The 1995 movie Denzel Washington regrets turning down: “The script was too demonic”
Denzel Washington has said he regrets declining a role in David Fincher’s 1995 thriller Se7en, having initially considered its script too “demonic”. The film became a major critical and commercial success, and its bleak serial-killer story is now widely regarded as a landmark of 1990s crime cinema.
Washington was reportedly offered the role of Detective David Mills, which ultimately went to Brad Pitt, alongside Morgan Freeman as Detective William Somerset. Se7en follows the detectives’ hunt for a murderer whose crimes are based on the seven deadly sins, and its disturbing tone, ending and performances helped establish its lasting reputation.
- Washington regrets passing on Se7en.
- He found the script too demonic.
- Brad Pitt ultimately played the role.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Washington was entitled to honour his personal convictions, and actors have good reason to decline roles conflicting with their values without this limiting professional credibility or career prospects. Se7en's disturbing content posed legitimate concerns, and his subsequent success demonstrates that principled selectiveness need not hinder remarkable artistic achievement.
The case against
Actors often grow through taking on challenging, uncomfortable material that expands their range, and Se7en with Fincher represented precisely the kind of transformative opportunity that defines iconic careers. Washington's own regret suggests he now questions the decision—great artists typically inhabit moral universes far removed from their own, and declining work for content concerns may represent a missed opportunity to stretch artistically.