‘I’m Not Offered Any.’ Denzel Washington Gets Real About How He’s Done Dozens Of Movies And Literally None Of Them Have Been Rom-Coms

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As a longtime admirer of Denzel Washington‘s illustrious career spanning over four decades, I can’t help but feel a twinge of excitement at the prospect of seeing him venture into uncharted territory – a romantic comedy. While it’s true that the man has graced us with an impressive roster of films across various genres, there’s something tantalizing about envisioning Washington in a rom-com setting.

Despite the numerous roles Denzel Washington has played throughout his acting career, he’s never taken part in a romantic comedy. With the release of “Gladiator II” in 2024 promising to fuel even more anticipation for his performance, an old interview discussing this very topic has re-emerged. As one would expect from Washington, his characteristic honesty and humor provided an answer as genuine as people’s opinions on their favorite romantic comedies.

In the podcast “60 Minutes: A Fresh Perspective,” they utilized excerpts from a 2000 interview between Washington and the late Ed Bradley that hadn’t been released before. During this conversation, it was noticed by both the esteemed journalist and his award-winning interviewee that out of the 25 films Denzel Washington had acted in at that time, none were romantic comedies. When asked for an explanation, Denzel Washington provided this possible reason:

It seems to me that the core of the matter boils down to commercial considerations. If we were talking about a romantic tale featuring myself and a Black woman, perhaps the industry isn’t keen due to lack of interest in such projects from a business perspective in Hollywood.

In that same interview, it’s worth mentioning that the main actor of The Equalizer series later acknowledged that he didn’t feel the need to include a romantic comedy in his filmography. This wasn’t an issue for him way back in 2000, so I have no doubt that with such a rich collection of iconic Denzel Washington films under his belt, Mr. Washington remains untroubled by it now.

Although I find it hard to believe that studios would shy away from a potential Denzel Washington rom-com in the current climate. Box office hits like Anyone But You and streaming crazes like Netflix’s surprisingly deep Hot Frosty are just two examples of how that once seemingly dormant genre has roared back to life. So there has to be someone out there who’s read/listened to this interview, and has come up with a concept that they want to pitch the St. Elsewhere alum, right?

Is it conceivable that Denzel Washington would feature in a romantic comedy today? I can’t definitively say, but I will confidently assert that such a scenario wouldn’t shock me if it were to happen. With his recent commitment to Black Panther 3 suggesting he’s open to reconsidering roles beyond his “beyond the tights” years, perhaps a romantic comedy offer could pique his interest. It’s possible that not having one on his resume hasn’t been an issue for him, but if the right opportunity presented itself, his familiar grin and laughter might be the response.

Refreshingly, a romantic comedy starring Denzel Washington could provide a delightful deviation from his usual roles. However, with Gladiator II still playing in cinemas, he’s dominating that movie instead. If you missed The Equalizer 3, you can conveniently stream this action spin-off – much like how many people indulge in romance stories – by subscribing to Netflix.

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2024-11-30 17:07