3 In A Row: Three Supporting Roles That Changed It All For Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington can seem to do no wrong. The two-time Academy Award-winning actor is widely regarded as one of the best of his generation (if not all time), starring in a list of box office hits from nearly all genres and corners of cinema. He’s one of those guys you see in the credits at the start of a movie and think, “Oh, okay. It’s all good. He’s in this one. Money well spent.” The kind of guy who ends up in movies like The Equalizer (above), where you’re thinking, “Uh? Why would he … oh… right. He makes even this kind of thing like, friggin’ amazing.”

As for his history, like most on the big screen, he started on the small one, cast in a few TV shows in the late 1970s before landing a crucial role in the apartheid 1987 film Cry Freedom, earning him an Oscar nod. He was, at this time, already a familiar face to many for his lengthy turn on the 1980’s doctor drama St. Elsewhere. A year later and he was back in the movies starring opposite Matthew Broderick (Read about his 3 in a Row) in the American Civil War film Glory, this time taking home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The flood gate opened and he was on his way to becoming one of the most acclaimed film careers in history. We could drop a pin almost anywhere and make a 3 in a Row post, but let’s shine a light on the ones that truly made him an international sensation. Starting with a thriller with another icon of the 90s …

The Pelican Brief

There was a time there in the 90s when it seemed every movie in theaters was based on a novel by prolific writer John Grisham. Seriously, he was like a Pez dispenser of law-based thrillers and everyone was getting bites. In late 1993 came this twisty mystery about a young law student named Darby Shaw (Julia Roberts), who writes a legal brief for her class detailing her theory on why two Supreme Court Justices were seemingly randomly murdered. As you can guess, she gets pretty cuts to the bone and suddenly finds herself in the middle of a massive conspiracy and then worse, a fight for her own life.

Washington is hard-nosed reporter Gray Grantham, who gets drawn into the ordeal, soon partnering with Darby to uncover the truth. The movie is directed by Alan J. Pakula, who also adapted the screenplay, wisely making great use of his highly charismatic stars, avoiding the romantic trappings of such and keeping the story about the thrills. For that, it pays off well, the script smart and fast-paced, challenging its viewers to keep up while always making it entertaining. Washington is spot on terrific, his bigger-than-life presence carrying much of the film, despite how watchable the ever-luminescent Roberts keeps one’s eyes on her. Amazingly enough, a few days after this released, Washington was back in theaters with fellow 3 in a Row star Tom Hanks …

Philadelphia

By 1993, Denzel Washington was already enjoying successes in acting few in the business ever share, having headlined a TV show, earned an Oscar, loved by fans and critics … he could have just hung it all up and retired to an island and called it a career. Done and done. Good thing he didn’t. Instead, he kept working, cast in a movie called Philadelphia, a topical story about a man dying of AIDS. Now back then, this was heady stuff, as the public was still wildly uninformed and skittish about the disease, few talking about it in public, and those afflicted most often shunned. Director Jonathan Demme‘s film shed much needed light on the issue with Tom Hanks giving the lead character Andrew Beckett instant and identifiable humanity.

Washington plays Philly lawyer Joe Miller, who is hired by Beckett to represent him in a wrongful dismissal case, based on his condition, something Miller initially rejects, himself homophobic and wary of the facts of the disease. Fortunately, that all changes as the story progresses, and Miller evolves into a better person, the character meant to represent the public themselves in learning about and then defending the rights of those suffering. While Hanks obviously casts a long shadow over the production (earning an Oscar for himself), Washington rightfully keeps himself just to the side of it, making a huge impression as a man of great change. It’d be two more years before Washington was seen in the movies, but when he came back, he went nuclear …

Crimson Tide

Bringing back a bit of the 80s Cold War mentality, this Tony Scott-directed action film is set almost entirely inside a Ohio-class nuclear submarine about to let go its payload on Soviet targets. It’s hardly a new theme, with full scale nuclear armageddon fodder for films dating back to the 50s. However, what makes this one stand out is its casting, with Washington on one side of the two-man lead and the legendary Gene Hackman on the other. It’s a potent duo, made all the better by a sharp script and excellent pacing. Read more about it here.

In a nutshell, the men of the submarine USS Alabama are at sea, already tensions brewing between Captain of the boat Frank Ramsey (Hackman) and his new XO Lieutenant Commander Ron Hunter (Washington), their commanding style in a bit of a clash. Enter a message from command to launch ten of their missiles at the Soviets, though a second message is cut off by an attack by a Russian sub venturing into mix. Ramsey demands the missiles be fired but can’t get Hunter to agree, and thus, a battle on bridge begins pitting half the men against the other. It’s wildly entertaining with Washington (literally) standing tow-to-tow with the elder Hackman, himself, as always, great fun to watch. This is pure Hollywood fun with Washington honing skills that would soon define his on screen legacy.

The Aftermath

Following the massive success of these three films with Washington in support of others, he was finally let loose and given leading man status, beginning a long run of movie hits that made him the hugely popular star he still remains. In 2001, he took home his second Oscar, this time as Best Actor for his explosive portrayal of a corrupt cop in Antoine Fuqua‘s Training Day (above), establishing him as an action star as much as a dramatic kingpin. He’d go one to appear in numerous hits of great variety though, from The Book of Eli, Unstoppable, Flight, and Fences. An icon and now statesman to his peers, Washington is an actor with a near flawless list of movies, and this early run of 3 in a Row is testament to his appeal and longevity as such.