Denzel Washington is about to add another instalment of Shakespeare to his long career of it, in Joel Coen’s upcoming film The Tragedy of Macbeth out Dec. 25.
Paying no heed to superstition over saying the word “Macbeth” in a theatre, the actor has appeared in plenty of the Bard’s work before, including Othello, Richard II, Coriolanus, Julius Caesar, and Much Ado About Nothing.
On Wednesday, the Late Show host Stephen Colbert asked him about any advice on performing Shakespeare — however, Washington replied, “I would like you to give me some advice.”
“About Shakespeare? I never performed Shakespeare except in an acting class,” replied Colbert before diving right into it. “Speak it trippingly on the tongue!”
“But if you mouth it, as many of your players do,” Washington expertly responded, from Hamlet.
“Do not saw the air thusly!” said Colbert sawing the air, thusly.
The real treat? The pair delved into the “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow” speech from Macbeth, which Washington is the best coach for, and it’s worth its weight in eye of newt and toe of frog.
