An African-American father struggles to hold his family together in 1950s America, while dealing with race relations and trying to come to terms with the disappointments of his life in Director Denzel Washington's new drama, Fences.
Adapted from August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Washington’s film tells the story of Troy, a former Negro league baseball player now working as a trash collector in 1950s Pittsburgh. When events — some of his own making — threaten to tear his family apart, he must find a way to hold on to his home while also dealing with his own crushed dreams and the dreams of his son. The film features Washington as Troy and Viola Davis as his wife Rose, both reprising their Tony Award-winning roles from the 2010 Broadway revival of the play.
Following the DGA membership screening in Los Angeles on November 6, Washington sat down with Director Alexander Payne (Nebraska), to discuss the making of Fences. Washington also spoke about the film in a conversation with Director Bennett Miller (Foxcatcher) following the DGA membership screening in New York on November 19.
In addition to Fences, Washington’s credits include the feature films The Great Debaters and Antwone Fisher and an episode of the television series Grey's Anatomy. Washington has been a DGA member since 2001.
You can listen to Washington's Q&A by clicking the podcast episode embedded below. You can find all DGA podcast episodes here.