Denzel Washington is at the helm of 'Fences'; a film adaptation of the play of the same name by the late Pulitzer Prize winning African-American playwright August Wilson. He's also the producer and stars in the film as lead character Troy Maxson opposite Viola Davis who plays his wife Rose Maxson.

Denzel WashingtonDenzel Washington compares August Wilson to Shakespeare

Denzel is a huge fan of the play for its captivating story. Originally published in 1985, it's a story about race set in the 50s and follows a 53-year-old former baseball player from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who had previously been in prison. It's part of Wilson's 'Pittsburgh Cycle' series,

'August Wilson wrote a masterpiece. He wrote a great, if not perfect, play. It's one that any actor would want to be a part of. He's just a great writer', Denzel Washington said, praising the 'great, rich characters'. 'Like Shakespeare or any of the great American playwrights like Eugene O'Neill.'

Watch the trailer for 'Fences':


 

In fact, Denzel was so dedicated to the play as it is that he chose to keep the original script the same. As well as he and Viola (who are currently up for Golden Globe awards for Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, the play also stars Stephen Henderson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby and Mykelti Williamson. 

Wilson was also the man behind 'The Piano Lesson' set during the Great Depression, and 'Two Trains Running', which became a Broadway hit for Laurence Fishburne in 1992 who won a Tony Award for his performance. And speaking of awards, 'Fences' has already won a number of accolades including an AFI Award, a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, a Virtuoso Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and a DFCS Award.

'Fences' is set for release in the US on Christmas Day (December 25th 2016).