Denzel Washington Reveals His Favorite Role Of All Time And It’s A Total Surprise
Far Out Magazine reports that Denzel Washington was quick to name his favorite role, and it may surprise you, given how many iconic characters the Training Day star has portrayed throughout his 40-year career. While one would think Denzel Washington would name Frank Lucas (American Gangster), Private Silas Trip (Glory), or Malcolm X as one of the roles he holds near to his heart, he revealed that it was actually his contribution to Dan Gilroy’s Roman J. Israel, Esq. as the film’s titular character that he resonated with the most.
Of all his roles, Denzel Washington’s favorite came from the 2017 film Roman J Israel, Esq., in which he portrayed the titular character.
In a 2017 interview with the Inquirer, Washington suggested that he welcomed the challenge of portraying a defense attorney who is on the autism spectrum.
Denzel Washington’s favorite role was a challenge in the sense that he had to represent a character who boasts superior intellect, but has extreme difficulty reading social cues. Roman J. Israel, who prefers to work, and thrives behind the scenes at a small LA law firm, is pushed out of his comfort zone after taking on a new job in which he has to handle clients, and interact with them daily.
Washington’s passion for the role is reported to have been the result of getting older, and wanting to further cement his already established legacy by telling a story that has more depth and nuance than roles he had played in the past.
This is not to say that Denzel Washington wasn’t capable of representing complex characters in the past, but rather that his favorite role pushed him to continue honing his craft at the age of 63 when Roman J. Israel, Esq. was filmed.
Citing inspiration from people he knew, like the son of one of his close friends who is on the autism spectrum, Washington was up for the challenge. And the challenge was two-fold: accurately portraying Roman’s behavior, and presenting it in a way that evokes empathy from a viewing audience.
Washington’s passion for the role is reported to have been the result of getting older, and wanting to further cement his already established legacy by telling a story that has more depth and nuance than roles he had played in the past.
Though Denzel Washington has a special place in his heart for his favorite role, the movie itself was not a critical hit. Though the film only garnered a 54 percent critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating mixed or average reviews, critics still agree that the Crimson Tide star did an excellent job with his character development and performance.
Most of the criticism for Roman J. Israel, Esq. was due to the legal drama’s pacing and plot, but at the end of the day, one could reasonably expect that Denzel Washington’s contributions were what truly elevated the storytelling.
Denzel Washington’s favorite role was a challenge in the sense that he had to represent a character who boasts superior intellect, but has extreme difficulty reading social cues.
Though it may come as a surprise that Denzel Washington’s favorite role is one of his more unassuming ones, it makes sense that he is proud of what he was able to accomplish under the direction of Dan Gilroy, who spent eight months writing the story with Washington specifically in mind.
In many cases, an accomplished actor like Denzel Washington seeks out roles that not only challenge his own acting abilities, but also the status quo, which has been evident throughout his entire career. Though Roman J. Israel, Esq. may not be considered one of his more iconic movies, it’s still worth a watch if Denzel Washington himself says that it’s his personal favorite role.
