He might be the greatest actor of our generation. Denzel Washigton has forged quite the career - when he's in a film, everyone's paying attention.
The star has worked so many classic films, yet, as you'd expect, he was very diplomatic when assessing his favorite project, “I always say my next one because I like the process. I don’t sit back and reminisce.”
“I work from the inside out. I don’t look at myself. I don’t have a style, he stated.” “I just do what I do. If I’m a bottle maker, I just make the best bottle I can make.”
We can safely say he's done that and then some. However, there is also the flip side to it, given all the films he has worked, it is inevtiable, some turned out to be duds.
According to Rolling Stone, his very worst might be the 1995 flick 'Virtuosity'.
According to reviews of the film, Denzel was clearly out of his element when being cast for the role. In more recent terms, 'Safe House' in 2012 comes up short as well, Denzel was viewed as a waste in the film, though it did perform decently at the box office.
There was another dud film in 1990 that might've caused Washigton to fire his agent - at least that's what the rumors say (though his people did not confirm).
The film was a major letdown and it is a genre Denzel kept clear of throughout most of his career following the flick.
The Reviews Were Not Good
It is never a good sign when the writer and director claims that the script wasn't where it should have been. James Parriott commented on the film years later, making mention that he hesitated to take on the film.
“I don’t think that script was where it could have been or should have been,” he said alongside The Ringer.
“I actually told my agent when he said they wanted me to direct Heart Condition,” Parriott says, “‘I don’t know if this should be my first movie.’ And he said, ‘No, you have to!’ And I went, ‘Uhh …’”
Not only did 'Heart Condition' flop at the box office, bringing in $4 million, but the reviews also were not positive. The likes of Roger Ebert struggled to understand the film's target genre, "The plot of "Heart Condition" tries to be all things to all people: comedy, tragedy, drama, violence, fantasy, reality, cop picture, ghost picture, urban parable, buddy movie."
"The movie is all over the map, trying whatever seems to work at the moment. "
Not only was the film poor, but Washington would also suffer from it.
Denzel Let Go Of His Agent After The Film Tanked
His publicist denied the rumors, however, it is said that Denzel unloaded on his agent after the film. He was on the cusp of greatness, though this film would set him back.
"Washington was talked into making this movie by his agent. Afterwards, Washington fired him and only starred in one other comedy, The Preacher’s Wife (1996), until 2 Guns was released in 2013.”
The film's director does agree, it made Denzel steer away from comedies for the most part of his career, "“The movie definitely didn’t help him,” Parriott concedes. “It didn’t encourage him to do other comedies, for sure.”
Despite the poor reception, Washigton was just fine in the long run.
His Career Thrived Despite The Failed Project
With a net worth of $300 million, it is safe to say that Denzel thrived for the rest of his career, despite the failed comedy project.
Only two years later, Washington entered A-list status as he thrived in 'Malcolm X', receiving some serious Oscar buzz. He would take home the New York Critics Circle Award for Best Actor following the film, and the top tier roles would continue to file in from then, throghout the '90s and into the 2000s.
A prime example that even the best in the industry work questionable projects every now and then. Finding the proper genre and what works for an actor is a huge part of success, thankfully for Denzel, he learned that lesson very early on in his career.
It'll be interesting to see if ever revisits the comedy-genre at this point in his career, though without a doubt, he has nothing left to prove given his outstanding body of work for at least three decades.