Angelina Jolie’s former partners might have felt a bit overshadowed when she revealed that her most memorable on-screen romance was with Denzel Washington in a film.
The 48-year-old actress has shared the screen with numerous attractive co-stars throughout her career, but she particularly relished the opportunity to “seduce” the esteemed Training Day actor during their collaboration in 1999.
Their union dates back a quarter-century to their work on Phillip Noyce’s gripping crime thriller, The Bone Collector. Jolie recently reminisced about her experience with Washington, expressing how he managed to impress her during filming. Adapted from Jeffery Deaver’s 1997 novel, The Bone Collector is a gripping tale.
In the film, Jolie portrays Amelia Donaghy, a determined police officer hunting down a serial killer who leaves behind a disturbing signature at each crime scene: a carefully extracted bone from the victim.
Struggling to interpret the killer’s cryptic clues, Donaghy enlists the help of quadriplegic forensic expert Lincoln Rhyme, played by Washington. Despite his physical limitations, Rhyme’s intellect proves invaluable in cracking the case.
As the characters spend time together unraveling the mystery, a connection develops, leading to an intimate moment between them, albeit not in the conventional sense. Discussing the nuances of their relationship, Jolie emphasized that the “romance” was more about intellectual and emotional intimacy than physicality.
Reflecting on her experience during an interview with Dark Horizons following the film’s release, Jolie delved into the chemistry between her character and Washington’s, describing a scene where she seduces him using both intellect and scent as “the best sex I ever had.” She elaborated, expressing the thrill of seducing someone through intellectual means as a significant turn-on.
Despite enjoying her time with Washington on set, Jolie admitted that filming The Bone Collector was a challenging and isolating experience, causing her to doubt her capabilities. She candidly shared her struggles, revealing her initial feelings of inadequacy in leading a film and grappling with the demanding role of a cop tasked with saving lives.
Given the intense nature of the plot, it’s understandable that the experience left Jolie feeling a bit unhinged. She humorously remarked that starring in The Bone Collector “nearly drove her insane” because her character’s turmoil mirrored her own internal struggles. However, one can imagine that sharing scenes with Washington provided some much-needed grounding amidst the chaos.
