Have you ever seen a movie, then wondered how it could’ve been different, better maybe?
Just a slightly different plot twist, or maybe a different actor cast for a particular role; it doesn’t take much to make or break a movie.
In these days of wokeness and PC culture, it’s hard to imagine changes in movies and television like this, mostly because there are a half dozen different ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations on the screen at any given time. It’s like Hollywood has just taken every special interest group, put them in a bag and drawn-out names until they got a quota.
That’s all well and good these days, since for the most part no one goes to the movies or watches network television anymore; with the exception of course being non woke entities like Top Gun; Maverick and the Terminal List.
However, there are still entertainment options. Just go back to a time before Hollywood got fully woke and find plenty of good action movies and iconic performances.
Recently Denzel Washington had some interesting comments about one of his most iconic roles, and how he doesn’t think it was made with him in mind. Let’s see what Outkick has to say:
Denzel Washington thinks his iconic “Training Day” character was meant to be white.
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Washington won an Academy Award for his portrayal of corrupt cop Alonzo Harris in the legendary crime film, but the Hollywood superstar thinks the character was originally meant to be white.
What happened? Director Antoine Fuqua cut it loose and let Washington carve out his place in history.
“I don’t think it was written for a Black guy,” Denzel Washington said of his role in the Oscar-winning film "Training Day." “It was more like a plaid-shirt [wearing] guy with beer bottles in the back.” https://t.co/WtdbQDPCZQ pic.twitter.com/momvzLxhPJ
— IndieWire (@IndieWire) August 12, 2022
That’s insane! I am assuming everyone has seen Training Day. If you haven’t, finish this article and GO WATCH IT!
Denzel Washington set the screen on fire as the gangster-cop Alonzo Harris. It is likely one of his best roles, and earned him an Academy Award, back when those meant something.
It should also be noted that Antoine Fuqua is involved with Terminal List and both Equalizer films starring Washington as well. (Not the abomination that is the television show The Equalizer, starring Queen Latifah. Yuck). Clearly, Fuqua knows how to tell a story without all of the virtue signaling and wokeness. After Training Day, watch both Equalizer films. Outstanding.
“I don’t think it was written for a black guy. It was more like a plaid-shirt [wearing] guy with beer bottles in the back. Antoine was the one that brought gangster to it,” Washington told The Hollywood Reporter when talking about Antoine Fuqua.
Mind blowing stuff there, but admittedly I can also see Washingtons point. The movie wouldn’t have worked if both cops had been black, and Josh Hartnett delivered an outstanding performance as Denzel’s rookie partner, so hard to imagine the roles reversed here.
I don’t recall many actors from the era in which this movie came out in that would be able to carry the role like Denzel Washington did. Alonzo Harris will always be Washington’s most stunning, unexpected role.
The over-the-top gangster character of Alonzo Harris WAS Denzel Washington. Maybe the movie would have worked with a corrupt white cop training a young black cop, but never to the degree that Denzel Washington took it to. Thankfully Antoine Fuqua followed his instincts and let Denzel take it to the next level.