Denzel Washington Confronts Hollywood Racism: The Role He Refused and the Career It Saved
A harrowing encounter with a deeply offensive script in the 1980s forced a young Denzel Washington to confront the limitations placed upon Black actors in Hollywood, a decision that ultimately paved the way for his illustrious career and two Academy Awards.
Denzel Washington’s passion for acting ignited during a semester away from Fordham University, where he directed a summer theater program at a YMCA in Connecticut. He quickly immersed himself in the craft, studying acting and appearing in productions of works by Eugene O’Neil and William Shakespeare. His early career saw him navigate television, stage, and film, landing a breakthrough role in 1982 as Dr. Philip Chandler in the long-running medical drama “St. Elsewhere,” a role he inhabited for 118 episodes. Despite this success, Washington yearned for leading roles in major motion pictures.
By 1987, Washington had garnered critical attention with roles in “A Soldier’s Story” and “Power,” and secured an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Steve Biko in Richard Attenborough’s “Cry Freedom.” However, even with this momentum, opportunities for Black actors remained severely limited. Before accepting the role in “Cry Freedom,” Washington was presented with a script so egregious, so steeped in racist tropes, that it prompted a defiant stand that could have derailed his career.
The film, titled “The N* They Couldn’t Kill,” was a proposed satire centering around a Black character who, according to Washington’s recollection, committed a horrific act of violence and then became a perverse “cult hero.” As he described in a 2010 interview with The New York Times*, the character “red a white woman. They tried to electrocute him, and it didn’t work… They tried to hang him, and tried to do all this stuff.” Washington was appalled by the script’s blatant racism and the lynching imagery it contained.
He vehemently challenged the casting directors, expressing his outrage with a pointed comparison. When they attempted to justify the film’s premise as humorous – an immortal Black man repeatedly surviving attempts on his life – Washington countered with a chilling question: “Would it be funny to witness Jewish people being executed en masse in a concentration camp?” He punctuated his argument with forceful language, declaring, “They said ‘right,’ and I said ‘Right, that ain’t funny.’ So, to me, it wasn’t funny putting a rope around my M.F.in’ neck either. I made a point.”
Disturbed by the experience, Washington sought counsel from the legendary Sidney Poitier. He recounted to Poitier the offer of $600,000 to star in the offensive film. Poitier, rather than dictating a course of action, offered invaluable perspective. “I can tell you this,” Poitier advised, “the first two or three or four films you do in this business will dictate how you’re perceived. So, you make a decision.”
Washington heeded Poitier’s advice and turned down the role. Six months later, he landed “Cry Freedom,” earning another Academy Award nomination. He later reflected that his career could have taken a drastically different path had he accepted the exploitative project.
The decision proved pivotal. Two years later, Washington won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in Edward Zwick’s “Glory.” He then embarked on a fruitful collaboration with Spike Lee, beginning with “Mo’ Better Blues” and culminating in the critically acclaimed “Malcolm X” in 1992. Their partnership continued with a 2025 remake of Akira Kurosawa’s “Highest 2 Lowest.” By that point, Washington had amassed an impressive 10 Academy Award nominations and two wins.
It is clear that Denzel Washington’s refusal to compromise his integrity, even at a potentially significant financial cost, not only shaped his own remarkable career but also served as a powerful statement against the pervasive racism that once plagued Hollywood.
