That’s legendary Debbie Allen talking to ELLE.com about her friendship with superstar Denzel Washington, as well as her incredible career which spans decades and inludes iconic roles in addition to her founding and serving as artistic director for the Debbie Allen Dan Academy.
The accomplished star also discusses her artist-in-resident position for more than 15 years at the Kennedy Center, as well as her current role on Grey’s Anatomy as actor, executive producer, and director.
Here’s some:
Debbie Allen on her friendship with Denzel Washington: “Denzel Washington is like my brother, if you will. We’ve known each other from New York when he was playing Malcolm X in a two-person show called When Chickens Come Home to Roost. Phylicia was playing [author] Zora Neale Hurston, and he was babysitting Phylicia’s son in between [sces]. While she was on stage, he would babysit. I mean, I’ve known him that long. And we knew he was going to be the one that was going to go all the way.”
Shonda Rhimes on people inorrectly giving her credit for people of color at the center of their own stories on television: “No, Debbie Allen did. She put people of color on television and displayed them in ways that they hadn’t been seen before. She told stories that hadn’t been told before. She gave people opportunities who hadn’t been given opportunities before.”
Ellen Pompeo on Allen supporting her as a director: “I knew she would have my back. I knew that she was not going to let me fail.”