11 February 2017, Pasadena, California, 2017
[Winner, Most Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture]
Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Eugene O’Neil, Edward Albee, August Wilson
August Wilson is one of the greatest playwright ins the history of American, or world, theatre. it is a privilege, an honour, a responsibility, a duty, and a joy to bring his brilliance to the screen,.
I am particularly happy about, and proud of the young filmmakers actors, singers, writers, producers that are coming up. behind my generation.
In particular Barry Jenkins … young people understand, this young man made 10, 15, 20 short films, before he got the opportunity to make Moonlight.
So never give up.
Without commitment, you’ll never start, but more importantly, without consistency, you’ll never finish. It’s not easy. If it was easy there’d be no Kerry Washington. If it was easy there’d be no Taraji Henson, (corrects himself) P Henson, it it were easy there’d be no Octavia Spencer. But Not only that, if it were easy there’d be no Viola Davis. If it were easy there’d be no Mykelti Williamson, no Stephen McKinley Henderson, no Russell Hornsby, if it were easy there’d be no Denzel Washington.
So, keep working, keep striving, never give up, fall down seven times, get up eight.
Ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship.
Ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship.
So keep moving, keep growing, keep learning.
See you at work.
Related content: Denzel Washington, UPenn Commencement, 'Fall forward', 2011
"Dress me up in army fatigues. Throw me on top of a moving train. Ask me to play Malcolm X, Rubin Hurricane Carter, Alonzo from Training Day: I can do all that.
But a commencement speech? It’s a very serious affair. Different ballgame. There’s literally thousands and thousands of people here."