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Denzel Washington gets shiner in SA

Los Angeles - Ryan Reynolds gave Denzel Washington a "black eye" while filming Safe House in South Africa.

The incident occurred when Ryan - who plays new CIA detective Matt Weston in the movie who is forced to watch over a dangerous fugitive for his first job - became involved in a car scuffle with the 57-year-old star's criminal character, Tobin Frost.

Denzel explained: "I've never had a black eye in my life! There's a scene where I reach over to try to choke him while I have handcuffs on. We were flying around in the car.

"It just happened that as I was reaching forward he was flying back... and POW."

Career highlight

However, the 35-year-old hunk joked that while punching such a legendary actor was the highlight of his career to date, he felt very embarrassed about the accident.

Speaking while promoting Safe House with his co-star, Ryan added: ''That was my early retirement. I've given Denzel Washington a black eye and I should probably go home. It was weird to feel my face on fire.

"I'm glad I was your first. If it had to be anyone, it was an apologetic Canadian."

Ryan and Denzel filmed Safe House in Cape Town in February 2011. See photos of the shoot here.

Ryan has previously admitted performing a number of stunts for the movie left him "a wreck".

He said: ''I was fighting this guy for five hours and we're finishing it later. The fights in this movie are really long and extensive and they're ugly and there's biting and head-butting. Canadian Kung fu, we call it.

"I keep seeing a stunt guy dressed like me but they don't seem to want to put him in. I'm a wreck, but then I get to say, 'That's me getting my ass kicked by a 300lb (136kg) mercenary'."

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