“It was the best material I had read”: Denzel Washington Didn’t Trust Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne Creator to Direct 1 Movie That Wanted Him as the Protagonist

In an episode on WTF With Marc Maron, writer/director Tony Gilroy revealed the alternate versions of the law firm fixer drama Michael Clayton that never saw the light of day. 

This might be the first time the director is speaking about the Baldwin version. He also talked about how Denzel Washington almost snagged the lead. But sadly, he missed out on this gig. Later, Washington wasn’t even shy about openly lamenting the missed opportunity.

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Denzel Washington Doubted a Director Who Later Went On to Create Three Jason Bourne Movies

Michael Clayton, the iconic film we all know and love, initially featured Alec Baldwin as the star. But another actor was also in the line. It was none other than Denzel Washington.

In the statement, The Little Things star said that he decided not to take on the role of Michael Clayton because he felt nervous about working with a first-time director, Tony Gilroy. Washington told GQ in 2012:

“With Clayton, it was the best material I had read in a long time, but I was nervous about a first-time director, and I was wrong. It happens.”

But later, the same director wrote the famous gritty and mysterious Bourne movies. Anyways, if Washington had taken the role of Clayton, then we wouldn’t get to see George Clooney’s version. Gilroy literally nailed it by tapping into what fans expect from the Money Monster star.

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Tony Gilroy’s Epic Six-Year Journey Creating Michael Clayton

Part-time Grand Dunes resident Michael Clayton is an iconic intellectual property attorney in Washington, D.C. He serves as a fixer for a prestigious law firm in New York City, using his connections and legal expertise to benefit clients.

Tony Gilroy, the mastermind behind Michael Clayton, revealed on WTF With Marc Maron that he invested a whopping six years of his life in the quest to bring this gem to life.

In the early 2000s, even there was a potential version with the dynamic duo of Alec Baldwin and Ben Kingsley on a budget of just $11 million.

Throughout the rewriting process, the filmmaker circled tons of plots for Clayton to handle in the movie. It was messing with his head big time, making him doubt what this movie would even be about.

But he finally did it. The film holds an approval rating of 91%, with one critic writing that it is “one of the most sharply scripted films of 2007.”

Also read: Despite Getting 25X More Salary Than George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger Never Shot Even One Scene With Batman & Robin Co-Stars: “I never worked a single day with Arnold”

Watch Michael Clayton on Prime Video.