US actor, director and film producer Denzel Washington poses during a photocall ahead of the premiere of movie "Gladiator II" at the Pathe Beaugrenelle movie theatre, in Paris, on November 10, 2024. (Photo by Kiran RIDLEY / AFP)
Denzel Washington will celebrate more than just the holidays this December.
The two-time Oscar winner will hit a major milestone in his sobriety journey: 10 years alcohol- and drug-free. The 69-year-old screen legend shared his upcoming anniversary in Esquire, recalling how "I've done a lot of damage to the body" with past alcohol and drug use.
"I stopped at 60 and I haven't had a thimble's worth since," he said in a cover story published Wednesday. "Things are opening up for me now — like being 70. It's real."
The actor talked about his sobriety — and his struggles with it — in a six-act account of the most impactful moments from his life. He recalls his "pretty tame" first trip on acid during his childhood and how he used alcohol to help him cope with losing the 2000 lead actor Oscar to Kevin Spacey. Washington was nominated for The Hurricane and Spacey won for his work in American Beauty.
Washington said that at the time he felt he "had to" drink and was bitter about the loss, though he holds no ill will toward the since-disgraced Spacey for taking home the Oscar. After recalling his "pity party" and how he left it to his wife Pauletta to help carry out his Oscars voting duties, the Malcom X star said, "wine was my thing." Washington said he often ordered two bottles of wine at a time from a liquor store on Sunset Boulevard.
"And my wife's saying, 'Why do you keep ordering just two? I said, 'Because if I order more, I'll drink more,'" Washington said. "So I kept it to two bottles, and I would drink them both over the course of the day."
Denzel Washington with his wife Pauletta Washington. Photo: AFP
The actor said he never imbibed while working or preparing for a project, but would pick up drinking again after he wrapped. "Three months of wine, then time to go back to work," he said.
"Drinking was a 15-year pattern" but the Equalizer star said it could be traced back to long before his Hollywood days. Earlier in the cover story, Washington detailed a childhood memory involving "dope fiends" from his New York neighborhood. "To be honest, that is where it started," he said, adding that he "never got strung out" on heroin, coke and "hard drugs."
"I shot dope like they shot dope, but I never got strung out. And I never got strung out on liquor," he said.
Denzel Washington plays Macrinus in 'Gladiator II'. Photo: Handout
In 2012, Washington starred in Flight, a film about an alcoholic airline pilot whose drinking habits are thrust into the spotlight after a miraculous emergency landing renders him a hero. He said the film came "toward the end of the drinking" and prompted him to think about people who deal with addiction.
Washington, in addition to giving up alcohol and drugs, said he has also started to focus on his physical strength — thanks to a personal trainer recommended by friend and rocker Lenny Kravitz.
Beyond 10 years of sobriety and the theatrical release of Gladiator II, Washington says there's more to be proud of this year. Children John David, Malcom and Katia came together for their film The Piano Lesson, which he also produced. The final portion of Washington's cover story centers on a moment from the film's festival run.
"When I think of what I'm proudest of, anything I've accomplished doesn't even come to mind. It's our children," Washington said. "They're good people." – Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service
