Denzel Washington has been a part of some extraordinarily inspiring moments on the big screen.
That’s part of the reason he’s one of the greatest actors of his generation.
But earlier this month, for a group of young men and women aspiring to fill his shoes one day, the 2-time Oscar winner delivered encouragement and inspiration in real time.
This wasn’t a movie. This was just Washington at his very best.
In the short clip, uploaded to YouTube on May 26, Washington’s advice to the young actors is deeply rooted in his own faith principles:
True desire in the heart for anything good is God’s proof to you sent beforehand to indicate that it’s yours already.
Washington’s father was a Pentecostal minister. He told Readers Digest in a December, 2007, interview that he “definitely” considers himself a spiritual person and reads the Bible “every day.”
The 59-year-old actor and father of four tells the group on stage he hopes they find time each morning to get on their knees and pray. And then he talks about what it takes to turn the student’s dreams into reality:
Dreams without goals remain dreams. Just dreams. And ultimately — fuel disappointment […] Goals on the road to achievement cannot be achieved without discipline and consistency.
Actor and R&B singer Tyrese Gibson posted the short clip of Washington onstage to his Facebook page Sunday. As of Friday morning, the video had been shared more than 100,000 times.
Washington is performing on Broadway in A Raisin in the Sun, through June 15.
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