My Publicist Note Book

‘I’ll make it for $40 million if you can get Denzel Washington, 35 if you can get Wesley Snipes, and 20 if you can get Laurence Fishburne.’ Whitewashing has long been an issue in Hollywood, from the days when directors put actors in blackface in yellowface to more recent roles when characters of color are erased altogether. And though whitewashing hasn’t gone away completely, with recent scandals following Scarlett Johansson in  Ghost in the Shell  and Emma Stone in  Aloha , there has been a huge cry from audiences to let characters of color be played by actors of that same ethnicity. Should Arab Princess Jasmine be played by an Indian actress? No way, but when a ‘Hellboy’ actor gives up a role that had been reconceived for him, it sets a dangerous creative precedent that impacts Hollywood and could even stunt efforts toward inclusion. The cry has been so loud that when the news that fan-favorite characters, like Lara Jean Covey in Netflix’s  To...

Sony has released the first trailer for  The Equalizer   starring Denzel Washington and Chloe Grace Moretz. And it looks like an action packed thriller that could be a big hit with audiences.. The film, based on the 1980′s CBS show of the same name, also stars Melissa Leo and was directed by Antoine Fuqua. Fuqua is best known for his 2001 film  Training Day  which also starred Denzel Washington and earned Washington an Academy Award for Best Actor that year. In the film Washington plays a reluctant vigilante with some special ops skills who makes enemies with the Russian Mafia after coming to the rescue of a young girl in need (Moretz). The TV series “The Equalizer” starred Edward Woodward and ran on CBS for four seasons (1985-1989). The TV show is considered a cult classic and had both a memorable score and tag line. “Odds against you? Need help? Call the Equalizer.” The 2014 version of  The Equalizer  is scheduled to hit theaters September...

Up On The Marquee: A RAISIN IN THE SUN Installation! Denzel Washington will star as Walter Lee Younger in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, opposite film, television and Tony Award-winning stage star Diahann Carroll as Lena Younger, in her first Broadway appearance in over 30 years. The production will be directed by Tony Award-nominee Atlanta based,  Kenny Leon .  Previews begin March 8, 2014, with opening night on April 3, 2014 at the Barrymore Theatre (243 West 47th Street), where the original production of A Raisin in the Sun opened 55 years ago.  A Raisin in the Sun is a limited engagement, running 14 weeks only through June 15, 2014. Photo Credit:  Walter McBride The marquee just went up at the Barrymore. Check out photos below! The production will also star Academy Award-nominee Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda) making her Broadway debut as Ruth Younger and Tony Award-winner Anika Noni Rose (Caroline, or Change) as Beneatha Younge...

Denzel Washington is reportedly being courted to play the part of Green Lantern in the Batman vs Superman film. Washington, Oscar-winning star of Flight and Training Day, is in the running to play the ring-wielding superhero opposite Henry Cavill’s Superman, Ben Affleck’s Batman and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman. The Training Day actor is being considered for the role of Green Lantern, John Stewart. If this proves to be true, Green Lantern will join an ever growing list of members from DC’s Justice League of America that also include Superman Batman and Wonder Woman.’   Do you think Denzel would suit the suit?  It’s probably best to take this latest news with a hefty pinch of salt. The Batman vs Superman film is out July 17, 2015 and also sees Amy Adams return as Lois Lane. Ben Affleck will be playing Bruce Wayne/Batman opposite Henry Cavill as Superman Meanwhile, Gadot has revealed she’s been undergoing some rigorous training to prepare...

Denzel Washington isn’t like most of the famous actors around him. He doesn’t go hob-nobbing around with the rich and famous in the film industry. You also aren’t likely to see him at every single party, especially the ones where all the of drug use and other craziness tends to take place. According to Denzel, in an interview with the Guardian, “Actually, even within the industry, I don’t have any actor friends. My friends are old friends. One’s an ex-music guy, the other’s a restaurant owner and the other’s an ex-pro ballplayer.” He said that he doesn’t make friends to try to get a job and that he’s not a ‘b**t-kisser.’ He went on to say, “My wife and I were raised right. I don’t want movie-star friends. And being African American, there were no big movie stars to hang out with anyway, not when I was starting out, they were just the third guy from the back! For whatever reason, I never befriended any white actors.” Which is why Denzel’s team went right into spin mode when Denzel...