Denzel Washington has an action film on his hands with “Safe House” and he has a big selling point to get women into theater seats.
“Come see Ryan Reynolds,” he laughed with Access Hollywood correspondent Jill Martin over the weekend as he promoted his new film. “He’s a good looking guy, a halfway decent looking guy.
“I just think it was a good movie,” Denzel continued of the appeal of the CIA-tinged edge-of-your-seat production. “I don’t know if it’s an action movie or if it’s more of a thriller, but it’s unique and it’s beautiful.”
In the film, Denzel plays Tobin Frost, a fugitive, who Ryan’s character – CIA operative Matt Weston – has to look after. And there are a lot of people out to get Tobin.
The movie, shot in Cape Town, saw Denzel going beyond the call of duty stunt-wise.
“I did all my own fights. I don’t think I used any stuntmen for any of the fights that I did,” Denzel said. “That’s me running across those roofs, that’s me in the car, crashin’, jumpin’ around, banging around in the trunk of the car. Yeah, pretty much, I did most of my own stunts”
One of those fights actually saw Denzel get hurt – by Ryan’s own hands – or rather his forehead.
“I did not punch Denzel Washington in the eye,” Ryan told Jill, clearing up one rumor. “I head-butted him, which is different, which is like seemingly less offensive.
The incident happened while the two were filming a particularly action packed scene involving a car.
“Our heads just went the wrong way one time and, ‘Pop! Right in the eye!’ I got him and I just thought, ‘Wow, [is] this man is going to turn me into liquid? How does this work?’… I’m thinking, ‘Am I just dismissed for the day? Am I dismissed for life? What just happened?’ and it turns out there goes his eye, it’s swelling up and I’m thinking, ‘I just gave Denzel Washington his first shiner,’” Ryan recounted.
“Safe House” hits theaters on February 10.
Copyright © 2024 by NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be republished, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.