Denzel Washington ‘wanted to protect’ Whitney Houston while filming ‘Pastor’s Wife’

Denzel Washington looks back fondly on his time working with Whitney Houston.

Washington, 69, and the late multi-hyphenate starred as Dudley and Julia Biggs, respectively, in the 1996 film. The pastor’s wife. Nearly 30 years later, Washington shared his experience filming the classic with Houston while reflecting on his decades-long career during the African Black Film Festival retrospective on Saturday, June 15.

“I felt like I always wanted to protect her,” he said of the “I Will Always Love You” singer.

Chaz Ebert, host and widow of film critic Roger Ebert, pointed out, “You saw a vulnerability.”

“So you really understand?” Washington asked in response.

Ebert, 71, asserted and the audience laughed as Washington added, “Well, of course.”

He reiterated, “I always felt like I wanted to protect her. You know? She wanted to be so tough, but she really wasn’t. That’s it. Okay.”

The pastor’s wife also starred Courtney B. Vance, Jenifer Lewis, Gregory Hines and Justin Pierre Edmund. Lionel Richie, Loretta Devine and Houston’s mother, Cissy Houston, also had notable appearances. It is a remake of the 1947 film The Bishop’s Wife.

Houston appeared to develop close friendships with the cast before her untimely death in February 2012. She died of an accidental drowning with contributing factors of heart disease and cocaine use. She was 48 years old.

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Vance, who played Houston’s husband Reverend Henry Biggs in the acclaimed Penny Marshall-directed film, shared with PEOPLE in November how well he played opposite The bodyguard The star had a great impact on his career.

“I loved her so much,” he said. “Playing her husband, I was in a state of euphoric shock.”

He added: “It was a turning point in my life and Whitney played a huge part in it.”

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He shared that he didn’t delve too much into his personal life while filming, but instead embraced the mutual “respect” they had for each other.

“We were just on sets together and we respected each other,” Vance said. “But I didn’t delve into what was going on in his life.”

He shared that he was too devastated to attend her funeral, adding, “It could have hurt my spirit.” And I think about our time together and it was beautiful.