Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal's ‘Othello’ becomes top-grossing play in Broadway history

As for Gyllenhaal, who commented that the stage is "my favorite place to be," he reflected on how his character feed off the audience: "[Iago] does have a lot of moments [where] he has interactions with the audience, they kind of become his partner in it, and every night it is different. And that's what I love so much about it."

He later added, "You get to a point where you're like, 'Oh, I've worked my whole career for this, for this moment,'" and that he feels "tremendous gratitude. And he makes me feel it when I walk in that rehearsal room every day."

Washington: "I worked my whole career for this moment. This is a 48-year journey for me. It's fascinating to have been too young for the part, and some may say now too old. But 48 years of experience, so 48 years of pain and pleasure and life has informed my approach to playing the role."

Othello is directed by Kenny Leon and is still in previews at Broadway‘s Barrymore Theatre. It opens Sunday, March 23, for a strictly limited engagement through Sunday, June 8.