How Denzel Washington Reacted to Being Right Behind Leonardo DiCaprio in This Category
Leonardo DiCaprio used to edge out Oscar-winner Denzel Washington in this one unique and understated category. And it was a category not even Washington knew he was a part of.
How Denzel Washington reacted to being #2 behind Leonardo DiCaprio in this category
DiCaprio and Washington have a few things in common beyond being praised for their craft. At one point, both actors were known for doing standalone films without doing too many sequels or franchises. They were also the two richest actors to have done so, with Washington right behind DiCaprio. When Screen Rant mentioned this to Washington himself, however, he seemed unimpressed by the stats.
“Okay, good for me,” Washington responded regarding the tidbit.
When it came to franchise films, Washington didn’t seem to make the conscious decision to avoid them. But being a part of a franchise was just not something he prioritized.
“No, never have. I don’t know what that is. Obviously I guess when you have a name, Spider-Man or something, some name brand thing there is that potential. I mean you don’t look at Training Day and go I’m going to do Training Day 2. I don’t look at it that way, I never have,” he said.
But that eventually changed. His feature, The Equalizer, spawned two sequels, breaking Washington’s long-held tradition of stand-alone films. But DiCaprio has yet to attach himself to a franchise himself, sticking strictly to features that have no sequels so far.
Why Leonardo DiCaprio once joked Denzel Washington scared him
Foxx and DiCaprio have had the pleasure of working alongside each other. But neither of the two stars have ever collaborated with Washington, who’s a star that they both admire. Foxx asserted that he was such a fan of the actor, he considered it a dream finally being able to interview Washington. The Ray star used to host the show Off Script, where he got to interview many of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Speaking with Men’s Journal, Foxx shared why he held Washington in such high regard.
“Oh man, Denzel, he’s a god, of course,” Foxx said. “He’s King Kong. I brought Denzel to my house and had him speak with the young actors out there and give advice. I felt if we were able to land the interview with Denzel, it would be key. He’s the pinnacle. I’m always caught off guard with him because he’s hella fun; he’s a real guy. You don’t get the feeling that you’re talking to a big star when you’re talking to him. You feel like you’re talking to a guy from money earnin’ Mount Vernon, and that’s what makes him so great.”
Even before Washington became the A-lister that he is, Foxx couldn’t help feel that Washington had a presence about him. Foxx would tune into one of the American Gangster actor’s breakthrough projects St. Elsewhere, where the Oscar-winner played a young doctor.
“I tried to talk about this in the interview and I don’t know if we got to it, but I remember watching Denzel on St. Elsewhere back in the day. I thought, ‘Wow, straight up and down. Looks good. Almost square,’” Foxx said. “Denzel you feel that there’s a realness to the character he plays. He’s really that guy no matter who he’s playing.”
According to Foxx, DiCaprio’s opinion on Washington wasn’t too far off from his own.
“Even Leonardo DiCaprio talked about it with me. He’s a producer on Robin Hood. He said, ‘Hey pal. You know Denzel scares me.’ I said. ‘Why?’ And Leo says, ‘He just looks like he could rip your throat out if he wanted to,’” Foxx recalled DiCaprio saying.
Who has a higher net worth – Denzel Washington or Leonardo DiCaprio?
It seems nowadays that Washington and DiCaprio have a lot in common with their wallets as well. According to celebrity net worth, both have networths of $300 million as of 2024.
