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Denzel Washington is arguably one of the most versatile stars in Hollywood today. The veteran who has been part of many commercial blockbusters and critically acclaimed films spanning decades, has also done the gamut of roles in multiple genres and excelled in all of them. One of his earlier films includes the award winning Tom Hanks drama Philadelphiadirected by Jonathan Demme.
The film which touched a powerful chord with audiences, saw Washington play a homophobic attorney who is humbled after taken on the case of a gay man with AIDS played by Tom Hanks. The role required theTraining Daystar to dig deep into his emotions through an intense performance. Washington who was adamant to play this character, had to fight for the role over first choice Robin Williams.
Also Read:“I had tears rolling down my cheeks”: Matt Damon Cried Inconsolably After Watching Robin Williams in His $225M Movie After Nearly Replacing Him With Denzel Washington
How Denzel Washington Landed His Role InPhiladelphia
In the critically acclaimedPhiladelphia, Hollywood starDenzel Washingtonplayed Joe Miller, a lawyer who reluctantly agrees to defend a homosexual man with AIDS played by Oscar winnerTom Hanks.The film sparked many powerful talking points on gay discrimination and justice for the LGBTQ+ community propelled by Hanks and Washington’s impressive performances.
TheHurricanestar’s character though, was initially meant to be a comedic filler to balance out the heavy nature of the narrative according to director Jonathan Demme for which he had one of Hollywood’s most celebrated funny men Robin Williams in mind for the role. Washington, who was already extremely impressed with and invested in the character, convinced Demme about his penchant for wit, despite being known for starring in serious dramas.
“Well, I happen to be very, very funny.”
Ironically though, after bagging the role, Demme completely changed the course of Washington’s character and did away with the comedic element in the film. In retrospect, this move turned out to be the best one as the impact and intensity of the narrative was felt by audiences worldwide.
Also Read:“I thought the script was too demonic”: Denzel Washington Has One Major Regret With Turning Down ‘Rookie’ Director After Calling Most Hollywood Offers Garbage
Denzel Washington Messed Up Tom Hanks’ Diet DuringPhiladelphiaFilming
Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington starred together in one of Hollywood finest filmsPhiladelphiaa story about an Aids afflicted gay man who seeks justice through his lawyer. The film saw the two Oscar winners give impressive performances while also sharing a great chemistry on screen. Their rapport continued off-screen as well with Hanks and Washington having some memorable moments together on set.
TheMalcolm Xactor indulged in some pranks as well with his co-star who was on a stringent diet for weight loss in order to look the part of a man affected by AIDS. Washington confessed that he would try to mess up theForrest Gumpstar’s routine by sending him junk food on set.
“He was really really skinny in the scenes in the courtroom. So I would leave candy bars, and I would sneeze and 500 almond joys would fly out. I was having pizzas delivered to him.”
Despite Denzel Washington’s mischief on set, Tom Hanks, the thorough professional, did not cave in and the result was a well-deserved Oscar for Best Actor. The actor though, went on to thank his co-star Washington for the win and the good times on set.
Also Read:“I don’t know where it is now though”: Equalizer 3 Director Admits 5 Hour Long Director’s Cut of Another $162M Denzel Washington Movie Exists Like Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Source:Slash Film
Sharanya Sankar
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1230
Sharanya Sankar, Writer for FandomwireHaving completed her Masters degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Sharanya has a solid foundation in writing which is also one of her passions. She has worked previously with Book My show for a couple of years where she gained experience reviewing films and writing feature articles. Sharanya’s articles on film and pop culture have also been published on Film Companion, a popular film-based website. Apart from movies and pop culture, her interests include music and sports. She has contributed over 650 articles to Fandomwire so far.
