Josh Brolin Says He and Denzel Washington Almost Fought on AMERICAN GANGSTER Set

Josh Brolin is on the publicity tour for his new memoir, From Under the Truck, and he is revealing some interesting stories from his past.

He appeared on the In Depth With Graham Bensinger podcast, and he talked about a tense moment on the set of Ridley Scott’s 2007 film, American Gangster, in which he played the role of Detective Trupo opposite Denzel Washington’s Harlem drug lord, Frank Lucas.

“Yeah, we almost got into a fight,” Brolin revealed, noting that most of his time on the American Gangster set was spent acting with Russell Crowe. The rare moments he got to star opposite Washington were tense, given the Oscar winner was playing a ruthless mobster. He explained:

“Denzel was a little late to set and there was a whole thing there. And then he showed me the lines…he didn’t change any of my lines, but he kind of changed the structure of it. He said, ‘I think I’m gonna put this down here and I’m gonna put that up there.’

“But he wouldn’t really look at me. I was trying to remember the structure, and then we rehearsed. It wasn’t that many lines, mostly mine. And I’m supposed to be super confident. It’s Denzel Washington, man. It’s, like, not easy — you’re just some actor who they’re trying out, seeing if he’s the real thing or not. And I forgot a line.”

Brolin asked Washington what his line was, but he did so along with putting his hand on Washington’s shoulder.

“And he hit my hand off and he said, ‘Don’t ever fucking put your hand on me,’” Brolin remembered. “And I was like, ‘Holy shit, I’m gonna scrap with Denzel Washington.

“This is crazy.’ We’re not actors anymore — at least in my mind. In his mind, he was just doing his job. He was that guy. He was Frank Lucas, period. But I didn’t know. And then we got through that moment.

“I said, ‘Are you OK?’ He said, ‘Yeah. You?’ I said, ‘Yeah. Can I get my line?’ He said, ‘Go for it.’ It’s like he’d said what he needed to say.”

Brolin stressed that the two actors “get along very well now” and it was nothing more than a heated set moment. It must have been a crazy feeling though! I bet it’s wild to work with actors who work in character, or who do method acting, as you’re expecting one person outside of a scene, but you’re only getting the one who they’re playing. It makes for an awkward moment, but also a really good story!

via: Variety