Denzel Washington is Hollywood royalty, but the two-time Academy Award-winning actor can still remember what it was like to think his acting career might slip away from him.
In an interview with British Vogue While promoting “Gladiator II,” Washington and costar Paul Mescale were asked when they felt they “made it” in their careers.
Meskel, 28, said he felt he had done so for the first time when he was paid to appear in a play. Washington, however, was brought back to the contents of his pantry early in his career.
“I remember cans of food,” he says. “Whenever I stopped storing cans of food, I knew I had made it.”
The 69-year-old “Training Day” star said that when he was younger, he was more focused on acting and what others wanted him to see. These days, she’s able to make a living away from the big screen.
Every time I stopped stocking up on cans of food, I knew I had made it.
“After 50 years of experience, I’ve learned to put it down and go home,” Washington said. “My happiness does not come from the roles I have played or the compliments people have given me.”
In fact, Washington doesn’t like to review his work The Times In an interview, he said that he does not watch the films in which he has acted.
“I haven’t watched any of my past movies from start to finish, not even ‘Malcolm X,'” he said. “You all see what you’ve done wrong. Why would you do it anyway?”
Washington told Mescale that instead of listening to others when charting his career, he should “listen to himself.”
Want to make more money at work? Take CNBC’s new online course. How to negotiate a higher salary. Expert instructors will teach you the skills you need to land a big payday, including how to prepare and build your confidence, what to do and say, and how to prepare a counter offer. Get started today and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory 50% discount until November 26, 2024.
Plus, Sign up for the CNBC Make It newsletter. Get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.