Josh Brolin says he and Denzel Washington almost got into a fight on the set of AMERICAN GANGSTER

Josh Brolin is on a publicity tour for his new memoir, From under the truckand he’s revealing some interesting stories from his past.

It appeared on In depth with Graham Bensinger podcast, and talked about a tense moment on the set of Ridley Scott’s 2007 film, American gangsterin which he played the role of detective Trupo Denzel WashingtonHarlem drug lord Frank Lucas.

“Yeah, we almost got into a fight,” Brolin revealed, noting that most of his time on the American gangster the set was spent acting with Russell Crowe. The rare moments he acted alongside Washington were tense, as the Oscar winner played a ruthless mobster. He explained:

“Denzel was a little late to the set and everything was there. And then he showed me the lines…he didn’t change any of my lines, but he changed the structure of them. He said, “I think I’ll put this one down here and that one up there.”

“But he wouldn’t really look at me. I was trying to remember the structure and then we tried it. There weren’t many lines, especially mine. And I should be super confident. I’m Denzel Washington, man. It’s not easy: you’re just an actor they’re trying out, to see if it’s real or not. And I forgot a line.

Brolin asked Washington what his line was, but he also did so by placing his hand on Washington’s shoulder.

“And he took my hand off and said, ‘Don’t you ever fucking put your hand on me,’” Brolin recalls. “And I was like, ‘Holy shit, I’m going to fight Denzel Washington.

“This is crazy.” We are no longer actors, at least in my mind. In his mind, he was simply doing his job. It was that boy. It was Frank Lucas, period. But I didn’t know it. And then we moved past that moment.

“I said, ‘Are you okay?’ He said, ‘Yes. You?’ I said, “Yes.” Can I have my own line?’ He said, “Try it.” It’s like he said what he needed to say.”

Brolin stressed that the two actors “get along really well now” and that it was nothing more than a heated moment on set. It must have been a crazy feeling though! I bet it’s crazy to work with actors who work in characters, or who act methodically, since you expect a person out of the scene, but you only get the one they play. It’s an awkward moment, but it’s also a really good story!

via: Variety