Denzel Washington Turned Down A Role That Would Have Reunited Him With Morgan Freeman After 95% RT War Movie

Denzel Washington is one of our most accomplished actors who has worked alongside other legendary A-listers, but, sadly, we missed out on seeing him reunite with one of them, Morgan Freeman, when he turned down Se7en in the '90s. Denzel Washington has earned his title in Hollywood as one of the best actors of his generation. Over four decades, Washington has shown his incredible range as an actor, and Denzel Washington's upcoming movies will be just as powerful. Still, even he has had some missed opportunities over the years.

A prominent project Washington turned down was David Fincher's 1995 classic thriller Se7en, which followed two detectives hunting a serial killer who commits murders based on the seven deadly sins. Washington ultimately declined because he thought the script was too dark and demonic. Although he later regretted his decision, 1995 was still an eventful year for Washington, with three films released: Crimson Tide, Virtuosity, and Devil in a Blue Dress. If Washington had accepted the Se7en role, however, watching him co-star alongside Morgan Freeman again would have created a full circle moment.

Denzel Washington In Se7en Would've Reunited Him With Morgan Freeman After Glory

Their Dynamic Would Have Changed The Movie

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The Academy Award-winning actor is no stranger to portraying law enforcement roles in films or working alongside other accomplished actors. Denzel Washington agreeing to the lead role of Detective Mills in Se7en would have reunited Washington with his former Glory co-star, Morgan Freeman. Their mentor-teacher dynamic in the 1989 Civil War epic meshed perfectly as their characters delivered emotional performances.

Related Every Upcoming Denzel Washington Movie Denzel Washington has been called the best actor of the 21st century so far, and has generated a lot of excitement for his upcoming roles.

As such, Se7en would have been an amazing Hollywood reunion, with the pair once again bringing their incomparable dynamic to a new collaboration. Washington and Freeman would have perfectly complemented the lead characters in Se7en, as Freeman's Somerset is perceived as reserved and thorough, opposite Mills, who is impulsive and feisty.

While Brad Pitt was great as Mills, Washington would have offered a different take on the detective.

While Brad Pitt was great as Mills, Washington would have offered a different take on the detective, including his portrayal in the dramatic "What's in the box?" scene leading to Se7en's horrifying ending. Envisioning that potential really shows what a missed opportunity it was to reunite Washington and Freeman. Not everyone remembers, though, that they did appear in another project together, this one before Glory – it just wasn't in feature film format.

Denzel Washington & Morgan Freeman Both Appeared In Another Movie Before Glory (Sort Of)

It Just Wasn't Exactly A Movie

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Before both actors co-starred together in Glory, Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman appeared in a live stage production of William Shakespeare’s Coriolanus in 1979 at the New York Shakespeare Festival. The stage production’s producer, Joseph Papp, intentionally provided professional acting opportunities for minority backgrounds, which featured a predominantly all-Black and Hispanic cast.

Key Facts Glory (1989) Se7en (1995) Box Office $27 million $327 million Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score 95% 83% Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score 93% 95%

Freeman played the lead role of Coriolanus, a banished hero devoted to his revenge on the city, as Washington played the dual roles of Aedile, a Roman citizen and soldier, and a Volscian citizen and soldier. Coriolanus received positive reviews, later leading Washington and Freeman to their breakout roles. Sadly, with Washington passing on Se7en, there's no guarantee the duo will ever work together again; as of now, we only have Glory as the proof of their on-screen magic.