Denzel Washington has been offered a lot of roles in his career. He says this one might be the worst. The Oscar-winning actor revealed that Seth Rogen recently pitched him the part of an aging Thomas Jefferson in a docudrama about the founding father’s final years. It didn’t take Washington long to say no.
“I understand having a story you want told, and even spinning it your own way,” Washington said, “but this is the stupidest thing I’ve ever come across.” The problem, according to Washington, wasn’t the idea of playing Jefferson. It was everything else.
According to Washington, Rogen’s casting rules say minorities have to play every part, and the script needs a minimum of three trans characters. Washington said that’s fine for a comedy or a stage show. For something sold as history, he couldn’t see the point.
“How do you call that a documentary anything?” he said. “It’s absurd.”
Washington has built a reputation as one of Hollywood’s most respected actors, known for taking his craft seriously. He has played real-life figures many times and says he always feels a responsibility to the truth when he does.
“When you play a real person, you study them,” he said. “You read everything. You talk to people who knew them if you can. You don’t rewrite them to fit some checklist.”
Rogen has spent most of his career in comedy, though he has expanded into producing and dramatic projects. People close to the docudrama say it was meant to “challenge how audiences see the founders.” Washington wasn’t impressed.
He said he read about half of the script before putting it down. “I kept waiting for it to get better,” he said. “It didn’t.”
Rogen’s movie hasn’t started filming yet, and according to Washington, it’s not going anywhere fast.
“They can’t get a single person to take them seriously,” he said. He put it even more bluntly later in the interview. “Nobody can take this seriously,” Washington said.
An industry insider confirmed that the project has struggled to find a lead. Several actors have passed, the insider said, and financing has been hard to lock down.
“The rules scared off a lot of people,” the insider said. “Nobody wants to be the punchline.”
Washington’s comments spread quickly online. Fans praised him for saying what a lot of people in the industry are thinking but won’t say out loud. Some called it the most refreshing interview of the year.
Others criticized Washington for being dismissive. A few defended Rogen’s right to make whatever film he wants and said audiences could decide for themselves.
Washington said he has nothing personal against Rogen and wishes him luck. He just won’t be part of it. “Make whatever you want,” he said. “Just don’t call it history.” Rogen has not responded publicly.
