The couple, who have been married more than 40 years, shared a rare and fun moment on FaceTime in front of an audience.

Denzel Washington, 69, has one of the longest-standing marriages in Hollywood, and maybe that’s because he and his wife, Pauletta Washington, keep their love life private. We got a rare glimpse into his relationship, or more so, their banter, when the two-time Oscar-winning actor surprised his wife, Pauletta Washington, with a FaceTime call during a fireside chat.

The actor was doing an introspective with Chaz Ebert at the New World Center as part of the American Black Film Film Festival ahead of Father’s Day. During their chat, he discussed Pauletta and the impact she’s had on their children who are in the entertainment industry. They include actor John David, 39, producer Katia, 37, and 33-year-old twins Olivia, an actress, and her twin Malcolm, a director and producer. Denzel said they “All got it from they momma side.” Pauletta is a trained actress, vocalist and pianist.

“Pauletta, as long as I’ve known her, she’s been a movie buff. So she’s gotten those kids to watch movies,” Denzel said before calling his wife spontaneously. Washington joked that his wife of 41 years would be mad he was calling right before she answered the phone.

“She gon’ be mad,” he joked. “She gon’ be maaaad. She’s doing the math. She’s like, ‘He’s in the middle of that interview.’”

“You know I’m in the middle of the interview, right?” he laughed when Pauletta picked up the phone. He then joked that “Just like a Black woman,” she made an animated gesture upon answering the phone and realizing he called her in front of a packed audience

Washington then showed the audience the actress and vocalist on Facetime who was glowing in her glasses and smiling big.

“Oh! Tomorrow is Father’s Day, so forget getting a gift!” Pauletta joked with her husband.

“If y’all can excuse us for one second,” he joked before asking, “So I don’t get no gift? I don’t get nothing?” he questioned. “I don’t get no cake? No, nothing?”

“I’ma give you a cake alright!” Pauletta concluded while the audience laughed.

The couple’s love story dates back to 1977, when they met on the set of the television film Wilma. We rarely see the two engage in real-time, so this spontaneous moment shared during the interview was indeed wholesome. Denzel has always been open about his love for Pauletta and how precious she is to him. During a 2023 episode of Tom Brady’s radio show Let’s Go! with Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray on SiriusXM, he expressed gratitude for his wife of multiple decades.

“I’m thankful and I have been blessed beyond measure with the greatest woman in the world, who not only is a beautiful woman and a great wife and I love her, great mother of our children, but she holds everything together.”