Denzel Washington on why Chris Pratt is the second coming of Tom Hanks: “It comes across onscreen”
Academy Award-winner Denzel Washington has dedicated his entire adult life to pursuing his craft, whether on stage or screen. He’s worked with thousands of actors over this time, which has given him a greater understanding than almost anybody else about the attributes that it takes to reach the top of the profession.
In 1993, Washington provided one of his most acclaimed performances in Philadelphia, which he starred in alongside Tom Hanks. Seeing the other at work was a learning curve for both men that made them better at their shared vocation. The film, which saw Hanks nominated at the Academy Awards in the ‘Best Actor’ category for his performance, was a triumph, largely thanks to the chemistry between the two stars.
In the movie, Hanks portrays Andrew Beckett, a lawyer who hires Washington’s character, Joe Miller, to sue his previous employers for unfair dismissal upon discovering he had HIV. The hard-hitting storyline required both men to bring their A-game every day on set, which was an eye-opening experience for Hanks to learn from the master.
Hanks later said of his co-star’s brilliance: “I sat beside him for three weeks shooting the trial. I had no dialogue. It was a thriller of an acting class. He follows no rules but pursues the moment. No nonsense, but a looseness that can’t be faked. A one-on-one scene with him is a game of hardball catch – he is both daring you to keep up and propelling you to do more.”
Meanwhile, Washington was equally impressed by Hanks, who has a personable nature off-screen and the rare ability to translate this likeability into every performance he gave. This skill can’t be taught at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art; it’s a born talent that actors either have in their arsenal or don’t possess.
It took Washington more than two decades of working with a series of the most decorated stars in the film industry to find somebody else who could match Hanks’ ability, Chris Pratt in The Magnificent Seven.
Before becoming a central part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and a fully-fledged Hollywood star, Pratt made his name on the sitcom Parks and Recreation, where he first showcased this ability. As much as his character, Andy Dwyer made plenty of idiotic mistakes, audiences couldn’t help but root for him. While The Magnificent Seven was a Western with no resemblance to Parks and Recreation, Pratt again made his character, Joshua Faraday, an audience favourite despite his flaws.
Washington gushingly said of his co-star: “Chris is great. I can see why he’s so popular. There’s another actor that I worked with, whatever, 20 years ago, by the name of Hanks who had that same quality about them, that you just really like them — aside from their obvious talent, they’re good people and it comes across on-screen.”
During a red carpet interview with ABC News at the movie’s premiere, Pratt also complimented Washington, who he described as a “legend and a great human being”. He continued, “Denzel’s a legend and a great human being. We had a good time working together. It’s rare you get a chance to work with somebody who’s a two-time Oscar winner. He’s just decorated. Like I said, he’s a legend. … It is a bromance, yeah.”
As an actor, Pratt isn’t as versatile as Hanks, or at least hasn’t shown that versatility yet. However, he’s become one of the biggest draws in Hollywood over the last decade. Due to the sheer force of his on-screen likeability, audiences will go out of their way to support his projects because, in their eyes, it will guarantee entertainment. Admittedly, it’s not an attribute that has made him an Academy Award winner, but Washington knows it’s a much more difficult skill than it appears.
