Denzel Washington is one of the most acclaimed actors in Hollywood, who has starred in many amazing movies over the years. The Oscar winner is known for his performances in the war movie Glory, and the drama movie Training Day to name a few. However, it turns out that Washington almost starred in another popular film from the 90s – David Fincher’s Seven.
During an interview with Playboy Magazine, the acclaimed star revealed that he was approached to play the homicide detective David Mills alongside Morgan Freeman’s William Somerset in the thriller movie Seven. However, Washington ultimately turned down the role, which would then fall to Brad Pitt – a career choice that the actor regrets.
“Seven was brought to me years ago. I said no. Brad Pitt wound up playing the part. Go figure,” Washington said during the 2013 interview, following his Academy Award win for ‘Best Actor’ in the film Training Day. “I blew that one.”
Seven, released in 1995, was a critical and box office smash. The detective movie about the hunt for a gruesomely poetic serial killer ended up grossing over $327.3 million worldwide and helped Pitt be recognised as an actor fit for heavy dramatic roles.
While Seven would have undoubtedly been another impressive credit in Washington’s belt, the star’s choice to pass up on it didn’t strangle his chances of future success at all. Washington went on to comment on how he ended up missing certain roles but how the offers to star in films have become more frequent since his accolades.
“In general, I’ve never been one to go after stuff. I’m not out schmoozing,” the actor explained. “There are enough roles out there for me, and they seem to come along regularly enough. Since my recent Oscar win, I’m getting more offers, though there’s a lot of garbage out there, too. It’s always hard to find good material.”
While we would have loved to see Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington, who worked on the ’80s movie Glory together, reunite on the big screen – Seven just wasn’t meant to be.