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[BOLD {RUSSELL CROWE}] ''And I'm going, Oh man, that's f---ed. I'm doing my audition, and I spit on Denzel Washington. I might as well just go home and hang myself right now''
PHOTOGRAPH BY MARTIN SCHOELLER

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: It's been 12 years since you guys starred opposite each other in Virtuosity. Do you remember the first time you actually met?
RUSSELL CROWE: We met on one of those big-ass stages at Paramount. We had to do a scene where there's a piece of cyclone wire fencing between us. I had to be really rabid and weird, and on the first take, I'm working myself up and a bit of spit comes out of my mouth —
DENZEL WASHINGTON: [Laughing] Oh, right, I remember that!
CROWE: — and it weaves itself neatly through the fencing and lands right on Denzel's lip. A glob of white f---ing spit just sitting right there. And I'm going, Oh man, that's f---ed. I'm doing my audition, and I spit on Denzel Washington. I might as well just go home and hang myself right now. And the thing is, he just kept on doing the scene, and at the end, they said ''Cut,'' and he's looking at me and the spit's still sitting there and he goes [wiping his mouth slowly], ''I love the taste of warm saliva in the morning.'' [To Washington] I remember about halfway through that movie you came by my trailer and you had some cognac and a couple of cigars and you said, ''Damn, I wish I was playing your role.''
WASHINGTON: What was it — you were made of glass? You ate glass? You had to rub it on yourself?
CROWE: [Dryly] Some s--- like that.
WASHINGTON: The bad guy is always the fun role! The noble hero — ugh. Finally, I got to [play the villain] in Training Day.

Russell, do you remember the first time you ever saw Denzel onscreen?
CROWE: It was the one where you're standing on the street and you've got your shirt off and your six-pack hanging out.
WASHINGTON: You mean an action picture — running and jumping? Ricochet? That's the last time I had a six-pack, unless it was some aluminum cans. [Laughs]
CROWE: I just remember there was one particular scene and you had your shirt off, and there was a sort of blue sheen to the scene and something really dynamic about it. And I remember later on seeing a still of that and reading an article where Spike Lee said he'd cast you because ''all the girls want some Denzel'' — or something like that.
WASHINGTON: Oh boy, well, there's enough of me to go around now. [Patting his belly] I'm big. After Labor Day, I'm hitting the gym.

NEXT PAGE: ''I said, 'All right, you get Ridley engaged in this and I'll cover the other half so Denzel can do this. Because I want to see him play this role.'''


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