Black Panther is one of the most iconic films of all time and its impact is undeniable. During an episode of Apple TV’s Number One On The Call Sheet, Oscar-winner Denzel Washington recalled becoming emotional after seeing the film for the first time.
“I cried a little bit when I saw Black Panther,” Washington said, “I was on Broadway [in The Iceman Cometh], in fact, and I went to the premiere, and I wasn’t interested in the red carpet and all that.”
Starring the late Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan and directed by Ryan Coogler, Washington felt like a new generation of Black artists were ready to take the art form to another level.
“So I went backstage and I saw Chad and Ryan,” he continues. “I spoke to them and then I sat down and watched the movie. And I felt like the baton had been passed. I was like, ‘Wow, these young boys are gone,’ you know. I felt, I don’t know if the word is ‘relieved,’ but I was proud to see what they had done and seeing where they were headed.”
While he couldn’t foresee just how successful the film would be, seeing it for the first time was a moment that the Othello actor will never forget.
“You know, I didn’t know then they were gonna make a billion dollars, but they did,” he adds. “So that, uh, that was a special moment for me.”
Premiering on March 28 and directed by Reginald Hudlin, Number One On the Call Sheet also features appearances by Eddie Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Will Smith, and Jamie Foxx on Episdose 1 “Black Leading Men in Hollywood. In Episode 2, “Black Leading Women in Hollywood,” directed by Shola Lynch, Halle Berry, Angela Bassett, Viola Davis, Gabrielle Union, Cynthia Eriv,o and Taraji P. Henson, just to name a few.