Denzel Washington's Favorite Movie Role Was In A 2017 Flop

In 2017, Denzel Washington spoke to The Inquirer about his approach to acting at the age of 60. "I'm trying to get better," Washington explained, "This ain't dress rehearsal. I really don't know how many years I have left on this planet, so I just want to maximize the effort and utilize the gifts I've been given." (While his "Equalizer" movies might not speak to that sentiment, he's worked on plenty of recent projects that do.) As for his favorite film role? Washington threw the outlet a curveball, citing "Roman J. Israel, Esq." As he put it: 

"We overlook people like Roman, It's easy for them to fall through the cracks of society," Washington elaborated. "And maybe for that reason, I can tell you I love this guy more than any other character I've played in my life [...] You have to love the guy. He's trying. He's just alone."

With nine Oscar nods and two wins, Washington's legacy as one of the finest actors in Hollywood is well-established. But even without the accolades, the man's talent speaks for itself. Often, this is literally the case. Alfred Hitchcock once told Francois Truffaut, "The chief requisite for an actor is the ability to do nothing well" — something that frequent Hitch collaborator James Stewart had down to a tee. Stewart's quiet charisma arguably can't quite match Denzel's effortless magnetism, though. The man can make doing nothing look good like no other. But he can also do a lot when required, and has demonstrated his adaptability across one of the most impressive filmographies in Hollywood.

This is also what makes "Roman J. Israel, Esq." such an unexpected project for Washington to single out — considering it earned a lukewarm critical reception on its way to becoming a certifiable box office flop.

Everybody has heard of "Malcom X," "Philadelphia," or the film that convinced my younger self that Denzel Washington was a force to be reckoned with: "Training Day." Heck you might even be familiar with Denzel's highest-rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes (1989's "Glory," in which Washington played an escaped enslaved person who becomes a private in one of the Union's earliest Black regiments). But have you ever even heard of "Roman J. Israel, Esq.?"

This 2017 legal drama saw Washington portray the titular lawyer, who, though brilliant and principled, is severely lacking when it comes to social skills. The neurodiverse attorney is used mainly for research by the small law firm for which he works. But all the while, he's been crafting a brief that details how to reform the justice system and deal with its myriad issues. After his boss and mentor dies, Roman is then recruited by a much larger law firm run by George Pierce (Colin Farrell) and finds himself thrust into the action of the courtroom. His activist principles are quickly put to the test, and Roman undergoes a personal crisis after being mugged by someone he tried to help. Thus, as the plot unfolds, he's forced to reckon with his burgeoning cynicism.

Written and directed by Dan Gilroy, who also wrote and directed the ambitious and depraved neo-noir "Nightcrawler", the film wasn't exactly a success. "Roman J. Israel, Esq." currently has a 55% on Rotten Tomatoes and made just $13 million at the box office against a $22 million budget. Be that as it may, the movie is near and dear to Washington's heart, and for good reason.

No doubt, part of the reason that "Roman J. Israel, Esq." resonated with Denzel Washington the way it did is because Dan Gilroy actually wrote its script with the actor in mind. "I came off 'Nightcrawler' and I spent eight months writing this script, and I wasn't paid to write it. I wrote it for Denzel, though I had never met him before," Gilroy explained to The Inquirer. Evidently, Washington was impressed during his first meeting with Gilroy and agreed to star on the spot. According to the filmmaker, that enthusiasm was down to the fact that Denzel has "never played a character like this before. So many of his characters are alpha males and very together and strong." However, it turns out Denzel had much more personal reasons to say yes to Gilroy's pitch.

"We all know people like Roman," Washington told The Inquirer. "I have a good friend whose son is on the spectrum and works in a law firm, in a capacity similar to Roman [...] The thing about Roman is he can read any book with total recall, but he can't read people. That is really fascinating to play."

According to Gilroy, Denzel was so dedicated to the role that he designed his own clothes for the movie. However, as The Inquirer noted, his 1970s jackets and glasses seemed to provoke some negative comments from online trolls, who took aim at the actor's appearance after photos of him on-set emerged. As Washington himself put it, "You're reading these comments and you're thinking, 'Wow, so that's how it is.' You get just a glimpse, just a taste of what people like Roman have to live with every day. It was instructive."

With that in mind, you get the sense that Denzel Washington is very protective of his performance in "Roman J. Israel, Esq.," especially when he went on to explain that his sister has bipolar disorder and that while he "know[s] that what she has and what Roman has are very different," he'd been "looking for a long time for something that would allow [him] to go at least in that direction." But it seems, regardless of his personal connection to the role, Washington also just felt a deep sense of empathy for people like his on-the-spectrum lawyer.

Hence, while "Roman J. Israel, Esq." itself might not rank among Washington's best movies ever, his portrayal of the drama's namesake was strong enough to secure him a well-earned Best Actor Oscar nomination at the 2018 Academy Awards show. Indeed, contrary to the film's 55% Rotten Tomatoes score, critics had little to gripe about when it came to Washington's performance therein. As Owen Gleiberman wrote in his Variety review, the film "leaves us with a character you won't soon forget, but you wish that the movie were as haunting as he is." Elsewhere, in his review for Rolling Stone, Peter Travers wrote that "Washington digs so deep under the skin of this complex character that we almost breathe with him. It's a great, award-caliber performance in a movie that can barely contain it."

Remember how "Training Day" cemented Denzel Washington as a force to be reckoned with? Fittingly enough, the actor himself described his Oscar-winning turn as the corrupt Detective Alonzo Harris in director Antoine Fuqua's 2001 crime-thriller as being his favorite movie role years before "Roman J. Israel, Esq." came along.

Speaking to Blackfilm in 2006, Denzel elaborated on why Alonzo was his "favorite part" up to that point in his career. When asked which of the roles he had played was "closest to the real Denzel," the actor replied, "There's no one part, but I love to say 'Training Day.'" Continuing, he clarified that all the roles an actor plays "become a part of you," adding:

"I'd like to say I'm doing something different. I'm just blessed to have had so many great experiences and to have traveled the world. I think going to Africa, the first time, had the biggest impact on me. 'Cry Freedom' because of my age, landing in Africa. They opened the door and I thought, 'Wow, Africa smells strong.'"

Getting to do "something different" was part of what made "Training Day" so appealing to him. "I've done 30 pictures and this is the first time I've played a truly evil character," Washington told Female in 2002. "It's not for want of trying. It's just that no one has ever asked me to play a bad guy before. That's not how Hollywood perceives me." He also admitted to having "a lot of fun" playing Alonzo, calling him "an arrogant thief, liar, killer, and egomaniac, [and a] sick, sick man who has no heart." So, as much as Denzel clearly relished getting to break bad in "Training Day," he obviously thinks much more highly of Roman J. Israel, Esq. himself.