Denzel Washington – University of Pennsylvania (YouTube Video Transcript)

(00:00:00) Your YouTube transcript will appear here (00:00:00) please join me in welcoming Denzel (00:00:09) Washington thank (00:00:13) you thank you very (00:00:15) much um I am obviously the most (00:00:18) unorganized everybody else has nice (00:00:20) boxes to bring their script up in I just (00:00:23) like kind of got it all messed up here (00:00:27) and put it inside of a magazine so (00:00:30) so uh in fact I don't even have it in (00:00:32) the right order wait a minute let me get (00:00:34) in the right order (00:00:36) here so if it starts like flying around (00:00:39) the stage just you know run around and (00:00:41) grab it for me and bring it back up here (00:00:43) for me I'll keep going as I (00:00:48) can uh president (00:00:51) Gutman Provost (00:00:53) price board chair (00:00:56) Cohen fellow honores beautiful honores (00:01:01) and today's (00:01:07) graduates um I'm I'm (00:01:10) honored and grateful for the invitation (00:01:12) today I'm it's always been great to be (00:01:15) on the pen campus uh I've been here (00:01:18) before a lot of times for basketball (00:01:20) games my son played at the pelra played (00:01:23) on the basketball (00:01:25) team I yeah that's right played on a (00:01:27) basketball team (00:01:30) coach didn't give enough playing time (00:01:32) we'll talk about that (00:01:35) later no but I'm really I'm I'm I'm (00:01:39) really pleased with the progress that (00:01:40) coach Allen has made and uh no I do I am (00:01:44) I really (00:01:45) am and uh I hope him the best success in (00:01:48) the future and and you know I always get (00:01:50) a warm welcome when I come to (00:01:52) Pennsylvania when I come to (00:01:54) Philadelphia uh except on the few (00:01:57) occasions where I wear my Yankee cap (00:02:01) yeah (00:02:02) that I (00:02:05) mean what's wrong with that I can't (00:02:08) suddenly just switch up and wear a (00:02:10) Philly cap I mean I mean it's like (00:02:11) taking your life in your hands around (00:02:13) here when you wear a Yankee cap I'm (00:02:14) telling you I met a couple of guys and (00:02:17) they were like hey we love you Denzel (00:02:18) but you know you walking around with (00:02:21) that hat on we don't care who you (00:02:23) are so you'll be happy to see that I'm (00:02:27) not wearing my Yankee cap today (00:02:30) I'm wearing my Yankee socks my Yankee (00:02:32) t-shirt my Yankee Jack shorts Yankee (00:02:35) underwear my Yankee tow warmers (00:02:38) but not my Yankee (00:02:41) cat but still I'll be honest with you (00:02:43) I'm I'm I'm a little nervous I'm I'm not (00:02:47) used to speaking at a graduation of this (00:02:49) magnitude it's it's a little (00:02:51) overwhelming it's out of my comfort zone (00:02:54) you dress me up in Army fatigues or (00:02:57) throw me on top of a moving train (00:02:59) someone said Unstoppable or ask me to (00:03:02) play Malcolm X Ruben Hurricane Carter or (00:03:05) Alonzo from training day I can do that (00:03:08) but a commencement speech it's it's very (00:03:11) serious Affair and it's a very different (00:03:13) ball game there are literally thousands (00:03:16) and thousands of people (00:03:18) here and for those who say well you're a (00:03:21) movie star millions of people watch you (00:03:23) and watch you speak all the time well (00:03:25) that's too that that's technically true (00:03:28) but I'm not actually in the theater (00:03:31) watching them watching (00:03:34) me I think that makes sense I mean I'm (00:03:37) not there when they call for a fidget (00:03:38) around or pull out their iPhones or text (00:03:41) their boyfriend or uh scratch their (00:03:43) behinds or whatever it is they're doing (00:03:44) in the movie (00:03:45) theater but from up (00:03:48) here I can see every single one of (00:03:52) you and that makes me (00:03:55) uncomfortable so please don't pull out (00:03:58) your rones and your text don't text your (00:04:00) boyfriend until after I'm done (00:04:04) please if you have to scratch your (00:04:06) behind I mean I understand go (00:04:08) ahead I was thinking about this speech (00:04:12) what I should say I figured the best way (00:04:15) to keep your attention would be to talk (00:04:17) about something you know really like (00:04:19) juicy Hollywood stuff like uh I thought (00:04:21) I could talk about uh uh me and Russell (00:04:25) Crow getting in arguments on a set of (00:04:26) American Gangster or uh but I said not (00:04:30) no no no you're a group of high-minded (00:04:32) intellectuals you're not interested in (00:04:35) that or maybe (00:04:38) not I thought about uh a private moment (00:04:41) I had uh backstage with Angelina Jolie (00:04:44) in the dressing room uh after the (00:04:47) Oscars but I said no I don't think so (00:04:50) this is an Ivy League school and I mean (00:04:53) Angelina Jolie half naked in a dressing (00:04:56) room who who wants to hear about that no (00:04:58) one no one no one no one this is pen (00:05:02) that stuff would never go over well over (00:05:05) here maybe at Drexel but not over (00:05:11) [Applause] (00:05:16) here woo I'm in trouble (00:05:20) now so I was back to square (00:05:22) one feeling the (00:05:25) pressure so now you're probably thinking (00:05:28) if it was going to be this diff this (00:05:30) much pressure why did I even accept (00:05:33) today's invitation in the first place (00:05:36) well you know my son goes here that's (00:05:37) number one that's a good (00:05:40) reason and I always like to check to see (00:05:42) how my money is being (00:05:44) spent and I'm sure there's some parents (00:05:47) out there who can relate to what I'm (00:05:48) talking (00:05:50) about (00:05:52) yeah it's everybody (00:05:55) upstairs and there were some other good (00:05:57) reasons for me to show up sure I got an (00:05:59) Academy Award Ward but I never had (00:06:01) something called a magic meatball after (00:06:04) waiting in line for half an hour at the (00:06:05) food (00:06:07) truck yeah yes I talk face to face with (00:06:11) President Obama but I never talk face to (00:06:14) face with a guy named quer who sings bad (00:06:18) songs over it smokes on Tuesday (00:06:21) night I never been to BU I never been to (00:06:26) heos yes I have played a detective who B (00:06:30) those demons but I've never been to a (00:06:32) school in my life where the squirrel (00:06:34) population has Gone (00:06:37) Bananas I mean they're breaking in the (00:06:39) dorm rooms they're walking around campus (00:06:41) I think I saw some carrying books on (00:06:43) their way to (00:06:47) class so I had to be here I had to come (00:06:52) even though I was afraid I might make a (00:06:54) fool of (00:06:55) myself in fact if you really want to (00:06:57) know the (00:06:58) truth I had to come exactly because I (00:07:01) had to come exactly because I might make (00:07:03) a fool of (00:07:04) myself now what am I talking about here (00:07:06) it (00:07:08) is I found that nothing in life is (00:07:13) worthwhile unless you take (00:07:15) risks (00:07:17) nothing Nelson Mandela said there is no (00:07:20) passion to be found playing small in (00:07:24) settling for a life that's less than the (00:07:26) one you're capable of living now I'm (00:07:29) sure in your your experiences in school (00:07:31) and applying to college and picking your (00:07:33) major and deciding what you want to do (00:07:35) with life I'm sure people have told you (00:07:37) to make sure you have something to fall (00:07:39) back on make sure you got something to (00:07:41) fall back on (00:07:42) honey but I never understood that (00:07:45) concept having something to fall back (00:07:48) on if I'm going to (00:07:50) fall I don't want to fall back on (00:07:53) anything except my faith I want to fall (00:07:58) forward I figure at least this way I'll (00:08:00) see what I'm going to (00:08:03) hit fall (00:08:05) forward this is what I (00:08:08) mean Reggie Jackson struck out 2600 (00:08:11) times in his career the most in the (00:08:13) history of baseball but you don't hear (00:08:15) about the strikeouts people remember the (00:08:17) home (00:08:19) runs fall (00:08:21) forward Thomas Edison Ked 1,000 failed (00:08:25) experiments did you know that I didn't (00:08:26) know that because the 1,000 first was (00:08:31) the light (00:08:32) bulb fall (00:08:35) forward every failed experiment is one (00:08:38) step closer to success you've got to (00:08:41) take risks and I'm sure you've probably (00:08:43) heard that before but I want to talk to (00:08:45) you about why that's so (00:08:47) important I got three reasons and then (00:08:50) you can pick up your (00:08:52) iPhones (00:08:54) first you will fail at some point in (00:08:57) your life accept it you will lose you (00:09:00) will embarrass yourself you will suck at (00:09:02) something there's no doubt about it and (00:09:05) I know that's probably not a traditional (00:09:07) message for a graduation ceremony but (00:09:09) hey I'm telling you embrace it because (00:09:12) it's (00:09:13) inevitable and I should (00:09:15) know in the acting business you fail all (00:09:18) the time early on in my career I (00:09:21) auditioned for a part in a Broadway (00:09:23) musical perfect role for me I thought (00:09:26) except for the fact that I can't sing (00:09:30) so I'm I'm in the wings I'm about to go (00:09:33) on stage but the guy in front of me he's (00:09:35) singing like like like pavaroti he's (00:09:41) just he's just going on and on and on (00:09:44) and I'm just shrinking I'm getting (00:09:45) smaller and (00:09:46) thring so they say oh thank you very (00:09:49) much thank you very much and we'll (00:09:51) you'll be hearing from us so I come out (00:09:53) with my little sheet music and it was it (00:09:56) was uh just my imagination by the tempt (00:10:00) that's what I came up with so I hand it (00:10:03) to the the the accompanist and uh she (00:10:05) looks at it and looks at me and looks (00:10:07) out at the director and was (00:10:11) like so I I start you know I'm going to (00:10:15) sing I'm (00:10:16) like it's just my (00:10:20) imagination once again and then coming (00:10:24) away with me and I'm not saying anything (00:10:26) so I'm thinking I'm getting better so I (00:10:28) I could start getting into to it it was (00:10:32) [Applause] (00:10:33) just running (00:10:35) this thank thank you thank you thank you (00:10:38) very much Mr Washington thank you so I (00:10:41) assumed I didn't get the (00:10:43) job but the next part of the audition he (00:10:45) called me back the next part of the (00:10:47) audition is the acting part of the (00:10:49) audition now I'm like hey okay maybe I (00:10:52) can't sing but I know I can act so they (00:10:54) pair me with this guy and again I didn't (00:10:56) know about musical theater and musical (00:10:58) theater is Big so they can reach (00:11:00) everyone all the way in the back of of (00:11:02) the stadium and I'm more from a (00:11:05) realistic uh naturalistic kind of acting (00:11:08) where you you know you actually talk to (00:11:10) the person next to you so I I don't know (00:11:12) what my line was my line was well hand (00:11:15) me the cup and his line was well I will (00:11:18) hand you the cup my dear the cup will be (00:11:20) there to be handed to (00:11:25) you I I (00:11:27) said okay (00:11:31) well should I give you the cup back oh (00:11:34) yes you should give it back to me (00:11:35) because you know that is my cup and it (00:11:38) should be given back to (00:11:42) me I didn't get the (00:11:47) job but here's the (00:11:49) thing I didn't (00:11:52) quit I didn't fall (00:11:55) back I walked out of there to prepare (00:11:58) for the next audition and the next (00:11:59) audition and the next (00:12:01) audition I (00:12:04) prayed I (00:12:06) prayed and I (00:12:09) prayed but I continued to fail and fail (00:12:13) and fail but it didn't matter because (00:12:15) you know what there's an old saying you (00:12:18) hang around the barber shop long enough (00:12:20) sooner or later you're going to get a (00:12:23) haircut so you will catch a break and I (00:12:26) did catch a (00:12:28) break last year here I did a play called (00:12:31) fences on (00:12:34) Broadway someone talked about it one the (00:12:37) Tony a (00:12:39) ward I and I didn't have to sing by the (00:12:42) way but here's the (00:12:45) kicker it was at the court (00:12:48) theater it was at the same theater that (00:12:51) I failed that first audition 30 years (00:12:55) prior the (00:12:59) the point is and I'll pick up the pace (00:13:02) the point is every graduate here today (00:13:05) has the training and the talent to (00:13:08) succeed but do you have the guts to fail (00:13:12) here's my second point about failure if (00:13:14) you don't (00:13:15) fail you're not even (00:13:18) trying I'll say it again if you don't (00:13:21) fail you're not even trying my wife told (00:13:23) me this great expression to get (00:13:25) something you never had you have to do (00:13:28) something you never did did Les Brown's (00:13:31) a motivational speaker he made an (00:13:33) analogy about this he says imagine (00:13:35) you're on your deathbed and standing (00:13:37) around your deathbed are the ghosts (00:13:39) representing your unfulfilled potential (00:13:42) the ghost of the ideas you never acted (00:13:44) on the ghost of the talents you didn't (00:13:46) use and they're standing around your bed (00:13:49) angry disappointed and upset they say we (00:13:53) we came to you because you could have (00:13:56) brought us to life they say and now we (00:13:59) have to go to the Grave together so I (00:14:01) ask you (00:14:03) today how many ghosts are going to be (00:14:05) around your bed when your time (00:14:08) comes you've invest you you've invested (00:14:10) a lot in your education and people have (00:14:12) invested in you and let me tell you the (00:14:14) world needs your talents man does it (00:14:16) ever I just got back from Africa like (00:14:19) two days ago so if I'm rambling on it's (00:14:21) cuz I'm jet lag I just got back from (00:14:23) South Africa it's a beautiful country (00:14:25) but there are places there with terrible (00:14:27) pover poverty that need help and Africa (00:14:30) is just the the tip of the iceberg the (00:14:32) Middle East needs your help Japan needs (00:14:34) your help Alabama needs your help (00:14:36) Tennessee needs your help Louisiana (00:14:38) needs your help Philadelphia needs your (00:14:43) help the (00:14:49) world the world needs a lot and we need (00:14:52) it from you we really do we need it from (00:14:55) you young people I mean I'm not speaking (00:14:56) for the rest of us up here but I know (00:14:58) I'm getting a little grayer (00:15:00) we need it from you the young people cuz (00:15:02) remember this so you got to get out (00:15:04) there you got to give it everything you (00:15:07) got whether it's your (00:15:08) time your your your talent your prayers (00:15:13) or your Treasures because remember (00:15:16) this you will never see a U-Haul behind (00:15:20) a (00:15:25) hearse I'll say it (00:15:28) again you will never see a U-Haul behind (00:15:32) a (00:15:34) hearse you can't take it with you the (00:15:37) Egyptians tried (00:15:39) it and all they got was (00:15:45) robbed so the question is what are you (00:15:48) going to do with what you have I'm not (00:15:50) talking about how much you have some of (00:15:53) you are business majors some of you are (00:15:55) theologians nurses sociologists some of (00:15:57) you have money some of you have p (00:15:59) patience some of you have kindness some (00:16:01) of you have love some of you have the (00:16:03) gift of longsuffering whatever it is (00:16:06) whatever your gift is what are you going (00:16:09) to do with what you (00:16:11) have all right now here's my last point (00:16:14) about (00:16:15) failure sometimes it's the best way to (00:16:19) figure out where you're (00:16:21) going your life will never be a straight (00:16:24) path I began at forom University as a (00:16:26) Premed student I I I took a a course (00:16:29) called the C cardiac morph I still can't (00:16:33) say it cardiac cardiac morphogenesis I (00:16:37) couldn't read it I couldn't say it I (00:16:38) sure couldn't pass (00:16:42) it so then I decided to go into pre-law (00:16:45) then journalism and with no academic (00:16:48) Focus my grades took off in their own (00:16:53) Direction yeah down I was a 1.8 (00:16:58) GPA one semester and the university very (00:17:01) politely suggested that it might be (00:17:03) better to take some time (00:17:05) off I was 20 years old I was at my (00:17:08) lowest point and then one day and I (00:17:11) remember the exact day March 27th (00:17:14) 1975 I was helping my mother in her (00:17:16) beauty shop my mother owned a beauty (00:17:18) shop up in M Vernon and there's there (00:17:20) was this older woman who was uh (00:17:22) considered one of the elders in the town (00:17:24) and I didn't know her personally but I I (00:17:26) was looking in the mirror and every time (00:17:27) I looked at the mirror I could see her (00:17:29) but behind me and she was staring at me (00:17:32) she just kept looking at every time I (00:17:33) looked at her she kept giving me these (00:17:35) strange looks so she finally took the (00:17:37) dryer off her head and said something (00:17:39) she said something I'll never forget (00:17:41) first of all she said somebody give me a (00:17:43) piece of paper give me a piece of paper (00:17:45) she said young boy I have a prophecy a (00:17:49) spiritual (00:17:51) prophecy she said you are going to (00:17:53) travel the world and speak to millions (00:17:57) of people now mind you I'm 20 years old (00:17:59) I'm flunked out of school in fact like a (00:18:01) wise ass I'm thinking to myself maybe (00:18:03) she's got something in that crystal ball (00:18:05) about me getting back into school next (00:18:08) fall but maybe she was on to something (00:18:11) because later that summer while working (00:18:13) as a counselor at the YMCA Camp in (00:18:15) Conneticut we put on a talent show for (00:18:17) the campers and after the show another (00:18:19) counselor came up to me and asked have (00:18:21) you ever thought about acting you're (00:18:22) good at that so when I got back to forom (00:18:25) that fall I got in I changed my major (00:18:27) once again for the last time (00:18:30) and in the years that followed just as (00:18:32) that woman prophesies I have traveled (00:18:34) the world and I have spoken to millions (00:18:36) of people through my movies Millions who (00:18:39) up till this day couldn't see me I who (00:18:43) who up till this day I couldn't see (00:18:45) while I was talking to them and they (00:18:47) couldn't see me they could only see the (00:18:49) movie they couldn't see the real (00:18:52) me but I see you (00:18:56) today and I'm encouraged by what I see (00:19:01) and I'm strengthened by what I (00:19:04) see and I love what I (00:19:19) see one more page I'll shut (00:19:24) up let me conclude with this one final (00:19:26) point and actually the president kind of (00:19:28) brought it up has to do with with the (00:19:29) movie Philadelphia she stole my (00:19:33) material many years ago I did this movie (00:19:36) called (00:19:37) Philadelphia we filmed some of the (00:19:39) scenes right here on campus Philadelphia (00:19:42) came out in 1993 most of you were (00:19:44) probably still in diapers some of the (00:19:47) professors (00:19:48) too (00:19:50) but that cracked me (00:19:53) up but it was a good movie Rent It On n (00:19:56) uh what do you call it Netflix it's a (00:19:57) good movie Rent It I get 23 cents every (00:20:00) time you rent it please rent it true (00:20:03) parents up there rent rent rent it (00:20:05) Netflix please tell your friends too (00:20:08) it's about a man played by Tom Hanks (00:20:11) who's fired from his Law Firm because he (00:20:13) has AIDS he wants to sue the firm but no (00:20:15) one's willing to represent him until a (00:20:17) homophobic ambulance Chaser lawyer (00:20:20) played by yours truly takes on the case (00:20:22) in a way if you watch the movie you'll (00:20:25) see everything I'm talking about today (00:20:27) you'll see what I mean about taking risk (00:20:29) or being willing to (00:20:30) fail because taking risk is not just (00:20:33) about going for a job it's also about (00:20:37) knowing what you know and what you don't (00:20:39) know it's about being open to (00:20:42) people and to (00:20:45) ideas in the course of the film the (00:20:47) character I play begins to take small (00:20:50) steps small risks he very very very (00:20:56) slowly begins to overcome his fears (00:21:00) and I feel ultimately his heart becomes (00:21:03) flooded with (00:21:05) love and I can't think of a better (00:21:07) message as we send you off (00:21:09) today to not only take (00:21:12) risks but to be open to life to accept (00:21:15) new views and to be open to new opinions (00:21:19) to be willing to speak at a commencement (00:21:21) at one of the best country Besa (00:21:23) universities in the country even though (00:21:25) you're scared stiff while it may be (00:21:27) frightening it will also be (00:21:30) rewarding because the chances you take (00:21:33) the People You Meet the people you love (00:21:37) the faith that you have that's what's (00:21:39) going to Define (00:21:41) you so members of the class of 2011 this (00:21:44) is your mission when you leave the (00:21:47) friendly confines of Philly never be (00:21:51) discouraged never hold (00:21:53) back give everything you (00:21:56) got and when you fall throughout life (00:21:59) and maybe even tonight after a few many (00:22:02) glasses of (00:22:04) champagne remember (00:22:07) this fall (00:22:09) forward congratulations I love you God (00:22:13) bless you I respect you (00:22:30) than