'Fences' Stars Denzel Washington & Viola Davis Talk Award Nominations

When the leading man and lady are up for Golden Globe and SAG nominations, you know the movie must be good!

“Extra's” Renee Bargh sat down with Denzel Washington and Viola Davis to talk about their new film “Fences.” Directed by Denzel and set in the 1950s, the movie centers on a man's unfulfilled dreams and his relationships with his wife played by Viola and his son.

Washington opened up about his own relationships as he revealed, “I didn't know everything there was to know about love, but I married a woman who did and how to share that. So I learned that.” Saying he is not similar to his character Troy, he said, “I'm not a Troy. I love my kids. We kiss. I mean, I kissed my father once in my life and he was on his bed about to die. And he started coughing. And he choked… I'm like, 'Is he upset that I kissed on him on his forehead?'”

The movie is based on the play that won Denzel and Viola Tony Awards. Denzel was actually in bed when the SAG and Golden Globe noms came in. He mentioned the biggest challenge of bringing this film from the stage to the big screen is, “Opening it up without shining the light on what I'm doing, or how I'm doing it. Trying to be true to August.” Renee jokingly asked about Denzel's “little gut” in the film, to which he replied, “That's so sweet of you to say little.”

Viola said she is equally happy to be bringing this role to the movies and to work with Denzel, “He's the man for the job! He's a man who can flip from being an actor to being a director with ease; being a leader to being a peer. He has it down.” She told Renee the rumors that she loved the gray-streaked wig she wore as Rose are true. “Loved. To me, it speaks Rose.”

When she spoke about the inspiration for Rose, she commented, “There is not one woman I know that has not been in a relationship where they have not dedicated everything they had in that relationship.” Viola also mentioned that Troy reminded her of her dad, saying, "Born in 1936, St. Matthews, South Carolina. Fifth-grade education. He was illiterate till he was 15. And a very complicated man.”

Viola mentioned she heard about the recent nominations via email after asking her publicist not to call her that early in the morning. “It's wonderful; and to celebrate with this movie coming out.”