There’s no shortage of greatDenzel Washingtonperformances:Training Day’s unscrupulous officer,Glory’s honorable soldier,He Got Game’s remorseful father… The list goes on and on. Washington is one of few actors who feel just as natural in an action tent-pole [The Equalizer] as he does in a courtroom melodrama [Philadelphia]. There’s seemingly no limit to Washington’s range – and yet still he finds ways to stretch and surprise.
Case in point:Roman J. Israel Esq.– a complete departure from anything the actor’s done before. Roman’s a highly skilled lawyer, a savant for memorizing cases, but he has almost no social skills and a debilitating need to say whatever’s on his mind, no matter the situation. Washington’s trademark charm and charisma is dialed back to the nth degree, replaced with nervous tics, wayward eyes and half-formed mumbles. It’s one of Washington’s finest performances – in particular, there’s a show-stopping scene where Roman, recently laid off, seeks a position with the ACLU. Washington runs the gamut from self-righteous to embittered to devastated all in the span of five-or-so minutes. Quite simply - the scene’s a master-class in acting, Washington going for the emotional ‘big’ moments without ever tipping into theatricality or affectation.
In the following interview with Denzel Washington, he discusses coming up with the character of Roman J. Israel, his impact on the final cut of the film and how he’s been influenced by the many great filmmakers he’s worked with. For the full interview, watch above.
Here’s a full list of what we discussed
