The roles Denzel Washington has never been offered: “Maybe they’re not interested”
Denzel Washington is largely heralded as one of the greatest actors of all time, with ground-breaking performances in The Equalizer, Malcolm X, Inside Man and Philadelphia that have established him among Hollywood royalty. After starting in Broadway, the actor then expanded his work to the screen with Training Day and Glory, earning him two Academy Awards towards the end of the 1980s.
However, during his time on screen, Washington has typically starred in films of a similar genre, often playing commanding and serious roles in thrillers and high-stakes dramas. Because of this, the actor has pondered over the likelihood of starring in one particular genre, which remains one of the few roles he has never been offered.
There are countless viewers who flock to the cinemas to watch the unrealistic and hyper-stylised romances of complete strangers, with recent films like Anyone But You reaching staggering box office sales and proving that there is still a demand for original love stories.
Films like 10 Things I Hate About You, When Harry Met Sally and Notting Hill are widely celebrated for their witty dialogue, organic chemistry and heightened romanticism, with fans of the genre defending its right to be considered as its own unique art form. In many ways, it is a form of fantasy, with the world of modern dating becoming so bleak that people retreat to made-up relationships in the movies.
However, as popular as the genre is, it has never been an inclusive genre of cinema. Most romantic quandaries are centred around white characters and very rarely extend to people of colour. Washington has highlighted this gap in his filmography when discussing it, with the iconic actor surprisingly never starring in a romantic drama.
In recent years, we’ve seen an active effort on behalf of some people in Hollywood to address the lack of diversity, and the success of romantic comedies like Rye Lane, which starred two Black actors, showed that there is a huge demand to see these stories represented on screen. However, this opportunity has not yet reached Washington, and when the actor was asked why he hasn’t appeared in any love stories, he said, “I’m not offered any. […] I think that, again, it comes down to business. I think that if it was a love story with myself and a Black woman, it’s not big business in Hollywood, so maybe they’re not interested.”
There is still an enormous amount of work to be done before all people can feel seen in cinema, with many audiences struggling to find representation in popular media. But there are some films and television shows that prove how popular these stories are when finally realised on screen, with the second season of Bridgerton breaking records and being the first to star, sparking conversations about the lack of representation for South-Asian women on screen. Even though Washington has yet to venture into this genre, the wider discussion about the lack of representation within romantic comedies will hopefully open more doors in the future stories told.
