The Real Reason Denzel Washington Didn't Star In David Fincher's Se7en

When Denzel Washington agreed to star in 2001's "Training Day," his casting attracted some controversy. The issue, it seems, was that the esteemed actor had never played a villain at that time, and the NAACP was adamant that he not squander the good will he'd accumulated over the past decade or so by doing so. For Denzel, however, showcasing his diverse talent overrode any obligation to maintain his clean cut public image, and the star not only proved he was more than capable of playing an antagonist, but won his second Oscar for the effort. All of which makes one wonder about a parallel universe version of Denzel's career — one in which he agreed to play a lead role in David Fincher's "Se7en" back in 1995.

Would the NAACP have objected to Washington starring in what Brad Pitt told the LA Times was "the feel-bad movie of '95"? Fincher's unrelentingly bleak crime thriller would certainly have been a left turn for the actor. While Fincher was unveiling his ill-fated directorial debut, "Alien 3," in 1992, Washington was starring as the titular activist in Spike Lee's "Malcolm X". Having won his first Oscar for his performance in the 1989 war drama "Glory," Washington was well-established by the time the script for "Se7en" came his way. Alas, the star turned it down, and probably dodged some controversy in the process — at least until "Training Day" came about.

But with "Se7en" proving an instant hit and laying out somewhat of a blueprint for the modern crime thriller in the process, you have to wonder why Denzel declined to be involved.

If anything sums up the unapologetically dark tone of "Se7en" it's the ending, in which Brad Pitt's detective David Mills breaks down after inferring from Morgan Freeman's detective William Somerset that his own wife's head sits inside a box sent by serial killer John Doe (Kevin Spacey). Though the whole film helped to establish Pitt as a serious actor, that one scene alone demonstrated that his acting chops were as good as any other A-lister worth their salt, with Pitt delivering a devastating rendition of a man crumbling before our very eyes.

That man could very well have been Denzel Washington, however. The actor was evidently pursued for the role of David Mills but turned the offer down, despite the script being re-written multiple times with him in mind. Speaking to the Independent, David Fincher claimed that Denzel was asked to star long before he himself joined the project as director. Fincher recalled that Washington's manager was actually a producer on "Se7en," and speculated, "I think it was kind of a bait and switch. It was like, 'if I produce the film, you can get Denzel.'" But New Line Cinema did not, in fact, get Denzel. Fincher continued:

"I was told that Denzel had read the script, didn't like it, and that the script was then rewritten, like, 10 or 11 times to suit him. It was rewritten ad nauseam, ad infinitum, in an attempt to get Denzel to say yes. But by the time I got involved, Denzel had long passed."

What was it about Andrew Kevin Walker's script that turned Washington off? Well, it seems the actor was well aware of the film's tone, and it didn't sit all that well with him.

When Denzel Washington was approached to star in "Se7en," David Fincher was yet to be confirmed as director — not that it would have helped sway the actor. At that point, Fincher's only major Hollywood feature had been was "Alien 3," which by all accounts was a nightmare to shoot and ultimately disappointed critics. Other than that, he'd only directed music videos. That doesn't exactly seem like the kind of résumé that would have convinced Denzel, especially since the script for "Se7en" itself was the main issue.

Asked by Jamie Foxx (for Thrillist) back in 2018 whether he'd ever said no to a film he should have agreed to, Washington named "Se7en" and said, "They wanted me to play the Brad Pitt part. I thought the script was too demonic. Then I saw the movie, I was like, 'Oh, I blew it.'" 

In fairness, Denzel saw the version of the film New Line wanted the public to see. Originally, Fincher wanted to forgo William Somerset's redeeming final line about the world being "worth saving," and cut to black after David Mills shoots John Doe. If this was the version in the script seen by Denzel, then you can't really blame him for describing it as "demonic." It's an interesting descriptor, too, in that it alludes to the actor's faith, which he frequently brings to his roles, writing an ominous biblical phrase from Romans 6:23 on his script for "Training Day." Clearly the actor's understanding of theology comes into play significantly when he's reading scripts and considering projects.

Still, no matter how "demonic" the "Se7en" screenplay seemed, Denzel has seemed regretful of his decision to pass on the film ever since.  The actor spoke to CTV News, saying it was a "mistake" to decline the role of Mills, adding, "I was like, 'Man, it's just too much.' Then I saw it and I was like, 'Oh God."' The actor did, however, seem to convinced that Brad Pitt was the right man for the job in the end, saying, "Evidently it wasn't for me, it was for Brad all the time." And Washington himself did ultimately to play a detective hunting a demonic killer, when he starred in the 1998 horror movie "Fallen."

It's interesting to think about how Denzel's career would have played out had he starred in Fincher's downer of a crime thriller. That said, I'm perfectly happy to live in the timeline with the versions of "Se7en" and "Training Day" we know and love.