The Two War Movies Denzel Washington Wanted To Star In

Denzel Washington is one of our greatest actors, a powerhouse performer who brings gravitas and incredible depth to every role he plays. The man makes action movies that are wildly rewatchable (like Tony Scott’s “Unstoppable” and “Crimson Tide”) along with impressive dramatic turns in films like Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X” and Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth.” That’s all on top of being an Oscar winner who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden. Be that as it may, Washington apparently still has some regrets about his career, having revealed that there were two big 1980s war films that he really wished he had been a part of, but unfortunately wasn’t able to get cast.

Washington eventually ended up making the brilliantly authentic Civil War film “Glory” in 1989, giving the actor a chance to show his chops as a fictional soldier, and would later go on to play military men in “Crimson Tide” and “Courage Under Fire” in the 1990s. Those weren’t quite the roles he had wanted, however, as he’d yearned to be a part of two movies that would end up shaping the genre, especially when it came to films about the war in Vietnam.

When asked if there were any parts that he regretted turning down during an interview with GQ, Washington said that he should have taken on the Brad Pitt role in “Seven.” He added that he had also been interested in “Michael Clayton” but felt “nervous” about working with Tony Gilroy since he was an untested director at the time. Washington then explained that he’d wanted a specific role in Oliver Stone’s Vietnam opus, “Platoon,” along with a role in “Full Metal Jacket.” He was told, however, that Kubrick “doesn’t send out his scripts,” which meant that it was going to be nearly impossible for Washington to get a role. And as far as “Platoon” goes? Washington “wanted to play the part Willem Dafoe played,” which is that of Sergeant Elias, one of the most important and intense roles in the whole film. Elias serves as one of the few good role models for Charlie Sheen’s young infantryman character, Chris, though he is ultimately gunned down in the film’s bloody ending. 

It might be a good thing that Washington was unable to secure roles in either “Platoon” or “Full Metal Jacket,” though, as both were notoriously difficult shoots. Sure, neither was as grueling or ridiculous as production on Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now,” but “Platoon” almost made Sheen walk away and “Full Metal Jacket” took a serious toll on Kubrick, so maybe Vietnam war movies are just pretty awful to make in general. Besides, if he had been in “Platoon,” Washington probably wouldn’t have been able to make “Glory,” and that would have been a real loss because no one could play his role in that film the way he did. Sometimes, it all just works out for the best.