There’s a high chance that every accomplished and immensely popular actor who’s ever been asked the question, “What role did you regret turning down?” could give a different answer on each occasion. Age, mood, and career status can easily play into the response every time, but Denzel Washington’s reply to Jamie Foxx in a 2018 “Off Script” interview feels like one that will stay with the legendary Oscar-winning actor for his entire career. He surely rejected a few parts that later became admired (or even iconic), but perhaps not on the level of Brad Pitt’s David Mills in David Fincher’s immortal crime epic, “Seven.”
Washington recalled, “I turned down ‘Seven.’ 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.’ But you know, it worked out all right.”
In retrospect, Pitt was probably more ideal for that role (being in his early 30s at the time, while Washington was already in his 40s, for one thing), but if you’re a true cinephile, it’s hard not to envision how that scenario would’ve turned out. Denzel as a rookie detective under the wings of Morgan Freeman’s wise and seasoned cop, Somerset, could’ve been a dreamy pairing, for sure.
Seven is probably perfect as it is, though
Denzel Washington’s reasoning about David Fincher’s classic as “too demonic” is totally understandable. Undeniably, “Seven” is a pretty mean, dark, and bleak neo-noir that didn’t become one of the best serial killer thrillers by accident. However, it must be said that Washington attempted to correct his mistake when two similar opportunities came around a few years later, with Gregory Hoblit’s “Fallen” and Phillip Noyce’s “The Bone Collector” — even if those roles were quite different from Detective Mills in “Seven.” And while those flicks are decent thrillers similarly centered around the investigation of a serial killer, they’re a far cry from Fincher’s highly influential masterpiece.
“Seven” follows nearly retired Lieutenant William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) as he tackles his last case with a much younger partner, David Mills (Brad Pitt), investigating a series of cryptic and brutal murders. As the two recognize that the killings are based on the seven deadly sins of Christianity, they also realize the killer is playing a cat-and-mouse game with them that becomes more personal than they ever could’ve imagined.
It kind of goes without saying, but “Seven” is a fundamental piece of work within the genre (and in cinema), in addition to being one of Fincher’s best films, so if you haven’t seen it yet, do yourself a favor and watch it. When you do, you’ll also realize why Denzel Washington’s choice to turn down the role is one of his biggest regrets.
