difficulties.

Describing his current struggle with a particular line from the play, he said, “I have a line: ‘Whither will you that I go to answer this your charge?’ It’s hard because my tongue is swollen. It has affected everything.”

Reflecting on the incident, Washington emphasized the importance of daily prayer and his reliance on faith.

He stated, “That’s why you pray every day. I’m like, ‘OK, Lord, I’m here, I think this is what you wanted me to do.”

“Now I’m not sure why [I bit my tongue], but one can say coincidence and serendipity and all those things,” the actor added.

Washington did not provide more details on how the injury occurred or if he sought medical treatment.

During his chat with NYT, Washington was asked about the impact of acting as a profession.

Despite his physical setbacks, he shifted the conversation towards his faith, emphasizing, “At this point, everything I’m doing is through the lens of what God thinks, not what they think. I don’t know what they think.”

The actor emphasized the futility of seeking external validation, adding, “You go down that hole, you’ll never come out of that. When people say, ‘What do you want people to get from this movie?’ or ‘What do you want them to get from this play?’ I always say, ‘It depends upon what they bring to it.”

Washington highlighted the themes in “Othello,” such as jealousy, envy, pain, and death, noting that director Kenny Leon is setting the play in the near future and that “all of those things – jealousy, envy – it takes on a whole new thing with the information age.”

Washington also recounted a pivotal moment from 1975 that significantly influenced his life’s direction.

“It was prophesied in my youth that I would travel the world and preach or speak to millions of people,” he said. “I used to think that I was doing that through my work. Now I’m trying to be a bit more specific, speaking about my faith.”

Elaborating, he shared, “Well, a woman was sitting in my mother’s beauty shop in March 1975. The reason I was in there was I had flunked out of college – I was told to take a semester off to think about what I wanted to do.”

He continued, “And every time I looked up, I saw this woman looking at me, and she said she was having a prophecy. She didn’t say anything about me being an actor, but I have traveled the world, and I am speaking more and more.”

In December 2024, just before his 70th birthday, Washington found faith again and was baptized at Kelly Temple Church of God in Christ in Harlem, New York City.

Washington also addressed his omission from the Academy Award nominations this year after his role in “Gladiator II.”

The actor jokingly said, “Are you kidding me? Awww. Oh, I’m so upset.”

He then expressed contentment with his current endeavors, stating, “I’m happy for all that did, and I’m happy with what I’m doing.”

Reflecting on his career and age, Washington added, “Listen, I’ve been around too long. I’ve got — I don’t wanna say other fish to fry, but there’s a reality at this age.”

Washington emphasized the importance of wisdom and understanding as he gets older, noting that he is speaking less and trying to “understand more.”

He said, “The beginning of wisdom is understanding. I’m getting wiser, working on talking less and learning to understand more — and that’s exciting.”

The actor has also found solace in his theatrical work in “Othello” amid his Oscar snub.

He noted, “I was sitting there smiling going: ‘Look at you. On the day you didn’t get a nomination for an Oscar, you’re working on ‘Othello’ on Broadway.'”

Although he was not nominated for an Academy Award, Washington’s role as Macrinus in “Gladiator II” earned him nominations at other ceremonies, such as the Critics Choice Awards and the Golden Globes.