By Charlie Denison
Denzel Washington, a preacher’s son from Mount Vernon, New York, has had one of the most illustrious Hollywood careers. Like the late Cicely Tyson, Denzel has sought roles portraying African-Americans with dignity and has executed them with sheer brilliance; his winsome smile and capability for compassion are just two of many instinctual charms he brings to the screen.
Despite all his accolades (including nine Oscar nominations) and despite how easy Denzel makes it look from one film to the next, the living legend almost didn’t pursue acting.
In 1982, he was down on his luck, struggling to find the right role, unable to make a living pursuing his dream. He was ready to walk away when an opportunity arose, one that would change his life forever: the role of Muslim minister and human rights activist Malcolm X in Laurence Holder’s off-Broadway production of “When the Chickens Came Home to Roost.”
This role would change everything and open the door to “A Soldier’s Story,” “Glory” Spike Lee’s “Mo Better Blues,” and more.
Before long Denzel became a Hollywood sensation, an Oscar winner, and one of the most magnetic leading men in the business… as he was starting to rise, his friend Spike gave him an opportunity to play Malcolm in the highly anticipated biopic, and he would deliver a performance of a lifetime.
Malcolm X (1992)
When Spike got the gig to direct “Malcolm X,” he knew it was Denzel’s baby just as much as his. There was no doubt in his mind Denzel was the man to embody “The Black Shining Prince,” and as production progressed, it became more and more clear as to why.
“We had to pinch ourselves,” Spike said in the director’s commentary. “To our eyes and our ears we were seeing Malcolm X up there in front of us… not Denzel Washington the actor.”
Denzel immersed himself in the role and prepared for a year before shooting, losing 20 pounds and researching anything and everything he could about the man.
“He knew he had to be mentally, physically, and spiritually in the right place,” Spike said. “He stopped eating pork, cut down his alcohol intake, studied the Quran daily, and said his prayers in Arabic.”
“X” is an incredibly ambitious film, as the three-and-a-half hour movie captures the incredible metamorphosis from Malcolm Little to Malcolm X and ultimately to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz.
There was monumental pressure to get it right, Spike said, and no room for error. Fortunately, however, it lived up to the hype.
So did Denzel.
“He’s all game,” Spike said. “No weaknesses anywhere.”
While filming “Malcolm X,” Denzel told Spike: “I don’t know what I’m going to do after this.” But Denzel’s greatness certainly didn’t stop there, as he’s continued to churn out one masterful performance after another. Here are a few examples:
John Q. (2002)
This is one of my favorite performances by Denzel. As John Quincy Archibald, he humanizes a man in the most dire of helpless situations. John Q.’s son Michael has a horrendous heart condition and is in desperate need of a heart transplant. John and his wife Denise (Kimberly Elise, who doesn’t get near enough credit for her performance) are without health coverage they need to afford the transplant. Panicked and desperate, John holds the surgeon (James Woods) hostage, as well as emergency room staff and patients.
Although the hostage negotiation sequences get a little formulaic, Robert Duvall is charming and refreshingly empathetic as Lt. Frank Grimes, unlike Police Chief Gus Monroe (Ray Liotta), who is a total jerk. Hospital administrator Rebecca Payne (Anne Heche) is also repulsive. Everyone appears to have their own agenda, their own obsessions. They’re so infatuated with career and reputation that they lose sight of the human element.
The most heartbreaking element of this movie is how many people can relate. Nearly 20 years later, there remain people all over the nation feeling like John, praying for a miracle and exhausting all options trying to get their dying child the help he or she needs… hoping they can somehow get a break.
ER patient Lester Matthews (a relatively low-key Eddie Griffin) perhaps puts it best when he shares his philosophy on the system: “I solemnly swear to take care of the sick—damn near dying—unless they ain’t got major medical.”
Directed by Nick Cassavetes (“Blow,” “The Notebook”), “John Q.” lives on, largely thanks to Denzel’s performance. As passionate and as overwhelmed with despair as he is, you can’t help root for him and trust that somehow he’ll find a way.
Antwone Fisher (2002)
Denzel’s directorial debut tells the true story of a young man who has the cards stacked against him but refuses to break. As Navy psychiatrist Dr. Jerome Davenport, Denzel displays his passion for empowering the youth, for helping them learn how educate themselves, and to assist them with finding their purpose.
Actor-turned-director Denzel brings the story to life beautifully. It’s evident he is inspired by the material, which was written by the real Antwone Fisher.
Co-starring Derek Luke and Joy Bryant, “Antwone Fisher” also features a sneaky good performance by Viola Davis, who says so much by not saying anything at all.
Flight (2012)
Denzel reunites with “Fallen” co-star John Goodman (who even gets “Fallen”-related entrance music) and “Devil in a Blue Dress” sidekick Don Cheadle for this powerful drama about the fight to get sober.
As Whip Whitaker, Denzel is an alcoholic pilot who miraculously lands a doomed plane. Unfortunately, he was high as a kite while doing so and remains in denial about his destructive lifestyle—one that has already cost him a marriage, a relationship with his son, and now could potentially land him in prison.
Can he turn the table and be honest with himself and others? Or will he keep hiding behind the lies like he has all his life?
Directed by Robert Zemeckis (“Forrest Gump,” “Back to the Future”), “Flight” powerfully portrays the hardship of temptation and the tragic consequences that become the life of an addict who refuses to get help. Denzel captures this brilliantly, allowing himself to get more vulnerable than perhaps we’ve ever seen him. He also believably and playfully turns his cockiness into arrogance and makes an otherwise unlikable character someone surprisingly engaging. Perhaps that alone was enough to earn him an Oscar nomination.
Fences (2016)
Denzel Washington directs and stars in this Academy Award-nominated film adaptation of August Wilson’s stage play about the trials of a trash collector in 1950s Pittsburgh.
As Troy Maxson, Denzel plays a driven, determined, and opinionated man, cynical and set in his ways. Not wanting to see his son Cory (Jovan Adepo from “The Leftovers”) suffer the same rejections and misfortunes, he tries to shelter him. He’s exceptionally hard on the boy, who in turn starts to resent him. Cory doesn’t feel loved, appreciated, or respected.
Neither does Troy, who feels like everything is a burden. He gets so caught up and obsessed with the bills, the grind, the responsibilities around the house, and with providing in general. He puts so much pressure on himself that he stops loving anything. It’s all lumped into work, and he’s burnt out.
Denzel plays Troy with so much heart, so much passion. This is a role he loves, one he performed on Broadway. He was so convincing in the film he was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar. That’s an amazing achievement, especially considering Washington also directed the production.
Wilson’s work appears really resonates with Denzel, who co-produced “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” also penned by the late playwright.
Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017)
Sometimes a movie sinks its teeth into you, changes you, wakes you from your sleep.
That was the case for me with Dan Gilroy’s “Roman J. Israel, Esq.” The title role was written specifically for Denzel.
Fortunately for Gilroy, Denzel didn’t just take on the role of the brilliant, idealistic, quirky defense attorney—he disappeared into it, changing his walk, mannerisms, and physique. In doing so, he earned another Best Actor Oscar nomination.
Roman is a complicated character. He is a genius, but he is not comfortable in his own skin. Unlike most Denzel roles, he is no alpha. In fact, he struggles in social situations. He’s awkward, but he is always able to convey his knowledge. This intrigues ambitious lawyer George Pierce (Colin Farrell) and civil rights activist Maya Alston (Carmen Ejogo), who are both transformed by their interactions with Roman, who encourages them both to “put social revolution squarely back on the agenda where it belongs.”
“Roman J. Israel, Esq” is more than a film—it’s a spiritual journey about doing the right thing. It’s about facing your flaws head-on and striving to make the right choice, no matter how hard. It’s about forgiving yourself and choosing integrity.
“We are all formed of frailty and error. Let us pardon reciprocally each other’s folly. That is the first law of nature,” Roman says, quoting Voltaire.
Charlie Denison is a freelance writer, musician, award-winning journalist, and 11-year DVD Netflix member who lives with his wife in Lewistown, Montana.
He's been featured in “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” “Montana Quarterly Magazine,” and other publications. Follow him on Twitter @charliebigsky.