Katie Couric is spillin’ a bit of tea on a cringeworthy 2004 interview she had with Denzel Washington that left her “kind of shaken.” While on the Everything Iconic with Danny Pellegrino podcast, she said she thought the Manchurian Candidate’s star “totally misconstrued a question” and gone after her “in a way that was completely, weirdly uncalled for.”

The interview took a turn when Katie asked Denzel “if Hollywood folks should stick to acting.”

“I don’t know what Hollywood folks are, first of all”—adding that “Hollywood is a town that has some stars on the sidewalk. I don’t know anybody from there. So, I don’t—that’s like saying—calling you a ‘type’ of folks. I’m not a Hollywood folk. I don’t know who they are.”

She tried rephrasing her question twice with “are you one of those people that” and “are you an actor who would rather not” but Denzel cut her short on both accounts. He clarified that he’s not “one of those people” or an actor, but a “human being” whose job is acting.

via GIPHY

Although Denzel never formally addressed or apologized for the awkward interview, Katie said he donated to her colon cancer organization.

Do you think Denzel’s responses were uncalled for?