Why Denzel Washington Turned Down The Jeffersons And Avoids Television Roles

Denzel Washington's film career did not get off to a blazingly brilliant start when he co-starred in 1981's clumsy racial satire "Carbon Copy." Still, he managed to distinguish himself when the script gave him some competently written moments. Best of all, the movie's failure couldn't really hurt him; he'd already booked a key supporting role in Charles Fuller's Pulitzer Prize-winning "A Soldier's Play."

There were many standouts in that show (including a young Samuel L. Jackson), but every casting director in town was blown away by Washington's potent mix of fury, levity, and, let's face it, handsomeness. He didn't necessarily upstage his formidable co-stars, but, according to those lucky enough to see the production, there was a live-wire charge when he stepped on-stage. It could've led him to a stage career, but the much more lucrative pursuits of movies and television were calling.

Washington was still a novice in the entertainment business back then, but he was also realistic about the absurdly limited opportunities available to Black actors. So, he auditioned for guest spots on TV since the only way to make a living as an actor is to take the available work (assuming it's not humiliating, which was a conundrum for Black artists in the 1980s, and beyond, as satirized in Robert Townsend's vital "Hollywood Shuffle").

His agent, however, was vigilant about Washington's career choices. "I remember early on my agent talked to me about not getting caught up in television," the star told Entertainment Weekly in 2010. "She convinced me not to do 'The Jeffersons,' which I'd read for." Recall that back then, once an actor got into a television groove, movie roles became harder to come by. Ultimately, though, Washington threw caution to the wind and joined the cast of an NBC drama. He chose wisely.

Created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey, "St. Elsewhere" rocketed the hoary medical drama to invigoratingly new heights. Set in an old, nearly dilapidated Boston hospital, the show boasted a stellar ensemble that included Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd, William Daniels, David Morse, Christina Pickles, and Howie Mandel. Though the show was never a ratings hit, it was a smash with critics and a perennial Primetime Emmy Award nominee (winning 24 overall), so NBC kept it on the air for six seasons. The quality never dipped over those seasons, either, and it concluded with one of the greatest series finales of all time.

Of all the characters in "St. Elsewhere," Washington's Dr. Phillip Chandler might've had the most compelling arc. He was a brilliant, ambitious, and incredibly capable physician, but he often voiced dissatisfaction with his career path. If you needed further proof of Washington's genius, his Chandler was frequently unlucky in love; he finally found a soulmate in Dr. Roxanne Turner (played by none other than Alfre Woodard), which seemed to fill the biggest hole in his life. But it didn't. If you've never seen the show before, I don't want to spoil how things ended for Chandler, but it came as a shock to viewers.

If you're a Denzel fan (and why wouldn't you be?), binge "St. Elsewhere" posthaste. Television doesn't get any better than this. (Just don't expect the star to revisit it because Washington doesn't watch television at all.)