© 2024 Blaze Media LLC. All rights reserved.
Denzel Washington rejects Hollywood's diversity obsession, says it 'shouldn't even be mentioned'
Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AFI

Denzel Washington rejects Hollywood's diversity obsession, says it 'shouldn't even be mentioned'

Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington appeared to brush off Hollywood's obsession with diversity in a recent media interview, suggesting the buzzword "shouldn't even be mentioned" when promoting works of art.

The legendary movie star took a decidedly more color-blind approach to arts and entertainment than the one espoused by modern progressive "anti-racism" advocates while discussing his new film, “The Tragedy of Macbeth," which is a stripped-down retelling of the Shakespearean classic.

“Obviously we are diverse, so I think that’s a great thing,” Washington told NBC BLK, a news segment devoted to the African-American perspective, during a roundtable meeting with other media outlets.

But then he added: “You know, in my humble opinion, we ought to be at a place where diversity shouldn’t even be mentioned, like it’s something special. These young kids — black, white, blue, green, or whatever — are highly talented and qualified. So that’s why they’re there.”

Of course, the actor acknowledged the topic of diversity was bound to come up given the film's diverse cast, headlined by Washington. In the Joel Coen-directed film, Washington plays the lead character, Macbeth, a troubled Scottish lord who plots with his wife to murder the king and seize the throne.

But Washington seemed to rebuff society's fixation on race over and above everything else, at times to the detriment of showcasing people's talents and abilities.

Reporting on the news, Newsbusters noted that the actor's words served as a "powerful reminder" of Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" speech.

During the famous speech, King stated, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Washington, a widely respected American figure, has made countercultural statements in the past.

Early last year, as widespread anti-police sentiment swept the nation, Washington threw his public support behind law enforcement, saying, "I have the utmost respect for what they do, for what our soldiers do, [people] that sacrifice their lives," Washington answered.

"I just don't care for people who put those kind of people down," he continued. "If it weren't for them, we would not have the freedom to complain about what they do."

Then in December, Washington, an outspoken Christian, turned a New York Times interview into a full-throated sermon, explaining that sin is the root cause of all division and lightly suggesting that his interviewer read the Bible to experience how deeply it relates to her life.

Want to leave a tip?

We answer to you. Help keep our content free of advertisers and big tech censorship by leaving a tip today.
Want to join the conversation?
Already a subscriber?