Denzel Washington says Seth Rogen offered him the part of an aging Thomas Jefferson in a docudrama. He turned it down, and he isn’t being polite about why.
The two-time Oscar winner told the story during a recent interview, shaking his head as he described the pitch. According to Washington, Rogen’s team reached out a few months ago about a historical project centered on the later years of America’s third president. At first, Washington said he was interested. Then he read the fine print.
“I understand having a story you want told, and even spinning it your own way,” Washington said, “but this is the stupidest thing I’ve ever come across.”
According to Washington, Rogen’s casting rules say minorities have to play every part, and the script needs a minimum of three trans characters.
Washington said he had nothing against creative casting in the right setting. Stage productions and fantasy films, he said, can do whatever they want. But a docudrama is supposed to stick close to the facts, and he couldn’t see how this one would.
“How do you call that a documentary anything?” he said. “It’s absurd.” “This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen,” he added. “And I’ve been doing this a long time.”
He said the script also included scenes that had no basis in the historical record, and that the whole project read more like a political statement than a film about Jefferson’s life.
“I’ve played real people before,” Washington said. “Malcolm X. Steven Biko. Rubin Carter. You owe it to them to get it right. You do the homework. You don’t just make it up because it fits what you want to say.”
Rogen, best known for comedies like “Superbad” and “Pineapple Express,” has moved into more serious projects in recent years as a producer. People familiar with the docudrama say it was meant to be a bold reimagining of the founding era. Washington says it’s just a mess.
Rogen’s movie hasn’t started filming yet. According to Washington, it may never get there.
“They can’t get a single person to take them seriously,” he said.
Hollywood insiders say several other big names have quietly passed on the project. One agent said the casting requirements made it hard to attract top talent, and the script itself didn’t help.
“Everybody’s being nice about it in public,” the agent said. “Privately, people are laughing.”
Fans of Washington flooded social media after the interview, praising him for speaking plainly. Many said it was refreshing to hear an A-list star push back on what they called Hollywood’s obsession with box-checking.
Some of Rogen’s supporters said Washington was being unfair and that the project deserved a chance. A few pointed out that “Hamilton” became a massive hit with a diverse cast playing the founders.
Washington didn’t seem moved. When the interviewer brought up “Hamilton,” he laughed. “That was a musical,” he said. “Nobody called it a documentary.” Rogen has not commented on Washington’s remarks.