The rejected role rewritten 10 times for Denzel Washington
The role that was rewritten ten times for Denzel Washington was Detective David Mills in 'Seven', but he still turned it down - and later regretted the decision.
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Film » Cutting Room Floor
Sun 19 January 2025 19:15, UK
Denzel Washington isnât someone who dwells on regrets.
With a career as successful and enduring as his, heâs had little reason to look back and wonder âwhat ifâ. However, there is one classic film heâs admitted to turning down that left him with a slight pang of regret. Interestingly, missing out on that role might have influenced him to take on a few similar projects in later years. Fascinatingly, it was recently revealed that the filmmakers were so eager to secure Washington for the part that they rewrote the script ten times to accommodate himâbut even then, he still said, âNo thanksâ.
In 2018, Washington sat down with fellow A-lister Jamie Foxx for a career-spanning interview. The two Oscar winners were in fine fettle, joking around and talking about the ins and outs of a career in Hollywood. Eventually, though, Foxx asked Washington if heâd ever said no to a movie that, in hindsight, he should have said yes to. Washington immediately replied, âSevenâ, and added: âThey wanted me to play the Brad Pitt part.â
This wasnât the first time Washington had admitted to turning down David Fincherâs 1995 serial killer masterpiece. However, it was the first time he elaborated on what made him nervous to take on the project. âI thought the script was too demonic,â confessed the Training Day star, who wasnât the only prominent actor to baulk at the grim, nihilistic nature of Andrew Kevin Walkerâs script. In fact, Ned Beatty, who was approached to play John Doe at one point, reportedly dubbed the screenplay the âmost evil thing Iâve ever readâ.
In 2024, though, when Fincher was on the promotional trail for the 30th anniversary 4k re-release of Seven, he revealed that New Line Cinema tried to address Washingtonâs concerns regarding the script. In fact, it bent over backwards for him. The famed Zodiac and Fight Club director told The Independent, âI was told that Denzel had read the script, didnât like it and that the script was then rewritten, like, ten or 11 times to suit him. It was rewritten ad nauseam, ad infinitum, in an attempt to get Denzel to say yes.â
Interestingly, Fincher claimed he had never interacted with Washington on the project because the star had already moved on by the time Fincher was hired as director. However, this doesnât quite jive with what Washington once said, which indicated that Fincherâs inexperience was one of the reasons he passed on the movie. âI read the script, and it was dark,â Washington mused before adding, âDavid Fincher was new on the scene. I think he had only done one movie.â
Regardless of whose memory is more accurate than the other, the long and short of it is that Washington said no â even though New Line appointed his manager as a producer on the film. Fincher chuckled, âI think it was kind of a bait and switch. It was like, âIf I produce the film, you can get Denzel.'â
Ultimately, Washington would lament his decision not to tackle the bleak, harrowing, yet thrilling project. He told Foxx that he was sure heâd done the right thing until he saw the finished film, but then he had to admit to himself, âOh, I blew itâ. The star was magnanimous in defeat, though, as he later told CTV News, âEvidently, it wasnât for me. It was for Brad all the time.â
Interestingly, though, fans have long speculated that Washington may have regretted turning down the movie so much that it tangibly affected his choices going forward. After all, in the late â90s alone, Washington signed up for the supernatural serial killer thriller Fallen and played novelist Jeffrey Deaverâs paraplegic detective Lincoln Rhyme in The Bone Collector. Unfortunately for him, though, neither film could touch Sevenâs sheer brilliance â or its box office power.
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