Why did Denzel Washington act in Philadelphia?

Maybe, the paycheck and the Oscar bait material.

Maybe, the paycheck and the Oscar bait material.

What he said ^

For the street cred

Is it true that Denzel Washington is indeed a homophobe? Receipts please!

Who said Denzel was a homophobe? Just because he told Will Smith not to kiss another guy on screen doesn’t mean he hates gay people. He was dishing out career advice. In that time period, I’m sure nearly everyone to whom Will Smith spoke about the role said the same damn thing to him.

He said something to that fresh jerk in confidence and of course he had to blab it and blame his own choice on him.

Maybe he wanted to work with Demme, who was just coming off of Oscar glory with The Silence of the Lambs.

R5 I recall that Bronson Pinchot said that Denzel was total asshole during the filming of Courage Under Fire and would constantly make homophobic comments.

Denzel was one of the biggest supporters of 'Moonlight'. Homophobe, my ass.

I didn't really like PHILADELPHIA, though I thought Hanks and Banderas were moving in their scenes together, but I really hated how self-congratulatory and self-consciously Oscar bait-y it all was.

The script felt so contrived: the hyper-supportive family for Hanks, the mustache-twirling employer villains, etc. And I think Jonathan Demme will go down in cinema history as an overrated hipster hack of a director.

From a 2012 GQ interview:

G.Q.- How did you feel about Obama endorsing same-sex marriage?

D.W-What did he say about it?

G.Q.-He said he was in favor of it. That he didn't oppose it.

D.W.-What does that mean? [laughs]

G.Q.-It's the political way of saying, "I support it."

D.W-You know, I think people have the right to believe what they want to believe. And people have the right to disagree with it.

Those are not the words of someone who is a supporter of gay rights. He dances around the subject so he doesn't alienate Hollywood ala Mel Gibson.

What's interesting but when Denzel accepted some life achievement award not too long ago and brought his wife Pauletta and kids up to the stage with him, one of his kids was a female who was looking very butch. Not judging, just saying.

R13 I think that's the daughter who is rumored to be a lesbian and in a interracial relationship. I don't think it's ever been confirmed. If true, it's possible that Denzel has become more gay and lesbian friendly.

I really don't know one way or another about his homophobia, but a high school friend of mine had a gay uncle who taught Washington in literary courses at Fordham and was fond of him. I don't know how out the professor was (he began as an actor in the 50s, his one memorable role as the mute POW who posed the harmonica in Stalag 17), so he may have been of the generation that didn't announce his sexuality. I assume Washington did the film because it was a good role in a high profile "important" film and he was still moving from young supporting actor (albeit with an Oscar) to leading man. His role as written as the dynamic one, Hanks is a kind of saint (though he brought a wonderful humanity to it). The film was of its time and could not take the risks of more authentic films like Parting Glances and Longtime Companion--unfortunately, Mr. and Mrs. Straight America didn't see those movies. I'm glad they were all made--but LC is the one that makes me weep and made me angry and protest.

Denzel Washington was the best thing about Philadelphia. He and not the beatific Hanks (who under the political cloud surrounding HIV at the time understandably was beatific) made the film. The scene in the library was brilliantly played by Washington

With two or three exceptions the acting in Longtime Companion was bad.

R16 came on to say basically the same thing. It’s a pretty unremarkable movie and Washington rises above the material in every way .

I happen to think he’s a great actor and a charismatic one. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s also kind of an asshole, but since he’s fairly private and low key, I don’t necessarily care all that much either.

As for politics, I feel like someone must have given him the advice 100 years ago when he went into the business that as a black actor trying to achieve mainstream success he should be doubly careful not to make any waves politically. I think it’s just ingrained in him to go out of his way to avoid any politically tinged questions like the plague. He does it in a different way than the garden variety Republican who just “doesn’t want to talk about politics.”

This was kind of the beginning of Demme's decline for me. It had good intentions for the time, but it was missing the eccentric personality of his previous films, as if it was too embarrassed or reverential of the subject to be interesting.

I agree that Washington was the best thing about the movie. I felt like he played a real person. Everyone else seemed like a type and to serve the plot. Banderas barely had a character to play. Hanks was good but his material was so Oscar baity. I think Hanks' best performances remain Big and Punchline from 1988.

Speaking of Black actors, Demme fucked up BELOVED. Every scene was too literal.

In the novel, Beloved had a haunting echoing voice. instead we get the Westworld chick sounding like she just recovered from a tracheotomy.

R19 I watched the movie a few nights back. I hadn't seen it in about maybe 10 years and Washington was the best thing in the movie.

Related to this thread, I wonder why a douchebag like Mark Wahlberg signed onto the movie Good Joe Bell which is based on the true story of man who started a walk across in the US to raise suicide awareness after his gay son committed suicide after being bullied.

R9 He seems like a total asshole so I’m not surprised. I always thought his “looks” were so overrated too.

Wasn’t his the character that got HIV and freaked out on St. Elsewhere?

The same (white) gays who whine about "cancel culture" when others get called out for things they did in the past, apparently think it's OK to hold a grudge when it involves career advice from like 30 fucking years.

Forget about Denzel. Now we have to put up with his son John David and all the nepotism with that.

Is Beloved a good movie? Some say it is very underrated. I remember there being tons of hype for the movie (thanks Oprah).

I thought it sucked.

And the goofy way the Thani Newton played her.

That voice!

R27, isn't it also like 3 hours long? Not sure I want to sit through something like that unless it's incredible.

I got invited to a screening at the Directors Guild, R28.

If I had paid to see it I would have been disappointed.

Further, I mean.

R29, damn. Remember how Demme was considered such a strong director? I actually feel like The Silence of the Lambs was the beginning of the end. I don't think it was as good as his earlier movies like Something Wild, Stop Making Sense, etc.

Count me as another who thought DZ was the best thing about "Philadelphia".

I am not a Hanks fan and his character was just too, too saintly.

Never liked him. He always struck me as smug. That said, as a profession actor he is entitled to take any job offered to him.