re: Movies/TV/Actors that you initially dismissed, but now have a different take...

quote:

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Was that really a thing before Training Day?

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Not really.

Denzel has played a fairly wide range of characters and was fantastic even in early roles such as A Soldier's Story (and he also shined in the stage version, A Soldier's Play, sharing an Obie). Yes, his first truly noticeable work was in race-themed films - A Soldier's Story (but there are lots of twists in that one), Cry Freedom, Glory and Malcom X.

He's the best black leading man, and possesses character actor skills, in cinema history, IMHO, and one of the best, regardless of demographic novelty.

Comparable to Hanks, probably (although without as much hardware). Hanks was better (particularly younger) at traditional comedy and on the lighter side of the spectrum, but Denzel better at darker (pardon the pun) and more antagonistic roles, despite an effusive likeability.

What do I mean by this? It's easier for an unlikeable guy, take Bale for example, to play an unlikeable character than it is for Hanks or Denzel (or Jack Lemmon, Jimmy Stewart, for that matter).