Denzel Washington: ‘The Equalizer’ Killed His Movie Career – Here’s How!

The Equalizer has been able to generate a substantial amount of success at the box –office since its release — and that is primarily thanks to Denzel Washington as the lead actor in the film.

Keep in mind that Chloe Grace Moretz is the supporting actress in The Equalizer, but the spotlight is primarily shining on Denzel Washington’s critically-acclaimed performance in the film.

The average person might think that Denzel Washington starring in The Equalizer was a great movie for his career — especially since it was a box-office hit that won the top spot in the U.S. box office during its opening weekend.

However, that is actually not the case at all.

By starring in The Equalizer, Denzel Washington actually put a nail in the coffin of his Oscar-worthy movie career. How so?

Keep in mind that Denzel Washington has been able to build an impressive filmography over the years, filled with versatile roles and performances on the big screen as well as the Broadway stage. However, The Equalizer basically places him in a typecast box that Liam Neeson is struggling to break free from himself.

Think for a moment about the versatility of the roles that Denzel Washington has played over the years prior to his Oscar winning performance in Training Day back in 2001.

Glory. Malcolm X. Philadelphia. Ricochet.

Since TrainingDay, however, Denzel Washington has been taking role after role that requires him to be a dirty cop, vigilante, etc. Isn’t The Equalizer basically the same movie as Man on Fire? If you were to replace Chloe Grace Moretz in The Equalizer with Dakota Fanning, it would look just like an awkward Man on Fire 2.

There are many actors in Hollywood today that need to be put into a box and make cookie-cutter movies in order to survive in the industry simply because their talent is too limited. Denzel Washington is not one of those people. He has proven that for more than twenty years on the big screen. Why is it that he seems to have lost faith in himself and his abilities to the extent of taking these types of roles over and over again?

Yes, they make money. However, box-office figures don’t necessarily get you an Oscar nomination.

The chances of Denzel Washington ever being nominated for another Oscar while he remains in this typecast box are slim to none.

What do you think?

[Image Credit: Screen Rant]