And Denzel, he basically has a gym, a boxing ring. ![]() We talk about the Bible, we talk about a lot of things. Denzel is an amazing teacher for me about life. Not just your stars, but the whole crew … It’s challenging. On some days it might not be clicking and you gotta deal with the personalities of many different people. But when you’re the coach, you’re not on the floor - I mean, you are, but you’re not, right? You’re trying to get everything to click the right way. Whatever God-given talent I had, I was having fun, always. Basketball was easier because I was on the floor. What’s more challenging: playing college basketball or coaching an actor like Denzel Washington?Ĭoaching. The BUILD Series presents actors Chris Pratt (left), Denzel Washington (center) and director Antoine Fuqua (right) to discuss The Magnificent Seven at AOL HQ on Sept. That discipline helped me with filmmaking decisions … Convey your vision … how you want to run the play … And you got your star players … your Denzel Washingtons … you got to know how to move them, as well. But if you wanted to play, you had to walk yourself to the field and play, and then walk home after practice, and sometimes two-a-day. I was so skinny I could barely carry all that equipment. I had to walk from home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania up to the football field, which was a long ways away with all that equipment. For me, I’ve been playing sports since I was 6 years old. And if you’re the coach, you have to make these athletes move the way you need them to move and you need them to be disciplined because of the plays. If you’re the point guard, you got to run that floor. Magnificent Seven is a great example of it because it was a hard shoot. How does that play a role in who you are in Hollywood? The Contenders You’ve told me before that playing basketball changed your life. He started smiling, and I was like, ‘You love it, don’t ya?’ I had a vision … and as soon as we started talking about it, he signed on because of my passion for it. I just showed my passion for it, and I played some music for him at the table in this restaurant, and I was describing to him how I saw him dressed in black and all that. What did you say that made Denzel Washington say yes? I know you had to put in work. Instead of talking about, I just wanted to do it.” Refused to represent it the way that it needed to be, and the way it was. “Hollywood - back in the day - was having issues with race. ![]() ![]() And then, by that point, you know, putting the rest of the diverse cast together, I got more excited about it. So that’s when I got really excited about it. You know … Denzel and Byung-hun Lee, that got me even more excited about wanting to make the film because then it became something of my own, something different, you know. But also, what really got me excited was when I got my casting. I always loved the story, and I love the idea of self-sacrifice for others. ![]() What made you want to make this film - and a Western at that? Oh, and the ending? Even if you’ve seen the 1960’s John Sturges-directed version - wait for it. The film known in the tweets as #Mag7 is headed for a big opening weekend - and is a directorial triumph with timely underpinnings and allusions. Reviews have been mixed coming out of the Toronto Film Festival, but don’t get it twisted. The director of 1998’s The Replacement Killers, 2000’s Bait and 2015’s surprising Southpaw, Fuqua is a longtime fan of Western films, and dared with his newest project to remake a beloved 1960 classic - with a colorful twist. He holds court on a soundstage - or, as is the case with his new project, The Magnificent Seven - under the blazing sun in Louisiana and New Mexico. Fuqua, who went on a scholarship to play basketball at West Virginia State University (he later transferred to West Virginia University to study electrical engineering), has been a point guard his entire life. The director, most known for getting the right players in the best position - his biggest victory to date is coaching Denzel Washington to an Oscar for 2001’s Training Day. He did this first on the court and, now, in Hollywood. For most of his life, he’s been casing the space around him and figuring out where the sweet spots are. Antoine Fuqua is used to setting up big plays.
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