Denzel Washington is one of America’s favorite leading actors, racking up multiple Oscars over the years and starring in several films that are already American classics. However, Denzel’s greatest stength as an actor does not lie in his believability or even his incredible on-screen presence - it’s his ability to get really, really angry and pound his chest. Over time, Denzel has embraced this ability to a point where most, if not all, of his characters are defined by their anger - and pound their chest at least once or twice throughout the course of the film. Sure, any red-blooded American loves a good chest-pound, but we are currently being deprived of Denzel’s true depth: imagine the variety of films he could create if his characters weren’t angry all the time, but instead happy, or scared, or maybe even closeted homosexuals. Instead of American Gangster, think American Fashion Designer. Regardless of the specifics, for the sake of America and our national cinematic integrity, we need Denzel Washington to play a different character.

America is supposed to be a country of creativity and innovation, and it’s only appropriate for our A-list Hollywood talent, such as Denzel, to embody these virtues. Americans should not ask for Denzel to stop being angry and pounding his chest in one fell swoop, for that’s simply unrealistic, and would most likely create a backlash from Denzel’s core fan group. This backlash, moreover, would only end up angering Denzel and causing further chest-pounds. Additionally, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences currently uses a chest-pound scoring metric to determine whether Denzel’s performances are nominated for Oscars. His recent Oscar win for Training Day, as an example, featured an astounding eight and a half chest-pounds. Thus, if Denzel were to suddenly change his entire repertoire, there would be chaos in both general America and Hollywood, in particular.

However, America needs Denzel to gradually shift to films with more diverse leading characters. He is a tremendously talented actor, capable of producing performances that are not only entertaining, but new and exciting. I am not saying Denzel isn’t currently contributing to the canon of American cinema. I’m not even saying that I don’t enjoy each and every one of his chest-pounds. I’m simply pointing out that if he keeps on pounding his chest, things could start getting a little boring - and there’s a fair chance he could damage his chest cavity.

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