Josh Brolin Explained Why He Almost Got Into A Fight With Denzel Washington, And It Sounds Tense

You know Josh Brolin...

Josh Brolin in a leather jacket and shirt poses at an event with an orange backdrop featuring logos and partial text, "AMERICAN BUFFALO."
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And you know Denzel Washington.

Denzel Washington standing in front of a SiriusXM backdrop, wearing a textured sweater
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Now, you may or may not remember that Josh and Denzel starred together in the 2007 crime drama American Gangster.

Denzel Washington and Josh Brolin in suits and leather jacket having a conversation by a car on a city street

American Gangster, by the way, was directed by Ridley Scott — who also directed the just-released Gladiator II, which also stars Denzel. Talk about coincidental synergy!

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But you probably didn't know that Josh and Denzel almost allegedly got into it — for real — while shooting the film.

Josh Brolin stands on a promotional red carpet, wearing a dark button-up shirt and jeans, with a backdrop featuring "The Prime Experience" logos
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During a recent appearance on In Depth with Graham Bensinger, Josh revealed all the details of what allegedly went down. “We almost got into a fight," he recalled, after noting that he and Denzel "get along very well now."

“Denzel was a little late to set and there was a whole thing there,” Josh claimed. “And then he showed me the lines…he didn’t change any of my lines, but he kind of changed the structure of it."

Josh Brolin and Denzel Washington in long coats stand by an open car trunk, engaged in a serious conversation. Another man looks on. Urban setting
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"He said, ‘I think I’m gonna put this down here and I’m gonna put that up there.’ But he wouldn’t really look at me.”

Denzel Washington and Josh Brolin stand facing each other outside, wearing formal coats
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“So I was trying to remember the structure, and then we rehearsed. It wasn’t that many lines, mostly mine. And I’m supposed to be super confident.”

Josh Brolin in a leather jacket and tie sits in a vintage office setting, looking thoughtful
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“It’s Denzel Washington, man. It’s, like, not easy. You’re just this actor who they’re trying out, seeing if he’s the real thing or not. And I forgot a line.”

Denzel Washington in a dark suit with a white shirt stands outdoors, a sign in the background partially visible
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Josh then claimed that he put his hand on Denzel's shoulder and asked what his line was — only for Denzel to "hit" his hand off of him and say, "Don't ever fucking put your hand on me."

Josh Brolin in a white suit on an event carpet, neutral expression. Event text "México, Febrero 29, Solo en Cines" is in the background
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“And I was like, ‘Holy shit, I’m gonna scrap with Denzel Washington. This is crazy.’ We’re not actors anymore…at least in my mind. In his mind he was just doing his job... He was that guy. He was Frank Lucas, period. But I didn’t know.”

Denzel Washington stands in a thoughtful pose, wearing a casual jacket, with a reflective expression

Denzel portrayed American drug lord Frank Lucas in the film.

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Josh then explained that he and Denzel "got through that moment" and were able to continue on with the scene. "I said, ‘Are you okay?’ He said, ‘Yeah. You?’ I said, ‘Yeah. Can I get my line?’ He said, ‘Go for it.’ It’s like he’d said what he needed to say.”

Josh Brolin in a suit jacket and open-collared shirt is smiling gently outdoors
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Well, there you have it. Have you ever had a mutual misunderstanding with someone at work? If so, let's hear about it in the comments.