Denzel Washington’s ‘Frail’ Appearance In New Video Sparks Concerns About Health
Denzel Washington has fans doing a double take after noticing the A-lister’s recent transformation.
Washington, 70, has been ushering in a more healthy lifestyle in his later years, but it seems as though some of those changes are now being perceived as maybe a step too far.
The Academy Award winner is the latest celebrity to spark health concerns after his slimmed-down figure caused a ruckus online. An Instagram post of the star seated for a haircut, wearing a black barber’s cape, black track pants, and sneakers is at the root of the ongoing discourse.
Though Washington’s arms and his noticeably slimmer face were the only parts of his body uncovered, it did not take long for people to comment on his appearance. The actor stated in the video that he was preparing for his role in the Broadway revival of “Othello,” which opened on Monday, Feb. 24.
At first, some fans did not even realize that they were looking at the blockbuster film legend. “I thought Denzel was Dr Jay at first,” wrote someone about the clip shared by Yeet Magazine.
The comments soon expressed worry as one user typed, “Denzel don’t look right these days what happen to him?” Two others said, “I was wondering that also he looks sick so slim” and “He looks so frail.”
Several people pointed out that his salt-and-pepper hair is a reminder that he is “getting old.” A fifth reaction read, “He’s 70 now but I think this issues he’s getting to thin. Needs to put back on maybe 10 lbs.”
Despite the shock, Washington’s weight loss is not that much of a surprise. He spoke about his sobriety after kicking his alcohol habit and beginning a strength training regimen while promoting “Gladiator II” — for which he won a 2025 NAACP Image Award for supporting actor — last year.
“I was looking at pictures of myself and Pauletta at the Academy Awards for ‘Macbeth,’ and I’m just looking fat, with this dyed hair, and I said, ‘Those days are over, man,’” the “Equalizer” star told Esquire last November.
Longtime friend Lenny Kravitz hooked him up with a trainer, and Washington never looked back. “I feel like I’m getting strong. Strong is important,” he told the publication. At that time, he had been working with the trainer for over a year. He weighed “190-something” and had every intention of reaching 185 pounds.
Elsewhere in the comments, a theory read, “I feel like he does look slim but his face still looks healthy. He may be preparing for a role as the women above mentioned. I did think it was Possibly AI though it’s getting harder to tell now days.” Multiple people shared similar sentiments, even pitching ideas of real-life figures he could portray.
Denzel on set of his new film with Spike Lee “HIgh and Low” 🔥🎥 pic.twitter.com/kz45xu3att
— 247 Live Culture (@247LC) April 15, 2024
“DENZEL LOOK LIKE HE’S ABOUT TO DO A OBAMA MOVIE,” read one suggestion. Another was, “We need you to play #EricMayes,” the late outspoken Flint, Michigan, city council member who passed away at the age of 65 in February 2024. He has already placed Malcolm X and drug kingpin Frank Lucas on the big screen.
His upcoming projects include the Spike Lee joint “Highest 2 Lowest” with rapper A$AP Rocky and another untitled project that is is pre-production, according to IMDb. Currently, Washington is reprising his role as “Othello” in the Broadway production Barrymore Theatre in New York City. He first took on the lead of the Shakespeare play in college.
During a Feb. 10 press day for the production, he and co-star Jake Gyllenhaal posed for photos on the red carpet. The “Equalizer” star wore a black ball cap covering his gray hair and a buttoned-up jacket. Even then he appeared as a slimmer version of the movie star fans have loved for decades.
