Denzel Washington Surprises Chicago Local: ‘I'm a God-Fearing Man Who was Raised Right’

Mark Judge | October 4, 2017
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The Chicago-Sun Times is reporting that Hollywood superstar Denzel Washington recently paid a surprise visit to an 86-year-old grandmother in Chicago.

Washington, the 62-year-old Academy Award winning actor, was in Chicago on Saturday on his way to Leon's Bar-B-Q.  He decided to stop in the neighborhood and visit Juanita Hubbard, who has lived on the South Side for nearly 50 years. Hubbard, 86, is known in the neighborhood as “Mama Hubbard.”

"I saw this tall, handsome young man walk up on steps," Hubbard told told ABC7 when recounting the event. "I said, 'Dear God, my blessing has been answered.'"

Washington traded stories with the group of people that gathered at the home, telling fans that he spent some of his childhood visiting family in the city. Washington joked and reciting lines from his hit film "Training Day," then one man asked the actor if he knew how important he is.

"We look up to you. You're a black statesman," the man told Washington.

Washington referred to himself as "regular folk" and, laughing, said, "It's not my world but it's my block."

He added, "I'm a God-fearing man who was raised right. I did a lot of wrong. But I got it together."

Sun-Times reporter Taylors Hartz fills in more detail:

Although Hubbard said she spent Friday night watching Washington’s 2002 film “John Q.,” she doesn’t have a favorite Washington movie.

“Everything he plays, every film he’s in, that’s my favorite,” Hubbard said.

As of Tuesday, a video of Washington’s visit had gone viral, with more than 3.7 million views. Hubbard was speechless when she heard how many people had seen the video.

“He was always one of those people I wanted to meet, but I didn’t think I could take it,” Hubbard said. “But it was just like talking to one of my own sons.”

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