Arts & Entertainment

Denzel Washington Wows on Magnolia

Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington was in Swampscott to film "The Equalizer."


Oscar winning actor Denzel Washington infused Magnolia Road with electricity long before Monday's late afternoon lightning struck.

The actor arrived around noon wearing striped sweatpants and a short-sleeve shirt.

He was in the shade-tree-lined neighborhood of tidy yards and flowers to perform in the action thriller movie The Equalizer.

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While watching footage under a canopy in the home's yard the actor flashed the old peace sign to his fans watching from across the street. 

Before breaking for lunch he came over and mixed with the crowd. 

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He had his photo taken with a small child and joked with a neighbor and other onlookers.

Several of the ladies lit up like lamps, and one of them said her heart was racing.

It also sounded like the Magnolia scene in the movie will get the audience's blood pumping. The action appeared to be a fight scene.

Washington rehearsed a loud expletive-laden scene in the garage by the white clapboard home at 61 Magnolia Road.

A big fishing boat with a center console was parked in the driveway.

But behind it and from inside the garage an actor swore loudly, presumably confronting another character in the movie.

Earlier, behind a truck parked at the side of the street, actors worked on handcuffing and throwing punches. 

Washington and the rest of the production team were scheduled to eat lunch at the Swampscott Middle School, then return to Magnolia in the afternoon for filming.

This was to be the only day of shooting for The Equalizer in Swampscott, movie publicist Cid Swank said.

She said the movie would be shooting throughout the summer, but at other locations.

Movie Synopsis (courtesy of the publicist):

Columbia Pictures has commenced filming in Boston on "The Equalizer."  The action thriller stars Denzel Washington and is directed by Antoine Fuqua; the two previously teamed up on the motion picture "Training Day," which garnered Washington an Academy Award as Best Actor for his performance as a rogue Los Angeles detective.  Fuqua, who most recently directed "Olympus Has Fallen," helms from a screenplay written by Richard Wenk (who also wrote the hit action films, "The Mechanic" and last summer's "The Expendables 2"), based on the television series created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim.  The film is produced by Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Denzel Washington, Alex Siskin, Steve Tisch, Mace Neufeld, Tony Eldrige and Michael Sloan.  Executive Producers are Exra Swerdlow and David J. Bloomfield.


In "The Equalizer," Denzel Washington plays 'McCall,' a former black ops commando who has faked his death to live a quiet life in Boston.  When he comes out of his self-imposed retirement to rescue a young girl, he finds himself face to face with ultra-violent Russian gangsters.  As he serves vengeance against those who brutalize the helpless, McCall's desire for justice is reawakened.  If someone has a problem, the odds are stacked against them, and they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help.  He is The Equalizer.



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