Denzel Washington’s career has been incredibly inspirational and he has shown some of the best-acting performances in film history through some of his iconic films. Malcolm X, The Hurricane, Flight, Fences, Glory, and Training Day presented the best of Washington and his versatility as an actor.
One of his most popular films is 2004’s Man on Fire where he starred alongside a young Dakota Fanning. The action thriller flick had a pretty violent scene that fans complained about during test screenings. Washington later revealed a surprising anecdote about that scene.
Most Men Hated The Torture Scene in Denzel Washington’s Man on Fire
Denzel Washington’s 2004 action thriller film Man on Fire had the actor playing John Creasy, a former CIA officer turned bodyguard who hunts down the individuals that kidnapped Lupita, played by Dakota Fanning. Washington’s character resorts to violent means to extract information from various individuals regarding the location and people involved in the abduction.
One of those scenarios was a torture scene in which Creasy cuts off the finger of a corrupt cop. Washington told Phase 9 Entertainment that many people, mostly males, were put off by the brutality of the scene. However, he revealed that the scene was originally much longer and more violent than what was shown in the actual film. He further defended his character’s actions and called Creasy one of the most heroic characters he’s ever played. He said,
“Well, at test screenings, a lot of men complained about the scene with the fingers being chopped off, but surprisingly almost no women complained at all. That scene was originally much longer and more gruesome.
I think that the subject matter of the film makes it unavoidable. It is a ‘what would you do if that happened to you?’ kind of movie. He is the most heroic character that I have ever portrayed.”
The film has since developed a cult following and remains one of Washington’s most popular films. His chemistry with Fanning’s character was praised by audiences and the pair got to reunite on-screen with 2023’s The Equalizer 3.
Dakota Fanning Kept in Touch With Denzel Washington Before Their Reunion
Dakota Fanning and Denzel Washington reunited on-screen after almost 20 years since 2004’s Man on Fire for 2023’s The Equalizer 3. Fanning talked to Entertainment Tonight about working again with Washington after all these years and the impact he has had on her career.
The actress revealed that she always kept in touch with Washington as she is close friends with her daughter. She further claimed that she felt the same excitement of working with Washington (like the first time) during the shoot of The Equalizer 3 and loved going toe to toe with the veteran actor. He said,
“I’ve obviously, you know, known Denzel for a big part of my life, and one of his daughters is one of my closest friends, so I’m always in the loop. “It’s been almost 20 years and I was quite young [in Man on Fire], but that’s not an experience that one forgets.
The second time, I felt the same, like, my body felt the same feeling that I remember feeling all those years ago — excitement and a little bit of nerves and wanting to be as prepared as possible. He definitely is an actor that keeps you on your toes constantly.”
Seeing the two actors again after so many years proved to be refreshing and worked in the film’s favor. People embraced their delightful chemistry yet again and the film itself did well at the box office.
