The 1 Actor Denzel Washington Missed the Opportunity to Work With

Actor Denzel Washington has worked with a variety of stars ranging from Tom Hanks to Ethan Hawke. But there was one well-known veteran Washington lamented over not working with when he had the chance.

Denzel Washington never got to work with his acting idol

Washington considered the late actor Sidney Poitier a major inspiration for his own film career. It’s easy to see why, as Poitier broke many barriers when it came to mainstream movies.

He’s considered the first African American film star, and was the first African American performer to win an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1964. By the time Poitier had already made history, Washington was an up and coming actor himself just looking for more opportunities in the business. An admirer of Poitier’s, the Training Day star remembered the exact moment he met his idol.

“It was around 1978,” Washington once said in an interview with USA Today. “I was walking, probably catching the bus, and I spotted Sidney in a bookstore, and I thought, ‘Oh, this is my big chance.’ I said, ‘Mr. Poitier, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m trying to get into this business.’”

Washington quipped that he gave the In Heat of the Night star his resume in hopes that Poitier might consider hiring him for a project.

“He was very gracious,” Washington said about their meeting. “I took that as weakness. I thought, ‘This is my shot. I might as well ask him for a job.’”

But Poitier still offered Washington encouraging acting advice that motivated his successor to continue on his Hollywood path.

“He looked at me and said, ‘You’re good, keep working,’” Washington recalled. “I said, ‘Yes, sir! Can I give you another resume?’”

After Washington’s success, he and Poitier would maintain their bond over the years. Washington even presented Poitier with an honorary Oscar award in 2002 on the same night Washington won for Training Day. However, the two never collaborated on a film project together. After Poitier died on January 6, 2022, the Gladiator 2 actor wished they at least did one film.

“God bless him,” Washington said in an interview with Variety. “But yeah, I missed that opportunity.”

Sidney Poitier stopped Denzel Washington from making a huge career mistake

During Washington’s earlier years as an actor, he was considering doing a feature that he had a few reservations about. This 1984 comedy would’ve offered Washington a high payday, but it seemed like a project that went against the actor’s integrity. Stuck at a crossroads, Washington turned to his mentor Poitier for help.

“I was offered this film that was just going to make me sick,” Washington said. “But it was going to be the first movie where there was a lot of money involved. I thought, ‘I can’t do this, but I guess I should.’ So I called Sidney, and he told me: ‘The first three or four films that you make getting your career going will determine how you’re perceived in this town and by the audience.’ I turned it down and waited for about six months for another opportunity.”

Washington’s patience paid off, as he was eventually offered his first Oscar-nominated feature with 1987’s Cry Freedom.

Poitier’s message to Washington was just one of the brief lessons he gave to the actor that later helped shape his career. Washington also made a bit of history as well, including becoming the only African American actor with the most Oscar nominations.