Denzel Washington has made quite a few action movies over the course of his acting career, and they all range in strength. Denzel Washington is one of the most talented working actors in Hollywood, and as such, he’s played all types of roles. From the soaring drama of The Tragedy of Macbeth to the comedy of Carbon Copy, Washington can handle almost any type of character. One genre he’s been particularly prolific in, however, is action, and he has played quite a few heroes and villains over the years.
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Ranking Denzel Washington’s action heroes by strength isn’t an entirely straightforward task. Many of Washington’s best action movies had him play characters that weren’t traditional action heroes, yet they displayed quite a bit of strength. Physical strength, then, isn’t enough to make a character strong, and other factors like morals, bravery, and convictions have to be taken into consideration too. With that in mind, these 15 characters are Denzel Washington’s strongest action heroes.
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With a career spanning over four decades, Denzel Washington has long become a household name, and here are all of his movies, ranked.
15 Matt Lee Whitlock – Out Of Time
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Out of Time is a rare movie for Denzel Washington: though he plays the main character in an action movie, Matt Whitlock isn’t much of a hero. Out of Time, up until its final minutes, is a kind of comedy of errors. Everything Matt did was just a reaction to an earlier bad decision he made. Additionally, all of Matt’s most memorable scenes – like counting the bullets in Chris’ gun – were due to his intelligence, not his strength. The fight scenes he does get into were often stumbling messes rather than shows of strength as well. Matt was just another cop role played by Denzel Washington.
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14 Alonzo – Training Day
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Denzel Washington’s character in Training Day, Alonzo, is far from a hero, but he is an action star. Throughout Training Day, Alonzo proved he was incredibly capable at intimidation, extortion, and several other dubious practices, which are technically forms of strength. However, he was also a dirty cop and a bad man, which secures him a place very near the bottom in terms of Washington’s other action heroes. Regardless, however, Alonzo is one of Washington’s most iconic characters, and the Oscar he won for Best Actor for Training Day proves it.
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Denzel Washington and Alonzo Harris star in Training Day, an action thriller that follows the two stars as Los Angeles narcotics officers. Jake Hoyt is prepping on his first major training day for a promotion as he spends spend a tense twenty-four hours across several L.A. crime-ridden neighborhoods as Jake sees the danger and horrors of the job.
Director Antoine Fuqua Release Date October 5, 2001 Studio(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers David Ayer Cast Eva Mendes , Ethan Hawke , Denzel Washington , Scott Glenn , Cliff Curtis Runtime 122 minutes Budget $45 million Expand
13 Bobby – 2 Guns
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In almost the exact opposite situation as Training Day, Washington played a good cop who was undercover as a criminal in 2 Guns. Washington’s Bobby worked with Stig (Mark Wahlberg) to take down a drug kingpin and eventually expose a massive government conspiracy. 2 Guns put Bobby and Stig into several intense gunfights that proved how strong Bobby was in combat, but he also had quite a bit of help from Stig, which limits how high he can be placed on Washington’s list. That being said, Bobby also proved his strength in a few other ways, like brushing off a gunshot wound to the arm fairly easily and continuing his search.
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2 Guns centers on two criminals, Bobby and Stig, who run into danger at the US border after dealing with a Mexican drug lord. Unbeknownst to the other, both are actually undercover agents on a mission. The buddy cop film stars two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg.
Director Baltasar Kormakur Release Date August 2, 2013 Studio(s) Universal Pictures Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Blake Masters , Steven Grant Cast Denzel Washington , Mark Wahlberg , Paula Patton , Bill Paxton , Edward James Olmos , Robert John Burke , James Marsden , Greg Sproles Runtime 109minutes Budget $61 million Main Genre Thriller Expand
12 John Creasy – Man On Fire
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Though not nearly as villainous as Alonzo in Training Day, Washington’s character in Man on Fire has more than his fair share of baggage. Washington played John Creasy in Man on Fire, a former CIA operative who was suffering from alcoholism and suicidal thoughts. What makes Creasy strong is the fact that he overcame his dark past so that he could help someone who needed him: Pita, a young girl who was kidnapped. Creasy was also an extremely effective warrior, and his ultimate sacrifice at the end of Man on Fire also went a long way in showing just how strong his character was.
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Man on Fire is a drama thriller directed by Tony Scott, featuring Denzel Washington as John Creasy, a burned-out ex-CIA operative turned bodyguard. He is hired to protect a young girl, Pita Ramos, played by Dakota Fanning, in Mexico City. As Creasy develops a bond with Pita, he is driven to exact vengeance when she is abducted, showcasing a relentless pursuit for justice against those responsible.
Director Tony Scott Release Date April 23, 2004 Writers Brian Helgeland Cast Dakota Fanning , Marc Anthony , Denzel Washington , Radha Mitchell , Mickey Rourke , Christopher Walken Runtime 146 minutes Budget $70 million Main Genre Action Expand
11 Parker Barnes – Virtuosity
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Keeping up what seemed to be a trend of morally ambiguous protagonists, Denzel Washington played Parker Barnes in Virtuosity. While Barnes was imprisoned for murder, he managed to be a bit stronger in the morality department than Creasy was, as he killed a terrorist who had executed his own family. Barnes also proved quite physically and mentally strong, as Virtuosity pitted him against SID (Russel Crowe), a sentient computer program made up of the most evil minds in history. Barnes needed quite a bit of strength to beat SID, a feat he barely managed to accomplish.
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Virtuosity is a science fiction film that explores the intersection of virtual reality and reality. The film follows Parker Barnes, a former policeman played by Denzel Washington, who is tasked with capturing SID 6.7, a highly advanced artificial intelligence entity, created by a virtual reality program, that has become self-aware and escapes into the real world.
Director Brett Leonard Release Date August 4, 1995 Studio(s) Paramount Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures Writers Eric Bernt Cast Denzel Washington , Russell Crowe , Kelly Lynch , Alanna Ubach , William Forsythe Runtime 106 Minutes Budget $30 Million Main Genre Action Expand
10 Keith Frazier – Inside Man
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In keeping with Man on Fire and Virtuosity, Denzel Washington’s character in Inside Man isn’t morally perfect, but he did show quite a bit of strength. In Inside Man, Washington played Keith Frazier, a troubled detective tasked with stopping a bank heist led by Dalton Russel (Clive Owens). While there aren’t many (real) firefights in the movie, Frazier still managed to show his resolve. He had the strength to continue his investigation even after the rest of the authorities had given up, and he even proved himself strong enough to stand up to his superiors in search of the truth.
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In a meticulously planned bank heist, masked robbers seize control of a Manhattan bank, strategically maneuvering hostages and covertly blending in among them. As negotiations ensue between the police and the robbers, hidden agendas emerge, including the protection of a mysterious safe deposit box’s contents. Detectives Keith Frazier and Bill Mitchell navigate the complexities of the standoff, uncovering layers of deception that challenge their understanding of the unfolding crisis and its true motivations.
Director Spike Lee Release Date March 24, 2006 Writers Russell Gewirtz Cast Denzel Washington , Clive Owen , Jodie Foster , Christopher Plummer , Willem Dafoe , Chiwetel Ejiofor Runtime 129 minutes Budget $45 million Main Genre Crime Expand
9 Chisholm – The Magnificent Seven
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Though his character wears a black hat throughout The Magnificent Seven, Washington’s Chisholm is one of his strongest action protagonists. Chisholm was a U.S. Marshall who helped protect the town of Rose Creek, and he was essentially a mix of some of the strongest Western heroes and gunslingers ever. Chisholm was quick with a gun, smart, and incredibly strong, as evidenced by the fact that he was one of the few fighters who survived to see the end of The Magnificent Seven. He also had quite a bit of moral strength as a servant of the law and protector of the innocent.
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The Magnificent Seven is a new remake of the 1960 western action film that follows a group of seven warriors from different walks of life who join forces to liberate a town from an oppressive gold miner. When Bartholomew Bogue takes control of the town of Rose Creek, the beleaguered residence find themselves at his mercy. One woman seeking revenge and freedom finds U.S. Marshal Sim Chisholm, and convinces him to join their cause, as he recruits several gunmen, outlaws, and assassins willing to risk it all for a good deed.
Director Antoine Fuqua Release Date September 23, 2016 Studio(s) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , Columbia Pictures , Village Roadshow Pictures Distributor(s) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Writers John Lee Hancock , Nic Pizzolatto Cast Haley Bennett , Chris Pratt2 , Ethan Hawke , Sean Bridgers , Vinnie Jones , Matt Bomer , Byung-hun Lee , Denzel Washington , Peter Sarsgaard , Vincent D’Onofrio , Cam Gigandet Runtime 132 minutes Budget $90 million Expand
8 Walter Garber – The Taking Of Pelham 123
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Though Denzel Washington has played plenty of traditionally strong action heroes in his career, one of his most unconventional heroes is among the strongest. In The Taking of Pelham 123, Washington played an ostensibly ordinary man named Walter Garber. After Ryder (John Travolta) took a train hostage, Garber was thrust into the middle of a dangerous situation, but he handled himself extremely well. Garber was also an interesting character because he wasn’t perfect: he had accepted a bribe, but he proved that he always had good intentions and was a committed family man, which takes quite a bit of non-physical strength.
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Denzel Washington and John Travolta star in The Taking of Pelham 123, a thriller where train dispatcher Walter Garber tries to negotiate with terrorist Ryder Ford, who hijacks a subway car in New York and demands a ransom. The 2009 film is a remake of the 1974 movie of the same name.
Director Tony Scott Release Date June 11, 2009 Studio(s) Sony Distributor(s) Columbia Pictures , Sony , Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Writers Tony Scott Cast Denzel Washington , John Travolta , James Gandolfini , John Turturro Runtime 106minutes Budget $100–110 million Expand
7 Frank – Unstoppable
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Like The Taking of Pelham 123, Denzel Washington doesn’t play a typical action hero in Unstoppable. Instead, he took the role of Frank Barnes, a railroad engineer who had to stop a runaway train with the help of Will Colson (Chris Pine). While there aren’t any gunfights or traditional action sequences in Unstoppable, Barnes was still quite a strong hero. A runaway train is extremely dangerous, and Barnes showed great courage several times in his attempts to stop it, such as when he tried to manually engage each car’s handbrakes.
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Based on a real-life incident, Unstoppable tells the story of an out-of-control freight train whose path threatens countless lives, and two men who must stop the train before it’s too late.
Director Tony Scott Release Date November 12, 2010 Studio(s) Dune Entertainment , Scott Free Productions , Prospect Park , Millbrook Farm Productions Distributor(s) 20th Century Fox Writers Mark Bomback Cast Denzel Washington , Chris Pine , Rosario Dawson , Ethan Suplee , Kevin Dunn , Kevin Corrigan , Kevin Chapman Runtime 98 minutes Budget $85-100 million Expand
6 Doug Carlin – Déjà Vu
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Very few of Denzel Washington’s movies are as mind-bending as Déjà Vu. In that film, Washington plays Doug Carlin, an ATF agent who travels back in time to prevent a terrorist bombing and save Claire (Paula Patton), who was killed in the blast. Carlin mostly relies on his brains and detective skills for most of Déjà Vu, so what really makes him such a strong character is his bravery. At the end of the film, Carlin sacrifices himself to save the ferry, which is an incredible display of bravery, even if he managed to come back through some time travel logic.
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PG-13ActionSci-FiThriller Director Tony Scott Release Date November 22, 2006 Distributor(s) Buena Vista Distribution Writers Bill Marsilii , Terry Rossio Cast Denzel Washington , Paula Patton , Val Kilmer , James Caviezel , Adam Goldberg , Elden Henson Runtime 125 minutes Budget $75 million Main Genre Action Expand
5 Anthony Hubbard – The Siege
Denzel Washington has played several police officers in action movies, and one of the strongest of them was Anthony Hubbard in The Siege. In The Siege, Washington’s Hubbard has more than a few enemies to contend with, like a terrorist cell in Brooklyn and General William Devereux (Bruce Willis) who abuses his power to hunt down the terrorists. Hubbard is a fairly standard action hero who is capable of quite a few physical feats, but it’s his willingness to fight for the civil liberties of even his enemies that made him truly strong.
The Siege
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4 Hunter – Crimson Tide
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While Washington’s character Hunter in Crimson Tide may not have had any combat experience, he’s still one of the actor’s strongest action characters. Hunter had the strength to stay calm and collected in an extremely stressful situation: being threatened by a potential nuclear strike from a rival Russian submarine. He was also able to make some tough but necessary calls, like sealing the flooding compartment of the Alabama. Hunter even got to prove himself worthy in a physical fight after escaping from Ramsey’s (Gene Hackman) mutiny.
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Crimson Tide is a submarine thriller directed by Tony Scott, set during a period of political turmoil in Russia. The film follows Lieutenant Commander Ron Hunter, played by Denzel Washington, who clashes with Captain Frank Ramsey, played by Gene Hackman, over the interpretation of orders from the US government. As tensions rise, the crew of the USS Alabama must navigate the crisis and prevent a catastrophic outcome.
Director Tony Scott Release Date May 12, 1995 Studio(s) Hollywood Pictures , Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films Writers Michael Schiffer Cast Denzel Washington , Gene Hackman , Matt Craven , George Dzundza , Viggo Mortensen Runtime 116 Minutes Budget 53000000.0 Main Genre Thriller Expand
3 Nick Styles – Ricochet
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Die Hard is one of the great action movies of all time, but Denzel Washington had his own version of the movie: Ricochet. In Ricochet, Washington played Nick Styles, a courageous police officer turned assistant district attorney who was tasked with taking down John Lithgow’s Earl Talbot Blake. Styles showcased his personal strength several times, from putting himself in danger to save innocent lives to enduring Blake’s abuse in the pool. He also showed great physical endurance by continuing to fight after getting impaled through the arm. Ricochet proved that even as an everyman, Washington could play an incredibly strong character.
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Ricochet is a 1991 action thriller directed by Russell Mulcahy, starring Denzel Washington as Nick Styles, a rookie cop who becomes a hero after taking down a notorious villain.Years later, the villain, Earl Talbot Blake, escapes from prison and seeks revenge against Styles, who must confront his troubled past to stop him.
Director Russell Mulcahy Release Date October 4, 1991 Studio(s) HBO , Cinema Plus , Indigo Productions , Silver Pictures , Warner Bros. Pictures Writers Steven E. de Souza Cast Denzel Washington , John Lithgow , Ice-T , Kevin Pollak , Lindsay Wagner Runtime 102 Minutes Main Genre Crime Expand
2 Eli – The Book Of Eli
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One of the most mythological characters Denzel Washington has ever played was the titular character in The Book of Eli. Eli already had a base level of strength simply by surviving in the film’s post-apocalyptic world, but he only proved his might further from there. Eli was incredible at combat, easily killing several people simultaneously, and he had a tremendous amount of willpower and resolve. It was his personal strength that let him finish his journey and deliver the book, and by the ending of The Book of Eli, it’s revealed he did all of that without the use of eyesight.
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Written by Gary Whitta and directed by The Hughes Brothers, The Book of Eli is a neo-Western featuring Denzel Washington in the lead role. The 2010 release sees Washington take on the mantle of Eli, a man who travels a post-apocalyptic version of the United States and ends up attempting to stop a dangerous group of people from controlling the masses via a strange book.
Director Allen Hughes Release Date January 11, 2010 Studio(s) Sony Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures , Sony , Columbia Pictures Writers Allen Hughes Cast Denzel Washington , Gary Oldman , Mila Kunis Runtime 118minutes Budget $80 million Expand
1 Robert McCall – The Equalizer Trilogy
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Easily the strongest action character Denzel Washington has ever played was Robert McCall in the Equalizer franchise. McCall is almost the perfect action hero: he’s strong in character, strong in combat, and strong in general. McCall’s moral strength is a major part of his character – it’s why he began fighting again, and it’s why he’s called the Equalizer. Some of Washington’s best scenes in The Equalizer series also showcase McCall’s impressive physical feats, like fighting in the middle of a hurricane, that set him apart from the rest of Washington’s characters. The Equalizer was basically Washington’s version of John Wick, and he has the strength to match.
The Equalizer
The Equalizer is a crime-focused action-thriller franchise initially created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim. The franchise began with the 1985 series that followed Robert McCall, a retired intelligence agent who uses his deadly and varied skillset to help those that society cannot save. The film franchise has stood out as the most iconic, with Denzel Washington in the role of the new Robert McCall, with a reboot television series starring Queen Latifah as Robyn McCall.
Created by Michael Sloan , Richard Lindheim First Film The Equalizer (2014) First TV Show The Equalizer Cast Denzel Washington , Edward Woodward , Queen Latifah Character(s) Robert McCall , Robyn McCall
Denzel Washington is a master of almost every genre, and his various action characters prove he’s cornered that genre as well. Washington can play any character an action movie requires of him, from the deceptive Alonzo to the heroic Robert McCall. Even with his weakest characters, Washington manages to make them memorable and compelling. Hopefully, Denzel Washington will get to add more roles to his list of action characters in future years.
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