Denzel Washington speaks on being waterboarded during 'Safe House'

Denzel Washington is apparently just as tough as he looks. Washington endured slight suffocation while filming a waterboarding scene for his new film...

TheGrio Staff

Feb 9, 2012

Oscar winning actor Denzel Washington is apparently just as tough as he looks. Washington endured slight suffocation while filming a waterboarding scene for his new film Safe House. Huffington Post reports that Washington said, “I wanted to see what it would be like. It’s strange. You can’t breathe in, because the water comes in, and its filling up your mouth.”

In “Training Day,” star Denzel Washington’s character, Alonzo, tells Ethan Hawke’s Jake, “You gotta decide whether you’re a wolf or a sheep.” As if Denzel’s status in the former category was ever questionable, fans can now definitively say the Oscar-winning actor is a wolf after his recent admission.

In a conversation with Vulture, Washington said he was waterboarded during the filming of his upcoming action-drama, “Safe House.”

“I wanted to see what it would be like. It’s strange. You can’t breathe in, because the water comes in, and it’s filling up your mouth,” said Washington. “And that was just one time for a short time. Imagine having that done for 20, 30 seconds? You will give up the answers! You may not necessarily tell the truth, but you will tell [your captors] whatever they want to hear.”