Why Denzel Washington Turned Down Brad Pitt’s ‘Se7en’ Role

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Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman almost worked together again six years after their film Glory. They were considered for roles in David Fincher’s crime thriller Se7en, but Washington ultimately declined the part of Detective David Mills. This decision allowed Brad Pitt to land the role that helped launch him to stardom, following his appearance in Thelma & Louise. Washington later said it was one of his biggest regrets.

As a film buff, I always get excited about the stories behind the movies. Beyond launching Brad Pitt into superstardom after Se7en, that film kicked off an incredible partnership with director David Fincher – they went on to make Fight Club and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button together! With the 30th anniversary coming up in 2025, I’m really looking forward to hearing the story about how Denzel Washington actually turned down the chance to be in Se7en, and what he thought about that decision later on. It’s fascinating stuff!

Brad Pitt Broke Out as David Mills in ‘Se7en’

The 1990s thriller Se7en features a brilliant and disturbing plot. The film stars Morgan Freeman as William Somerset, a seasoned detective nearing retirement, and Brad Pitt as David Mills, his new, younger partner. Directed by David Fincher with a dark and atmospheric style, the story unfolds in rainy Seattle as Somerset and Mills hunt a chilling serial killer known only as John Doe, powerfully portrayed by Kevin Spacey.

Driven by the idea of the seven deadly sins, John Doe targets and murders people embodying gluttony, greed, envy, lust, sloth, wrath, and pride. He then escalates his crimes by threatening Detective Mills’ wife and unborn child, blurring the lines between their personal and professional lives with devastating consequences, leading to a famously shocking and disturbing climax. The film’s strong performances and skillful filmmaking still resonate today, justifying its high ranking – currently #20 – on IMDb’s list of the Top 250 Movies of all time.

Although Brad Pitt had already built a solid filmography with notable roles in movies like Thelma & Louise, A River Runs Through It, True Romance, and Interview with the Vampire, his performance in Se7en truly launched him to superstardom, and he owes a lot of that to working alongside Denzel Washington.

I was really blown away by Brad Pitt in Se7en. He showed this raw, emotional side I hadn’t seen from him before, especially when his character found out what happened to his wife – it was heartbreaking. David Fincher was so impressed, he worked with Pitt again on Fight Club, which is still one of my all-time favorite movies from the 90s! Then came The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a truly stunning film that racked up an incredible 13 Oscar nominations and actually won four! That movie finally got Pitt his second Oscar nomination, and it was his first time nominated for Best Actor – totally deserved, in my opinion.

Why Denzel Washington Turned Down ‘Se7en’


Warner Bros.

Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman previously worked together on the film Glory, for which Washington won an Oscar. When they were offered the chance to collaborate again on Se7en, after Freeman was cast as Detective Somerset, director David Fincher offered Washington the part of David Mills. However, Washington read the script and decided to decline the role, citing a single, specific reason.

Jamie Foxx, also an Academy Award winner, asked Denzel Washington if he’d ever turned down any particularly interesting roles. Denzel responded with a slightly regretful expression, saying:

I was offered the role Brad Pitt ended up playing in Se7en, but I turned it down because I found the script too disturbing. After seeing the finished film, I realized I’d made a mistake, but everything worked out in the end.

Looking back, Denzel Washington made the right call passing on Se7en. While he never did end up working with Fincher or Pitt, 1995 turned out to be a fantastic year for him anyway! He starred in both Tony Scott’s Crimson Tide and Carl Franklin’s Devil in a Blue Dress – both truly excellent films. And sticking with crime thrillers clearly suited him; seven years later, he snagged his second Oscar, following his win for Glory, with a genuinely frightening performance in Training Day.

It’s ironic that Denzel Washington once called the film Se7en “too demonic,” because the movie isn’t actually supernatural and doesn’t feature any demons at all. Interestingly, just three years later in 1998, he starred in Fallen, a genuinely supernatural thriller about demons – a film that many consider to be one of his best, yet most overlooked.

Starring Denzel Washington as Philadelphia detective John Hobbes, Fallen also features John Goodman, Donald Sutherland, James Gandolfini, and Elias Koteas. The film centers around a demonic being that jumps from person to person simply by touching them. As this deadly demon moves between bodies and commits a series of murders, Hobbes’s family is put in danger, and he races against time to stop it.

It’s ironic that Denzel Washington turned down Se7en because he thought it was too dark, then starred in the equally intense Fallen just three years later – a decision he likely regrets. Despite that, Fallen is a fantastic and gripping ’90s crime thriller that deserves to be considered alongside Se7en, and it’s a film Denzel can be proud of, and fans should definitely check out.

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2025-12-06 23:48