Denzel Washington is not above a green juice.
On a hot summer afternoon, Washington, rather jolly today and clad casually in all black, is puzzling over the customizable cold-press menu at the Four Seasons Hotel. His day will end with the premiere for his first-ever sequel, “The Equalizer 2” (in theaters Friday), but right now the two-time Oscar winner is debating what to blend with ginger and pineapple.
“It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I need a franchise,’ ” says Washington, 63, explaining why he chose to resume the role of ex-CIA operative-turned-vigilante Robert McCall in the follow-up to 2014’s “The Equalizer.” “I haven’t needed one up to now. What do I need one for? And I’ve been asked. Like, they wanted to do a prequel to ‘Safe House.’ And they wanted to do an ‘Inside Man 2.’ But it didn’t make sense to me.”
But the bombastic, R-rated “Equalizer 2” did, which finds his quiet, violence-prone hero attempting to stay under the radar as a Lyft driver – until his beloved friend is murdered.
For the full story, visit USAToday.com/Life/Movies.
