At one of many heights of his profession, following movies like “Malcolm X,” “Philadelphia,” and “Satan in a Blue Costume,” Denzel Washington starred in a remake of the 1947 Christmas film, “The Bishop’s Spouse.” Directed by the late nice Penny Marshall, the remake was referred to as “The Preacher’s Spouse” and centered on a struggling Baptist pastor, performed by Courtney B. Vance, and an angel come down to assist, however who finally ends up focusing extra on the pastor’s spouse. Marshall forged this function to a different megawatt expertise of the time, Whitney Houston. Discussing his profession with Chaz Ebert on the American Black Movie Pageant in Miami, per Folks, Denzel Washington remembered the priority he had for Houston whereas making the movie.
“I felt like I at all times wished to guard her,” he mentioned. Ebert acknowledged how this was current within the movie. She mentioned, “There was a vulnerability that you just noticed.”
Stunned this got here throughout in his efficiency, Washington requested Ebert, “So you actually received that?”
Ebert confirmed her view, to which Washington mockingly took credit score, as if it was intentional. To laughs, he mentioned, “Nicely, after all.”
Placing jokes apart, Washington mentioned of Houston, “I at all times felt like I wished to guard her. You realize? She wished to be so robust, however she actually wasn’t. That’s all.”
Houston died in 2012 following a few years of substance abuse points and at her funeral, Kevin Costner gave a stirring eulogy. He had co-starred together with her in “The Bodyguard” they usually had developed a detailed relationship throughout manufacturing, however Costner, whereas selling his upcoming movie “Horizon: An American Saga,” lately admitted, additionally per Folks, that he was a bit stunned to be given this duty.
“Whitney was actually so worthy to speak about, but it surely’s not my first intuition to go on the market, to hurry to the mic,” Costner mentioned. “However I received a name from Dionne Warwick [Houston’s cousin] and I may inform in her voice she was damaged. I mentioned sure to her after I had been saying no all week. I heard in her voice how drained she was, what number of selections she was most likely having to make, who would converse, who wouldn’t converse. She goes, ‘Kevin, can I ask you?’ and I [just] mentioned, ‘Sure.’”