To promote their movie American Gangster, Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe are featured on a two cover collectible for Entertainment Weekly. In an exclusive interview, both movie titans talked about swapping spit, wearing tights, and of course their new movie.

EW: Frank Lucas wouldn’t be many people’s idea of a noble hero. What
appealed to you about playing a murderous drug dealer?

Washington: I said to Frank, “Look, you did a lot of bad things and you
paid the price - that’s the story I’m interested in.”

EW: Some people might argue that just by making Frank’s life story into a
big Hollywood movie, you’re only serving to glamorize him. If you look at how Scarface became a touchstone for rappers–

Washington: Scarface gets more credit than it’s worth. Scarface didn’t change people. People were already living that. Scarface was just a good movie.

Crowe: “The bottom line is Frank Lucas’ life was glamorous. He had a hip
club. He had a lot of sports stars and movie guys he was on a first name basis
with, not to mention politicans. We’re telling it like it is. But Ridley [Scott]
also shows the damage Frank did.”

To read the rest of this interview and more, pick up your copy of EW on newsstands now.