Denzel Washington has shared the screen with numerous actors throughout his illustrious career, but one memorable collaboration was with rapper-turned-actor Ice-T in the 1991 film “Ricochet.” Despite Ice-T’s own veteran status in the entertainment industry, working with Washington was an experience that left him starstruck and, at times, flustered.
Ice-T, who had already made a name for himself in the hip-hop world by the mid to late 1980s, began exploring acting in the early 1990s. His first significant role was as police officer Scotty Appleton in the cult classic “New Jack City” (1991). Interestingly, Ice-T didn’t even audition for the part; it was offered to him unexpectedly.
“I got into acting kinda funny. I was in a club with some girl models when Mario Van Peebles walked over to me. He said, ‘I want you to be in a movie,’ and I was thinking, ‘yeah right, you just wanna get down [with the girls].’ The next day, I got a phone call from him and he told me to come and read for a movie called ‘New Jack City.’ I went over there and they told me I was gonna wear dreads and play a cop,” Ice-T once recounted.
Initially, Ice-T had reservations about the role due to his gangster rap persona and lack of acting experience. However, the positive reception he received after filming “New Jack City” boosted his confidence. “After I did it, I got mad love and it gave me confidence. That’s when I really knew that people will always judge you for what you do, but as long as you do it well, ain’t nobody’s gonna be mad at you. I’ve never read for a movie, I’ve always been given them,” he said.
One of the subsequent roles he was given was in “Ricochet,” where he played a drug dealer alongside Denzel Washington. Despite his growing experience, Ice-T found himself starstruck by Washington, a feeling he rarely experienced with other celebrities.
“Before you play in the NBA, you sit on the sideline and look at ’em and say, man, one day. So to be actually working with Denzel Washington, are you serious? You know, I’m a rapper, so I wasn’t so star-struck with other emcees or musicians, but this was Denzel Washington. This is like my second movie,” Ice-T once said according to NPR.
What truly left Ice-T flustered was Washington’s ability to seamlessly transition into character. This skill was so impressive that it caused Ice-T to forget his lines, prompting Washington to help him refocus in a unique way.
“Denzel would sit there and play with me and, you know, tell jokes,” Ice-T recalled. “And then when they say action, he would snap into character. And he did it so fast that I couldn’t say my lines, and he reached over the table. He popped me. He said, ‘Come on, Ice. Come on, baby. Let’s do this, you know?'”
This experience with Washington not only left a lasting impression on Ice-T but also inspired him to improve his acting skills. Fans of “Law & Order: SVU” have witnessed this evolution, as Ice-T has portrayed Detective Fin Tutuola since 1999, a role he continues to embrace.
Although Ice-T initially struggled with the idea of playing a police officer, his long tenure on “SVU” has helped him reconcile this role with his persona. Over time, he realized that playing a cop and a gangster on screen required similar acting skills.
“We all have had enough experience with the cops, you can act like a cop,” Ice-T once said on “Drink Champs.” “Like when I’m on ‘Law & Order,’ right before I do the scene, I just go ‘A**hole, a**hole, a**hole, a**hole.’ And then I talk down to you. But dig this, playing a cop and playing a gangster is the exact same acting. Exact same acting. We both got a gun, we both got an attitude, we both want answers, or there will be a consequence.”
Ice-T’s journey from a starstruck rapper to a seasoned actor is a testament to his adaptability and determination. His experience with Denzel Washington on “Ricochet” was a pivotal moment that pushed him to hone his craft and embrace new challenges in the world of acting.
Source: NPR, Drink Champs, Props
