Did Angelina Jolie Ever Date Denzel Washington?

Angelina Jolie and Denzel Washington had such intense chemistry in "The Bone Collector" that it's hard to believe that they weren't dating in real life. As a matter of fact, both actors were married at the time; Jolie to her first husband Johnny Lee Miller and Denzel to his longtime wife Pauletta Washington. They were also quite far apart in age — Jolie was 24 years old when she took part in the 1999 horror flick, while Denzel, although you couldn't really tell, was approaching 45. Still, you'd be forgiven for thinking that they might've been romantically involved as the two stars made a compelling pair onscreen. 

As the "Man on Fire" star gushed of Jolie in an interview promoting their movie, "When I first saw her in 'Gia,' the film, I was like, 'Wow, this girl is really, really good,'" (via YouTube). The Oscar winner continued, "And she probably didn't like to talk about it too much, but I didn't know who her father was." He was, of course, referring to Jolie's famous dad, Jon Voight, continuing, "So she's got the genes. And she's got the technique, and she's a fine, fine actress. Fine actress." Of what convinced him to take the role, Denzel admitted that he didn't really give it much thought, shrugging, "This was a no-brainer." 

The actor added, "I had to try this. It was just too much of a challenge." Jolie, meanwhile, also discussed her involvement in the project and how working with the "Malcolm X" star proved to be a mind-blowing experience.

In "The Bone Collector," Angelina Jolie stars as a New York-based cop who works with a paralyzed forensics expert, played by Denzel Washington, during her ongoing hunt for a serial killer. Approaching the movie, Jolie acknowledged to Dark Horizons that she was hesitant, despite director Phillip Noyce stating that she was perfect for the role. Jolie also discussed the emotional toll it took on her during filming. "It was really lonely and I went a bit nuts. From the beginning, I felt as if I was not capable of doing this, of leading a film and being responsible for this, of physically handling this, of saving a life and going in there and being a cop," she confessed (via LAD Bible).

But getting to work with Washington was a different story. "What's fascinating are the journeys these two characters undertake, and the deep relationship that evolves between them," the "Maleficent" star explained while addressing their explosive chemistry. Despite the fact that their characters don't sleep together in the movie, Jolie revealed that she found their scenes incredibly stimulating and almost erotic, in a strange way. The A-lister even went as far as to say, "The best sex I ever had was in this movie," while noting that she enjoyed the tension between their characters. As Jolie put it, "It was great seducing someone with your mind, a huge turn-on."

In 2011, Denzel Washington hinted about the true nature of his relationship with Angelina Jolie while giving the commencement address to graduates of the University of Pennsylvania. At one point, he notably teased, "I was thinking about this speech, what I should say. I figured the best way to keep your attention would be to talk about something [...] like juicy Hollywood stuff," (via YouTube). Aside from joking about the tension between himself and Russell Crowe while filming 2007's "American Gangster," Washington also alluded to an intimate encounter he supposedly had with Jolie, which occurred backstage at the Academy Awards. "But I said, no, I don't think so," the "Equalizer" star quipped. 

"I mean, Angelina Jolie half naked in a dressing room? Who wants to hear about that?" he wondered aloud, before deadpanning: "No one." Whether he was being serious, we'll likely never know, but it's worth noting the beloved actor has been pretty vocal about his love for his wife Pauletta Washington, despite rumors that he hasn't been entirely faithful to her during their decades-long marriage. The couple has been together since the late '70s and share four adult children. "I have been blessed beyond measure with the greatest woman in the world, who not only is a beautiful woman, [but is] a great wife and I love her," the actor professed on "Let's Go! with Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray" in 2023.