Denzel Washington, Jake Gyllenhaal to lead 'Othello' on Broadway

Kenny Leon will direct the first Broadway revival of Shakespeare's classic tragedy in more than 40 years, set to begin performances in the spring of 2025.

UPDATE: Othello starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal will play at the Barrymore Theatre beginning February 24, 2025, with opening night on March 23.

Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal will star in a new production of Othello on Broadway directed by Kenny Leon. The Shakespeare revival is set to open in spring 2025, with exact dates, a venue, and additional casting to be announced.

Washington, a Tony and Academy Award winner, will take on the play's title role. He last appeared on Broadway in 2018's The Iceman Cometh, earning a Tony nomination, and previously won the award for Fences in 2010. He also has an extensive screen career, winning Oscars for Glory and Training Day and earning an additional eight nominations.

Gyllenhaal will play Iago, the play's villain. Gyllenhaal starred in Sea Wall/A Life on Broadway in 2019, Sunday in the Park with George in 2017, and Constellations in 2015. Othello marks his first time performing in a Shakespeare play in New York.

Director Kenny Leon has earned acclaim for staging a string of revivals as of late. He won a Tony Award in 2021 for his production of A Soldier's Play, and his production of Topdog/Underdog won Best Revival of a Play at the 2023 Tonys. Leon's other recent revivals include Ohio State Murders and Purlie Victorious, and he is set to direct an Our Town revival in fall 2024.

He now brings Othello to Broadway for the first time since 1982. The show's title character is a respected military commander whose fellow soldier, Iago, is jealous of his success and plots his downfall.

Photo credit: Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal. (Washington photo by Brian Bowen Smith; Gyllenhaal photo by Momodu Mansaray)