Denzel Washington Has Only Played a Proper Villain 6 Times, But Never Topped His 23-Year-Old Thriller

Denzel Washington is one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation, having acted in iconic films such as Malcolm X, Philadelphiaand Remember the Titans. His roles in the aforementioned films are all heroic and admirable figures, which makes it easier for the audience to root for him. Therefore, audiences generally trust Washington characters in films. However, although he is not typically known for playing bad characters, Washington has played villains on a few occasions.

Washginton played villains in films such as John Q., American gangsterand The Tragedy of Macbeth. However, one particular film from 2001 shows Washington in his greatest villainous role ever, and even won him an Oscar for Best Actor. Throughout the course Training dayaudiences learned not to trust Denzel Washington’s character as he played a corrupt detective. 23 years later, this performance remains the pinnacle of Washington’s villainous career.

Why Training Day Is Denzel Washington’s Best Performance As A Villain

Denzel Washington’s Alonzo plays with Jake throughout the training day

In addition to Washington, the Training day also stars Ethan Hawke, who plays Jake, an LAPD officer assigned to shadow Alonzo from Washington the day before a promotion. Jake is desperate to impress Alonzo, a highly decorated detective, but quickly realizes that Washington’s character is not who he appears to be on the surface. It is this complexity, combined with the fact that Alonzo represents the corruption of a system designed to protect, that makes the character both seductive and abominable.

Alonzo constantly picks on Jake as they start their day together. At the beginning of the film, he even forces Jake to smoke marijuana laced with PCP, causing him to hallucinate for much of the film. As the day unfolds, it becomes clear that the story is as much about Jake discovering injustices within the system he swore to defend, as it is about his complex relationship with Washington’s character. Alonzo Harris’s role as an avatar for these broader themes makes him a much more potent villain than Washington’s other comparable performances.

However, like many other great villains throughout cinema history, Alonzo has a superiority complexand refuses to go down without a fight. During the end of Training dayAfter several gang members betray Alonzo and side with Jake to take down the corrupt detective, Washington’s character still believes he is untouchable. This leads to one of Denzel Washington’s most iconic speeches, during which Alonzo hilariously states that “King King has nothing on me.“However, Alonzo ends up dying at the end of Training daygiving his story a baroque and tragic arc that few Washington characters can match.

Training Day Proves Denzel Washington Could Have Played More Movie Villains During His Career

Denzel Washington prefers to play the good guy, but he has a dark side

In Training dayWashington plays the corrupt and menacing Alonzo with such unhinged authority that it seems obvious that the actor could have played many more villains in his career. Throughout the film, there are many moments where Jake really feels trapped, and although many of Alonzo’s decisions are very sloppy, it seems like he has a very strong hold on Los Angeles and cannot be touched. This is the opposite of many of Washington’s commanding performances that show him in a positive light.

Since Denzel Washington is a reliable actor known for playing the “good boy”, it could be argued that this makes his villainous roles even more impactful. In the future, it’s possible that Washington could still play villains in future films. For example, Washington stars in Gladiator II as Macrinus, a former arms dealer from Ancient Rome. Since Macrinus was teased for having a dark side in Gladiator IIit seems like Denzel Washington He’s still interested in playing villains.