Highlights
- Denzel Washington has been criticized for playing similar versions of himself in his movies, but his diverse roles and challenging performances prove otherwise.
- Playing Malcolm X was a significant challenge for Washington, and he struggled to shake off the character even after filming ended.
- Despite the discussion around his acting, Denzel Washington’s best-rated movies are not solely reliant on his “swag” but showcase his versatility as an actor.
A-list actor Denzel Washington is one of the most celebrated actors in Hollywood. Washington is known for his “swag” and charisma that brings his characters to life. These traits have largely contributed to the success of his films. When fans think of Denzel Washington’s iconic roles, they think of Malcolm X, Training Day, Man on Fire, Equalizer, and the list goes on.
Undoubtedly, the two-time Academy Award winner has played different characters in films, but some do not feel this way about Denzel Washington being outstanding in movies. Some fans note that there isn’t much to Washington’s acting, and being known as “Hollywood’s Tough Guy” is just him playing a version of himself in roles.
Denzel Washington Is Tagged As A One-Note Actor In His Movies
Viewers have dragged Denzel for playing ‘himself’
Although Denzel Washington is selective with the roles he picks, he has been criticized for not being a character actor and instead a one-note actor who plays different versions of himself.
Denzel Washington got traction in his career playing “Tough Guy” with a heart of gold (see Man of Fire, Déjà vu, Equalizer, and some of his action-thriller genre movies).
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Fans picked up on a trend in most of Denzel’s roles, and sometimes that is not bad. When characters are tailored to the charisma or persona an actor has created for themselves in the industry, it is hard to break out of that loop of churning out the same thing, repeatedly.
However, the American Gangster actor has played a plethora of diverse roles. Having been in Hollywood for more than three decades, Denzel Washington is known for taking on challenging roles, rather than accepting a gig because the character is closer to his personality.
“The only criterion is that I don’t want to do something, just to do it. You’ve got to turn the page and read if it’s something interesting. You should see what the world is in it,” he said. Adding personality to a character by ringing in something similar to himself is natural for the actor, even though it is something similar to other roles he has played.
Challenging himself makes him unique in his craft, and judging by Denzel Washington’s net worth, he has had a very successful career. Despite this, people can’t help seeing the actor at work, not the character.
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It’ll be interesting to see if ever revisits the comedy-genre at this point in his career.
Denzel Washington Struggled To Get Out Of His “Malcolm X” Character
Denzel gave Malcolm X his all while filming (and annoyed his wife)
Some fans may have called out Denzel Washington for playing the same version of himself in movies, but the actor felt it wasn’t so easy to drop his habits for a particular character. Ironically, he finds it hard to get out of character, and one of the toughest was Malcolm X.
When a fan asked Washington which character he had a hard time shaking off most after the movie wrapped during an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session on Reddit, he responded, “Malcolm X. My wife would be like ‘Is Malcolm coming home tonight?’”
It is easy to understand why playing Malcolm X meant a lot to Washington. After all, Denzel Washington took time to prepare for his role in Malcolm X.
“It took that much time for me to get ready,” Washington told the Washington Post. “I was growing as an actor, getting a lot of film experience, working with Spike. Then I became a father; that influenced me a lot.”
No doubt this was a challenge for Denzel Washington because his character Malcolm X is one of the most notable roles of his career. He was nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards (however, he lost to Al Pacino for Scent of a Woman).
Contrarily, Denzel Washington thinks his real personality is closer to Alonzo Harris from Training Day. When asked what closer was closer to in character, Denzel replied, “I don’t know. I don’t think any of them, not completely,” he said.
“There’s a piece of me in all of them and all of them in me, but I can’t say this one is really like me. Training Day was close. No, that’s the old me. The younger me.”
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Bruce Willis almost starred in one of Denzel Washington’s most celebrated movies which also made a lot at the box office.
His portrayal of the corrupt narcotics detective with a swag got Denzel Washington his second Oscar win but first for Best Male Actor.
Nonetheless, when considering the answer, the actor says, “That would be a good question for my wife,” who he feels knows him best. What Denzel Washington cares most about is letting his work speak for him.
Denzel Washington’s Best Movies Are Movies He Acts As Himself
Washington’s top-rated films are ones with characters similar to him
There isn’t a doubt that Denzel Washington is a great actor who also makes edits to scripts for the better. With the discussion raised by fans that Washington always plays a version of himself and lacks versatility, it wouldn’t be strange that some of his best works are movies that have that ‘swag’ he has been said to infuse in his characters.
Naturally, one can conclude that playing such characters closer to his personality works well and keeps him in demand.
And if Rotten Tomatoes has anything to say, it’s that Denzel Washington’s best movies are ones that are not reliant on his ‘swag’ as a main character description.
|
Year |
Movies featuring Denzel Washington |
Ratings (Based on Rotten Tomatoes) |
|---|---|---|
|
1989 |
Glory |
95% |
|
2021 |
The Tragedy of Macbeth |
92% |
|
2016 |
Fences |
92% |
|
1995 |
Devil in a Blue Dress |
92% |
|
1991 |
Mississippi Masala |
92% |
|
1995 |
Crimson Tide |
89% |
|
1992 |
Malcolm X |
88% |
|
2010 |
Unstoppable |
87% |
|
2006 |
Inside Man |
86% |
|
1996 |
Courage Under Fire |
86% |
The movies above are Rotten Tomatoes’ top 10 highest-rated movies featuring Denzel Washington in the lead or supporting lead role. Most of these movies are character-focused, and quite contrary to what fans raised in the discussion, Denzel can play diverse roles and deliver perfectly.
It’s true that in the latter part of his career, Denzel Washington focused on thriller-action movies rather than character-focused ones, which may be due, in part, to Hollywood’s demands. This may have caused fans to feel he recycles roles in movies. Regardless, Denzel Washington is an outstanding actor in a class of his own. His track record tells it all.
Source: NewsFinale
