Better Acting Through Chemistry
DENZEL WASHINGTON and Viola Davis were little more than professional acquaintances when they began rehearsing in March to play husband and wife in the Broadway revival of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama “Fences.” They had worked together briefly on the 2002 film “Antwone Fisher,” Mr. Washington’s directorial debut, but there had been no bonding. “Polite and formal” was how Ms. Davis described their interaction back then.
Denzel Washington and Viola Davis at the Cort Theater.
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Video: A Times Talks Conversation With Denzel Washington and Viola Davis Original Review: 'Fences' (March 27, 1987)
Mary Alice and James Earl Jones in the 1986 production of “Fences” at the Goodman Theater in Chicago.
Yet now, after five weeks of performances, Mr. Washington and Ms. Davis display a warmth and playfulness with each other that reflect the essential rapport of any successful Troy and Rose Maxson, who, after 18 years of marriage, are each other’s source of hope in a world of otherwise expired dreams.
During a recent hourlong interview, the two stars of this critically acclaimed “Fences” frequently finished each other’s sentences:
He: “The play is ultimately about a family.”
She: “Who know that family is their most precious treasure.”
They complimented each other sweetly:
He: “You look extra beautiful today.”
Denzel Washington and Viola Davis in ‘Fences’ - NYTimes.com
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