Why Denzel Washington Rejected A Role In Terminator 2: Judgment Day

In James Cameron's 1991 ultra-blockbuster "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," two sentient robots are sent back in time to the present, each given a specific assignment. The evil T-1000 (Robert Patrick) has been sent to murder the 12-year-old John Connor (Edward Furlong), as John will eventually grow up to lead a successful resistance against the Machines in a soon-to-come humans vs. robots war. The outmoded T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger), once a fighter for the Machines, was captured by the futuristic human resistance, reprogrammed, and sent back in time to protect John Connor from the T-1000. 

The script for "Terminator 2" delves deep into causality and the origins of the Machine takeover, set to occur in 1997, by the film's timeline. It seems, however, that there is a causality loop in play. 

At the end of the first "Terminator" film, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) crushed a previous Terminator robot in a hydraulic press, as it had been sent back in time to murder her. One of the Terminator's arms, however, survived the ordeal, and was, by "Terminator 2," salvaged by one Dr. Myles Dyson (Joe Morton) for study. It's implied that eventually, by using his research on the futuristic arm, Dyson would learn to build Terminator robots in the first place, as well as help develop the Machine intelligence that will attempt to destroy humankind. Everything clear so far? 

Dr. Dyson was, as stated, played by Joe Morton, and he was able to do a lot with a role that, to be honest, gave him little to do other than panic and then die. According to a 1992 issue of Premiere Magazine, James Cameron initially approached Denzel Washington about playing Dr. Dyson, as he was just coming off of high-profile performances in "Cry Freedom," "Glory" and "Mo' Better Blues." Washington, however, turned the role down, as it wasn't meaty enough. 

Washington was to-the-point when he talked about "Terminator 2." He was certainly open to the idea of appearing in a science fiction movie, and he had already made a ghost fantasy comedy in 1990 with "Heart Condition," but when offered the role of Dr. Dyson over playing, say, Malcolm X, the choice was easy. Dr. Dyson simply wasn't an interesting enough character for Washington. He said: 

"No offense to Jim Cameron ... but when I read the script, I thought, 'All he does is look scared and sweat.' I had to pass."

Morton was cast in the role instead, and the script was re-written. It seems that Dr. Dyson was to have a larger role in the story, but that his scenes were shaved down when Washington refused the role. Morton, then, had even less to work with than what Washington was handed, making his performance only that much more impressive. Because "Terminator 2" was such a hit, and was seen repeatedly by so many people, it's now difficult to picture anyone other than Morton in the role. It's a pity his character didn't survive into any of the many "Terminator" follow-ups. 

Morton began playing supporting roles in many other action blockbusters after "Terminator 2," turning up in "Speed," "Speed 2," "Executive Decision," "Paycheck," and "Stealth." Most recently, Morton turned up in the various cuts of "Justice League." His career, however, has remained varied, with Morton taking roles in Hollywood weepies, intense dramas, indies, and broad comedies. In 2007, Morton and Washington would finally appear together in Ridley Scott's "American Gangster." 

Washington could have been great in the role, but Morton definitely was.