Denzel Washington Admits To Making Some “Real Clunkers” In The ‘90s Because He Needed Paychecks

There’s no denying that Denzel Washington is one of the great actors working today. No matter what film he’s in, people watch because he’s earned that credibility over the decades. However, in Washington’s own admission, there was an era of films that he would rather people not pay much attention to—the ‘90s.

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In a recent interview with the Times, Denzel Washington talked about a time in his career when he didn’t do the best work. It was shortly after his time in the acclaimed film that earned him a Best Actor Oscar nomination. 

“After ‘Malcolm X’ I made some real clunkers. Look them up — I won’t say their names,” said Washington. “They are all in the 1990s. But I was earning. I had responsibilities.”

You can’t get mad at Washington for admitting this. He’s only human. And he’s not out there trashing particular films. But obviously, when you read that quote, you have to look at his IMDB to see what are some films he could be talking about.

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Obviously, you don’t think he’s talking about “Philadelphia” or “Crimson Tide.” Maybe he’s referencing “Virtuosity?” That one surely hasn’t aged well. What about 1998’s “Fallen?” Sure, that’s not an Oscars film, but it’s good fun. Regardless, it wasn’t long until he escaped the ‘90s with films such as “The Hurricane” and “Remember the Titans.”

Honestly, when you look at his IMDB, you can’t help but think that Washington is being a bit too hard on himself. It’s not like he was doing straight-to-video schlock. He just took some chances that he might not do at this point in his career.

You can see Denzel Washington in the critically acclaimed sequel, “Gladiator II,” now.