Constanza Romero and Denzel Washington speech at August Wilson's posthumous Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony

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Constanza Romero Wilson, Denzel Washington, and Malcolm Washington speak at August Wilson's posthumous Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at 1611 Vine Street, in front of The Montalban Theatre in Los Angeles, California, USA.
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00:00He's an accomplished producer, director, and actor, known for his powerful performances

00:08on screen.

00:09Throughout his career, he's received multiple awards, including two Oscars, three Golden

00:13Globes, and a Tony Award.

00:15Our speaker, along with producer Todd Black and executive producer Costanza Romero-Wilson,

00:21adapted The Piano Lesson for film.

00:25Now please welcome Denzel Washington.

00:29And joining Denzel Washington will be Malcolm Washington, Miss Pauletta Washington, and

00:34I believe Danielle's getting up here again, too, is what I heard.

00:39All Wilsonians, all Wilsonians, come on up here.

00:43Glenn, come on, everybody, come on, all y'all, belong to all of us, come on, Costanza.

00:50I wrote a much better speech than that, but I left it home.

00:57You want to speak first?

01:00Yeah, you can speak.

01:02I should speak first?

01:04Yeah.

01:05Costanza Romero-Wilson.

01:06I thought that Denzel Washington was going to speak before me, but, oh my goodness.

01:17Happy New Year, everybody.

01:202025 marks 20 years since August has been gone, and I think that that 20 years cannot

01:31be marked better than today with the Hollywood Walk of Fame, so, you know, I'm going to read

01:39a bunch of thank yous, but that's my first thank you.

01:43Thank you, Denzel, oh, Danielle, your words were, you know, just, you made us soar with

01:52your words, thank you, and it really is an impact on the power of August's legacy.

02:05Before I begin, I want to acknowledge the presence here of August's older daughter,

02:09Sakina Ansari-Wilson.

02:10It's wonderful to have family here.

02:16August, my beloved husband, was a man of immense passion and unwavering dedication.

02:23He possessed a unique voice, a poet's soul, and a deep understanding of the human condition.

02:29Each of the 10 plays compiled in the American Century Cycle is a masterpiece in its own

02:35right.

02:36Each paints an indelible portrait of the black American experience, exploring themes of identity,

02:43history, and the intrinsic value of the human spirit.

02:47August especially believed in the power of history, in the voice of the ancestors to

02:52illuminate and to guide us as we often forget the sacrifices and the sins made by our forebears.

03:01He gave voice to multiple generations of black Americans who had previously been voiceless.

03:07He celebrated, he spoke out loud, he reminded us, he made us all walk in his grandfather's

03:13shoes and thus eloquently honored the rich tapestry of black life in all its complexities.

03:21I remember the first time I witnessed him deeply concentrated in his creative process.

03:26He was speaking all the characters' lines out loud over and over and over and over again

03:31because he was writing poetry, composing music with his own distinctive rhythm and cadence.

03:38Later after we were sharing the same roof, I noticed a piece of paper taped above his

03:43writing desk with the words, shoot for the moon, written in bold letters.

03:50I understood then that this was nothing short than his personal mandate.

03:55He didn't just want to be the best playwright that ever lived.

03:59He wanted to be the best playwright that I was ever going to live.

04:04This level of artistic ambition speaks for August Wilson's relationship with his craft,

04:10with his creative universe, and ultimately with his grand vision which cemented, literally,

04:17his indelible contribution to our American culture.

04:22This star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame marks August's expanding influence in the world

04:27of film and theater.

04:29It is a recognition of his unprecedented achievement, his mission to visit each decade of the 20th

04:35century with the American century cycle.

04:38Through the transformative power of art, he depicted the sacred spaces of everyday life

04:45and everyday people.

04:47Then he elevated their stories to reach the realm of universal truths.

04:53As we enter the plays, at least for me, it is as though the playwright were still alive

04:59commenting on our present struggles.

05:03He still has so much more to say.

05:06We have so much more to explore.

05:08Bringing August's work to the screen continues to be a labor of love, a collaborative effort

05:14to translate the magic on stage to the cinematic canvas.

05:19Thank you, Denzel.

05:25For being the custodian of the American century cycle, and to the entire Washington family.

05:32My gratitude also to the cast and my fellow filmmakers on The Piano Lesson for guarding,

05:37protecting, and preserving the gifts August left us.

05:42Thank you to Netflix for their commitment to uphold and adapt August's work to film,

05:48thus bringing a wider audience to August's enduring legacy.

05:53Thank you, Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, for this absolute honor.

05:57And thank you to anyone who has ever loved and cherished August Wilson's work.

06:02His words will continue to inspire and resonate for generations to come.

06:10I had a better speech than her too, but I didn't bring it.

06:17I'll say it.

06:18I said it before, I'll say it again.

06:19Eugene O'Neill, Edward Albee, Tennessee Williams, I'm leaving out one, who's the fourth one?

06:27Eugene O'Neill, Edward Albee, Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, August Wilson.

06:32One of the greatest to ever do it.

06:35One of the greatest that will ever do it.

06:37He is home where he deserves to be, right here, doing or having his work interpreted

06:46with on film, and to be a small part of that, to be given the honor to shepherd his brilliance

06:56is not a lifelong dream, but it's the most important part of the rest of my life and

07:03my career.

07:04I will take care of August Wilson.

07:08Malcolm, filmmaker.

07:1040 seconds.

07:1140 seconds.

07:12All right.

07:13One minute.

07:14Easy.

07:15Hello.

07:16Director of the Piano Lesson.

07:23It's my honor to add my voice to the choir of adoration for a king in our culture, Mr.

07:27August Wilson.

07:28A man whose pen, ordained by God, but forged in steel, spun tomes of prophecy.

07:34He seemed to know us better than we could ever know ourselves.

07:38His ink carried the voice of a people, their hopes, their desires, their shortcomings and

07:43triumphs.

07:44He painted pictures of our history and visions of our future.

07:47So Mr. Wilson, while we never met, I'm a drop in the sea of a generation of artists so profoundly

07:51moved by your words, seen in your verse, whose consciousness was developed by your text.

07:57May your legacy live on forever, most importantly in your work, but personified in this altar.

08:02Mortared for you, King.

08:04All right.

08:05Need we say more?

08:06We don't need to say anything else.

08:07Who's next?

08:08What do we got to do next?

08:09You didn't have a speech better than that one.

08:10I know.

08:11I ain't got a speech better than that one.

08:12Can I have everybody but the stomp them?

08:13Everybody get off the stage.

08:14We're going to bring you back to the cover.

08:15We're going to have our Anthony come back.

08:30Finally it is an honor to be among so many Wilsonians and also actual Wilsons.

08:38So Cassandra, let me just add that the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce administers the Walk of

08:44Fame on behalf of the city of Los Angeles.

08:47And on behalf of the chamber and Hollywood council member, Hugo Soto Martinez, I now

08:54present you with a city resolution.

08:58So we'll stand right here so they can take a picture of you with it.

09:03I'll hold.

09:04Okay.

09:05Great.

09:07Yeah.

09:08Okay.

09:10Okay.

Constanza Romero and Denzel Washington speech at August Wilson's posthumous Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony

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