Elsewhere in the Esquire story, Denzel opened up about his past struggles with alcohol and how it negatively impacted his life. And while recalling his disappointment over the 2000 Oscar loss, Denzel said he likely turned to alcohol to manage his emotions.

"For about 15 years, from 1999 to 2014, when I put the beverage down, I was bitter," the legendary actor shares.

Kevin Spacey has had his share of ugly headlines across the past couple of years, but Denzel Washington recently said rumors swirled about him a long time before those reports popped up. In fact, Washington said, there was talk decades before the “House of Cards” actor, 65, was accused of sexual assault and harassment.