Denzel Washington & Steven Spielberg Have Never Worked Together, But Came Close In This $58M Drama

Both Denzel Washington and Steven Spielberg are widely considered two of the biggest masters of their craft; Spielberg being a widely acclaimed director who created some of the best movies of all time, and Washington being among the most talented actors of his generation. However, despite their shared accomplishments, these two titans of the industry have never worked together. There have been certain times when they’ve come close, but every attempt at collaboration has fallen through.

Thankfully, Steven Spielberg has provided plenty of iconic stories about the film business that have allowed fans to piece together a timeline of when his path almost crossed with Denzel Washington’s. Spielberg has worked alongside the most popular actors of the past five decades, with names like Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, and Tom Cruise all appearing in several of his projects – which is why it’s so surprising that Washington remains off the list.

The Steven Spielberg Movie That Denzel Washington Turned Down

Washington Was Offered A Role In Amistad

While their paths have never officially crossed, there was one project that initially had both Washington’s and Spielberg’s names attached to it. The film was Amistad, one of Spielberg’s most underrated projects and among the first that marked his transition to darker, more mature dramas in the 1990s. Amistad tells an unbelievable true story about a bloody revolution aboard a Spanish ship in 1839, where an enslaved African man led a revolt against the slavers and attempted to lead the crew back home.

According to the book Casting Might-Have-Beens: A Film by Film Directory of Actors Considered for Roles Given to Others by Eila Mell, Denzel Washington was originally offered the lead role of Joseph Cinque in Spielberg’s film. However, the actor allegedly turned down the part because he felt uncomfortable about playing a slave. While the actor has rarely spoken about the decision, it seems logical given the very sensitive material in Amistad. The role eventually went to Djimon Hounsou.

Spielberg Could Have Directed A Movie That Washington Eventually Starred In

The Director Was Originally Attached To The Little Things

Incidentally, there was another instance where Spielberg and Washington’s paths almost crossed. The 2021 crime drama The Little Things, in which Washington plays an LAPD detective who gets assigned to hunt down a dangerous serial killer who’s terrorizing the neon-soaked City of Angels. While the film was ultimately directed by John Lee Hancock, the script was originally offered to Spielberg way back in the 1990s. Hancock told Variety that Spielberg was forced to pass on the script because he reportedly felt it was too dark for him after just making Schindler’s List.

Admittedly, Denzel Washington wasn’t involved until the late 2010s, when Hancock offered him the role after collaborating with the actor on Antoine Fuqua’s The Magnificent Seven remake.

The film was also offered to Clint Eastwood and Danny DeVito throughout the ‘90s, but the script never quite made it off the ground. Admittedly, Denzel Washington wasn’t involved until the late 2010s, when Hancock offered him the role after collaborating with the actor on Antoine Fuqua’s The Magnificent Seven remake. Although The Little Things took so long to be released, the film was ultimately met with mixed reviews and marked an unfortunate disappointment for Washington.

The Advice That Steven Spielberg Gave To Denzel Washington

The Pair Have Still Communicated Over The Years

While Washington and Spielberg never got to work together in any official capacity, the pair have still interacted a number of times. While doing press for The Little Things, Washington shared with the Financial Times a piece of invaluable advice that Spielberg offered the actor when he expressed an interest in directing his own film:

“Steven told me years ago, when I was nervous about making movies: ‘Everybody steals, Denzel, but make sure to steal from the best.’ I’ve been re-watching Coppola’s Godfather movies and stealing shots from them. And I’ll be stealing from Spielberg as well.” – Denzel Washington

This refreshingly honest piece of advice from Spielberg highlights exactly what makes him such a talented filmmaker. He’s never afraid to wear his influences on his sleeve, praising the people that he’s learned from the most and giving them credit for the ways in which their works have impacted his own. The advice clearly worked out for Denzel Washington, as his directorial work on Fences led to the film receiving a Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards in 2017. It remains one of Denzel Washington’s best films to this day, with Oscar-nominated performances from both himself and Viola Davis.