Denzel Washingtononce turned down a leading role in a massively successful thriller, but if he had taken the part, it would have been completely different.Denzel Washington’s best moviesare proof of the hugely successful career he’s had, but even the greatest actors have missed opportunities. Not all of those actors, however, can say that even their missed opportunities resulted in the best outcome for cinema. Washington, however, can, as he turned down a role in a film that would have been completely different if he had starred in it.
10 Most Rewatchable Denzel Washington Movies, Ranked
Throughout his long & influential career, Denzel Washington has cemented himself as one of the greatest actors of all time, & his movies show it.
In the 1990s, Denzel Washington was one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood. He was extremely prolific at the time, and he appeared in several of his classics, likeMalcolm X,Philadelphia, andThe Pelican Brief. Since he was extremely sought-after,Washington turned down several major moviesover the course of his career. One of those films actually benefited from having to find a replacement, however, and it wouldn’t have been nearly the same if Washington had accepted the part.
Washington Would Have Played Mills In A More Reserved Way, While Pitt Made Him Wild
Early in his career,Denzel Washington turned down a lead role inSe7en, David Fincher’s classic thriller. Washington said in an interview with Jamie Foxx that “the script was too demonic,” which is why he turned it down, and Brad Pitt played the role of Detective Mills instead.
While Washington would have been great inSe7en, the movie would have been very different if Pitt hadn’t gotten the role. Denzel Washington is at his best when he’s playing more reserved characters who have occasional - and memorable - bouts of passion.Brad Pitt, on the other hand, is great at playing hotheaded, impulsive, and reactionary characters, which fit Mills andSe7enbetter. The famous “What’s in the box?” scene would really illustrate just how differently the actors would have approached the film: Pitt played it as a desperate and devastated man, while Washington would have come at it as a man who reached his breaking point.
Denzel Washington In Se7en Would’ve Meant A Welcome Hollywood Reunion
Denzel Washington & Morgan Freeman Worked Together On Glory Six Years Prior
WhileSe7enprobably benefited from having Pitt in a leading role, Denzel Washington’s involvement would have made it a very valuable reunion.If Washington had taken the role inSe7en, he would have starred opposite Morgan Freeman for the first time since their 1989 filmGlory.Gloryalready proved that Freeman and Washington are a perfect pairing, and it is a bit of a shame that audiences missed an opportunity to see them together again inSe7en. InGlory, their characters took on an extremely compelling student-teacher dynamic, andSe7enwould have given them a chance to do it again.
Se7en
Cast
David Fincher’s crime thriller Se7en follows the seasoned Detective William Somerset after he is assigned a new partner, the young and idealistic David Mills (Brad Pitt). The two find themselves investigating a deranged killer staging murders inspired by each of the seven deadly sins. On the hunt for the twisted John Doe (Kevin Spacey) before he can kill again, the two detectives soon discover that they’re much deeper into the case than they realized.
ThoughSe7endidn’t give fans the reunion between Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman that it could have, the movie didn’t suffer for it.Se7enis still a shining example of what the thriller genre is capable of, and both Brad Pitt and Washington have gone on to have wildly successful careers after it. All in all, it seems thatDenzel Washington’s decision to turn down a role inSe7enis evidence that some things simply work out for the best.
