really? lol

but some comments say Will can do comedy and drama and Denzel has only done basically drama, i.e. less diverse..Carbon Copy doe...

https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/the-internet-is-debating-whether-denzel-washington-or-will-smith-are-better-actors-and-its-not-even-close?fbclid=IwAR22DpBiSVCPYuy0pthJhGvYNwcdSr56FMsBhZWpcLKbrTLGJpiECYu2qPM

By Katherine Webb last updated 1 day ago

If you had to pick one actor, Denzel or Will, who would you go with?

The Internet Is Debating Whether Denzel Washington Or Will Smith Are Better Actors, And It’s Not Even Close
By Katherine Webb last updated 1 day ago

If you had to pick one actor, Denzel or Will, who would you go with?

We’re lucky enough to be alive at the same time as two of the best actors ever. The Little Things’ Denzel Washington and King Richard star Will Smith have both given us so many unforgettable performances that it’s hard to know where to begin when you talk about either of their careers. In that way, it might seem a little unfair to compare them -- but compare them, the Internet will. A recent debate over who is the better actor recently unfolded on Twitter, and according to fans there, it’s not even really a debate.

Both Denzel Washington and Will Smith have delivered some of the best performances of their careers over the last couple of years. Most recently, Will Smith has been earning rave reviews for his performance in King Richard, a biographical drama about Serena and Venus Williams’ father. Shortly after the film was released, a Twitter user asked a bold question to his followers:

The debate itself could be controversial. After all, the trajectory of both actors’ careers has been very different. Will Smith began as a hip-hop artist and then transitioned into acting as a sitcom star before establishing himself as a blockbuster lead. Denzel Washington got his start in theater, then also got his big break on TV while simultaneously laying the foundation for an impressive film career.

Despite the differences, fans on Twitter didn’t have a difficult time determining who they believed was the more legendary of the two actors:

Let’s take a step back and examine why it’s important that Denzel is Denzel: he has delivered some of the most powerful performances on-screen in our lifetimes. He has nine Academy Award nominations, and two wins -- one for Best Supporting Actor in Glory and the other for Best Actor in the crime thriller Training Day. He is the type of actor who is just as convincing playing a football coach as he is doing Shakespeare and very few actors can say that.

Another fan on Twitter approached the debate from a different angle:

While this may seem like it’s downplaying Will Smith’s talent, it’s also a testament to his overall star power that he is so recognizable to us. Smith’s own career achievements are nothing to scoff at, either -- he has two Academy Award nominations for Best Actor to his name -- one for Ali and one for The Pursuit of Happyness. He also has nine Grammy nominations and three wins, which is a testament to the versatility of his appeal.

Maybe this fan put it best when they tried to size up the two actors’ irreplaceable contributions to Hollywood:

Given that neither Denzel Washington or Will Smith seem to be slowing down any time soon, it’s not impossible to imagine them teaming up in the future. For now, both actors have more in store for us soon. Denzel Washington will star in Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth and Will Smith is set to appear in Antoine Fuqua’s Emancipation.

Bad Boys and Enemy Of The State. The rest are are decent to bad. Too many self indulgent roles

Ali
I am Legend
Six Degrees of Separation
MIB
the Pursuit of Happyness
King Richard

outside of that, yeah, I think you're right.

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

Yeah, and me. His Malcolm X and Ruben Carter performances should have clinched it. I hate when Black artists who’ve actually had to merit to receive accolades don’t get them and are overlooked, and then become the recipient of token gestures.

Rivals Malcolm X losing to Pacino for Scent of A Woman in terms of GTFOH factor.

he beat up a well known movie director, so he was punished by the academy.
He was brilliant in A Beautiful Mind....and no one that year came close to
his performance.

>
>**********
>"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then
>they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson
>
>"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

and he doesn't have the track record of a Tom Cruise. So maybe more like Keanu Reeves.

I love Will SMith but he has made a lot of mid movies. His ego is too big, I think, to just give himself to one of the great directors and let him be in something really great.

I think about Django and how they wanted WS to do it but I just get the feeling it wouldn't have worked because WIll would have wanted it to be more of a Will Smith movie. Jamie Fox was perfect for the role because how willing to be the strong silent type in the film.



**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

imo Will is more RDJ than Tom.

We go to see Will Smith being Will Smith in movies. He is rarely able to dissolve into a role. RDJ is always RDJ in every movie.

so we can’t unsee him as Will?

if Will’s first break was a movie role would he be viewed the same?

I think there are different kinds of actors..

Those like Daniel Day Lewis that become who they need to be for the role and people like Will, The Rock, Kevin hart, RDJ etc that we go to see because we like them and we want them to be the supersized version of themselves.

Earlier in his career, who knows, but we "grew up with" Jamie Foxx in a sense too even if his sitcom was mild he was still everywhere, just never as massively as Will.


But he's put in the work with his acting career to the point that there are definitely "Jamie being Jamie" movies, but you also wouldn't sound TOTALLY crazy if you tried to make the argument that his performance as Bunz was him being in character.


~~~~~~~~~
"This is the streets, and I am the trap." � Jay Bilas
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
Hip Hop Handbook: http://tinyurl.com/ll4kzz

and they trying to compare WIll Smith to him. SMH.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

>and they trying to compare WIll Smith to him. SMH.
>
>
>**********
>"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then
>they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson
>
>"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

I'm shocked people are having a hard time with this. I like Will, I like Will a lot, but he just ain't in Denzel's league.

actor.

Will has grown into a fine actor, an award worthy actor...but he is not anywhere near Denzel. And that is that.

Dude's resume can be separated into decades and performances.

for the most part know matter who Denzel is playing there's always some extreme confidence, whether he's Alonzo, or Coach Boone, there's generally an "I got this" vibe to him. I'm not saying it as a bad thing. shit, Antione Fisher legit had me wishing Denzel was my dad.

And none of that is to say that Will tops Denzel (of course he doesn't). Just that he's more bendable. I don't see Denzel being in King Richard because he couldn't become Richard Williams. He'd make Richard Williams become a shade of Denzel.

There aren't many roles i can think of of Will's that Denzel would be suited to play, but if there *is*, He'd likely be better.
You could put Will in most of Denzel's roles. He *could* dot it. They'd just be a lot worse.

I liked Out Of Time because he wasnt in "I got this" mode and was scrambling lol

>for the most part know matter who Denzel is playing there's
>always some extreme confidence, whether he's Alonzo, or Coach
>Boone, there's generally an "I got this" vibe to him. I'm not
>saying it as a bad thing. shit, Antione Fisher legit had me
>wishing Denzel was my dad.
>
>And none of that is to say that Will tops Denzel (of course he
>doesn't). Just that he's more bendable. I don't see Denzel
>being in King Richard because he couldn't become Richard
>Williams. He'd make Richard Williams become a shade of
>Denzel.
>
>There aren't many roles i can think of of Will's that Denzel
>would be suited to play, but if there *is*, He'd likely be
>better.
>You could put Will in most of Denzel's roles. He *could* dot
>it. They'd just be a lot worse.

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>
>
>
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Because alot of those roles were atrocious. He dodged alot of roles that would have required deeper acting.

i think not

while including his son!!!!!

Will signs on for more versatile roles, while still usually just playing subtle variations on Will Smith.

Denzel picks roles in which he'll shine doing him. End result is a much higher batting average while choosing to do less versatile roles.

and i went in worried, I wouldn't see past Will or just be bad. The trailers looked like a comedy sketch to me, but I thought he crushed it

i'd argue even Ali wasn't. He def didn't pull of Ali (i'd argue no one can), but he pulled off portraying an Ali type Boxer

>Denzel picks roles in which he'll shine doing him. End result
>is a much higher batting average while choosing to do less
>versatile roles.

Definitely agree with this

Also a great job as Ali. To that point, Will's versatile choices in roles tend to work better when he's doing biopics - and I think part of that is because when you are playing a character who's a real life version of someone we know, NO actor will completely let you get past that it isn't really that person. Case in point Denzel in Malcom X. GREAT job obviously, but I'm still watching Denzel.

So when playing a real life character we have that in mind and it kinda gives the actor a little more leeway to let some of their selves creep into the role and get away with it. While when you wee Will being Will in I Robot, or Men in Black, or Bad Boys, or I Am Legend, it stands out as more him just being himself in different types of roles.

>So when playing a real life character we have that in mind and
>it kinda gives the actor a little more leeway to let some of
>their selves creep into the role and get away with it. While
>when you wee Will being Will in I Robot, or Men in Black, or
>Bad Boys, or I Am Legend, it stands out as more him just being
>himself in different types of roles.
>
>

Peace,

Spirit (Alan)
http://wutangbook.com

The actor on Godfather of Harlem pulled off Ali

Denzel has played smooth eloquent characters, but he has also played downtrodden loser types Courage Under Fire, Fences & The Little Things. He's done hood characters like She Got Game & Training Day.

And He can be funny as hell. Training Day, Devil w a blue dress, Inside Man & even Mississippi Masala.




>for the most part know matter who Denzel is playing there's
>always some extreme confidence, whether he's Alonzo, or Coach
>Boone, there's generally an "I got this" vibe to him. I'm not
>saying it as a bad thing. shit, Antione Fisher legit had me
>wishing Denzel was my dad.
>
>And none of that is to say that Will tops Denzel (of course he
>doesn't). Just that he's more bendable. I don't see Denzel
>being in King Richard because he couldn't become Richard
>Williams. He'd make Richard Williams become a shade of
>Denzel.
>
>There aren't many roles i can think of of Will's that Denzel
>would be suited to play, but if there *is*, He'd likely be
>better.
>You could put Will in most of Denzel's roles. He *could* dot
>it. They'd just be a lot worse.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

>Denzel has played smooth eloquent characters, but he has also
>played downtrodden loser types Courage Under Fire, Fences &
>The Little Things. He's done hood characters like She Got
>Game & Training Day.

I haven't seen Fences but even in Little Things, he went from downtrotten loser to 'i got this' Denzel by the end. His hood characters are the same vibe. Again, I'm not saying its a bad thing. Training Day is pretty high up on my frequent rewatchable list. There are always a piece of me that wants to believe him when he's bullshitting Hoyt about passing tests. He's so good at this shit.

>And He can be funny as hell. Training Day, Devil w a blue
>dress, Inside Man & even Mississippi Masala.

meh, i'm not sure why you guys are even putting his comedy chops up against Will's. It's as unfair as asking if Will is as good an actor as Denzel. of course he's not. Just means he can't do *everything* better than everyone.

angry black man ain't got nothing on Denzel's in fences.

Will Smith been doing a Martin Lawrence comedy impression for the last 20 years. It's funny broad comedy but I still have my money on Denzel's comic timing.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

end of discussion.

y'all in here TRIPPIN...LOL

>end of discussion.
>
>y'all in here TRIPPIN...LOL

Will was the star of his own iconic, long running TV

He had classic songs that Were hits and Blockbuster movies

In terms of pure acting I give it to Denzel

>

Picture Will trying to do Denzel’s role in Fences lol

Peace,

Spirit (Alan)
http://wutangbook.com

Mississippi Masala
Ricochet
Devil In a Blue Dress
Cry Freedom
Glory
The Mighty Quinn ( Comedy)

Will wasn’t even doing movies then.

Good Lord this thread is terrible.

but Will is underrated. Six degrees of separation and Pursuit of Happiness brought me here. He just focused more on big action movies but doesn't mean he doesn't have the goods. Denzel chose his roles more wisely.