How W. Kamau Bell Met Denzel Washington | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

explain your fascination not that you. need to explain it because it makes. sense to me but I want to talk to you. about Denzel Washington because you've. devoted a chunk of your life to Denzel. Washington and um yes an incredible. actor a very uh very good yes an. incredible actor like yes yeah Michael. Jordan pretty good at basketball I. didn't say pretty good I said inred but. like you said like yes an incredible. actor well yes I I'm just saying but. there are what is it about Denzel. Washington specifically well me and my. friend Kevin Avery who's also a comedy. writer and actor had a podcast for years.

called Denzel Washington is the greatest. actor of all time period okay cuz we. felt we needed to declare sure that he. was the greatest actor of all time. period because he clearly is and he did. not get the respect at the time so uh I. I just think that like you. know it feel it feels weird like why is. chocolate delicious I don't know. Conan well I don't like. chocolate yeah very the weird one you're. the weird one stupid I love that you. Sona tried to gasp and it just sounded. like you one of those people that has a.

hole in their throat come on. you it's yeah it just sounded like a tea. kettle that had no water in it I'm like. Debbie from the smoking commercial with. the whole in oh you that's what you are. there you SM fig out can you just say I. smoked for 20 years I smoked for 20. years oh okay yeah yeah yeah yeah that. was well that's a good laugh terrible. cancer anyway oh my god well I hope. you're happy I'm just saying I sound. like Debbie yeah I think it's terrible. okay uh uh you should be Shan to.

yourself has Denzel ever been on the. podcast he has not I don't think I've. ever met podcast that's that's one of. the things I like about him he doesn't. do any of and it doesn't need to I mean. no he's the he's at that last era of. actor who doesn't have to have social. media doesn't have to he he doesn't even. when he wins Awards he's not that. impressed with he does a lot of game. shows he does a lot he's the new host of. Family Feud he's taking over for Steve. Harvey he's to I'm just picturing he has. so much class and dignity I'm just. picturing him like doing stuff on. Nickelodeon getting slimed and being.

like this is what you got to do got to. get the word out on my on on the. enforcer or whatever you I don't know. equalizer equalizer okay sorry that's. all right no I just think he's I think. me and my friend Kevin would realize. that we were talking about Denzel a lot. and we realize that like we didn't hear. other people talking about him as much. and we just felt like nobody ever thinks. of him as being one of the I mean maybe. he's not the greatest but nobody thinks. of him is really is being among the. greatest actors of all time period but. he gets respect I'm thinking just I I. feel denzo Washington gets a lot of.

respect but whenever you talk about the. greatest actors there's like a sort of a. crew of like dairo and and Pino and like. and and uh you know DiCaprio all the O. actors well. yeah more he's more consistent than all. three of them yes and has been a Bo and. he's still a box office draw even though. he's like get he's getting up there but. he's like and I think the issue that he. has had is because of Hollywood and the. racism of Hollywood like he's just not. he's not seen as he doesn't he's not. seen as being in that same Lane and so I. feel like we were just like we need to.

claim him and also give him his flowers. before he passes cuz when he goes away. there's going to be like a ton of like. he's the greatest thing but I felt like. I would like him to hear it now even. though it was embarrassing when I found. out he had heard about the podcast oh he. did hear about it yeah well so first. Kevin met him at some event in LA and at. that point I had my first TV show so. Kevin was like oh yeah me and my friend. Bell have a podcast about you he goes. deel That's that brother's always. talking about me on the internet which I. was like wow felt little like he was.

accusing me like don't show up in my. house like yeah so he and Kevin said he. didn't see to seem like oh yeah we've. we've put him on our list like we know. that he's uh and then I got to go to his. uh the AFI tribute to Denzel Washington. and they and they invited me to it so I. was like well at least I'm not on the. bad list and and my wife's like you have. to meet him you have to go meet him and. I was like I just can't I feel weird I I. did this podcast I wasn't doing the. podcast anymore but I felt weird about. it I can't go talk to and she's like you. have to and so she literally like.

picked me up not literally picked me up. because she's not bigger than me but. she's like we have to go so she escorted. me over it was during a break and like. Julia Roberts is there Lee is there. it's like all these famous people and. I'm walking over in this rented tuxedo. and uh and. Denzel uh turns to is talking to Le. and I'm sort of standing over there and. uh and spikey looks me at me who I've. met before and then spikey says. something to Denzel and this woman who's. a journalist says something to Denzel.

like this and Denzel looks at me and. looks at Ley I don't know if I can. say this on the con O'Brien podcast what. he. said you can say anything denel looks at. me and goes my. no that's cool first time that's been. said on this podcast say yeah not since. the Harrison Ford. episode yeah I don't know why it was. said so often on that so.

yeah that's why I started paying. attention and like then stands up and. say like he actually said and I don't. know if he still feels the same way but. in that moment he said he's like I love. you because at that point I was doing. United States of America and so I think. he really started to understand me. through that show not through the uh. sycophantic podcast and then I uh you. know and I wept and uh that's that's. really nice that's I like that story. it's a great it's a great yeah it sort. of when I tell it I feel a little. embarrassed even telling it well I I no. I mean I think it's a great EX for the. part I was really excited to say. that in front of this room full people. that's two times now uh said I could say.

it so now I'm going to say it all the. time and now I'm going to invite. everybody to say it you should one. two never seen a room clear out that. fast my voice is gone. nice that's my move so was like my voice. is coming. back Sona might have said it a couple. times today and we wouldn't have heard. it it just sounded like a little burp. just be clear for everybody listening on. YouTube that's with the a the soft a not. the hard e r it's the rap version.

ver.