Denzel Washington, 58, opened up to The Sun about the life of drugs and violence he escaped in the Bronx. “Three of the guys I was hanging out with at the time did prison terms,” confessed Denzel. “I was not going to school either and was just slowly heading towards the streets. A teacher at my school told my mother, ‘He is a smart kid – get him out of here.'” Two of his friends went on to serve time in prison, while the third died of an overdose. Denzel credits his mother for being able to “see where I was heading” and helping him find the right path to college and acting school. “What would have happened to me had it not been for my mother? I don’t know, but I would not be living this kind of life, that’s for sure.” ~Alfonso Espina