DENZEL WASHINGTON is one of the most famous actors of his generation, but the actor has made a few odd refusals during his career.

Denzel Washington, who stars in The Equalizer 2 tonight on Channel 4, wields so much power in Hollywood that his wishes are frequently granted by the production crew with whom he is working. Washington, in particular, has consistently refused to kiss certain women on-screen, including Hollywood heartthrob Julia Roberts.

Washington’s opposition to these scenes stems from a film he saw over three decades ago, not from any personal feuds or a modest disinclination.

Washington debuted in Hollywood in the early 1980s, earning him international acclaim for his performance in A Soldier’s Story.

Throughout the decade, he steadily expanded his resume, and by 1989, he had won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film Glory.

Washington played a distinguished British soldier in The Mighty Quinn the same year, but his role caused a stir among his audience.

Washington co-starred in the thriller with Mimi Rogers, and one scene featured the two kissing.

The actor allegedly noticed several black women booing the kissing scene during the screening and arranged for the scene to be cut from the film.

Washington co-starred in The Pelican Brief with acclaimed actress Julia Roberts only four years later. and When the film was released, the media reported that a kissing scene between the two Hollywood icons had been cut, though it was unclear who had made the decision.

In 2002, Roberts told Newsweek that it was Washington’s decision to cut the scene.

“Don’t I have a pulse?” she said when asked why she didn’t want to kiss the Flight actor. Naturally, I wanted to kiss Denzel. It was his idea to remove the scenes.”

Washington told the publication that his fanbase was mostly made up of black women, and he didn’t want to alienate them by having kissing scenes with white actresses.

“Black women are not often seen as objects of desire on film,” he says, “but they have always been my core audience.”

For the majority of his career, the Book of Eli star stuck by this sentiment, allegedly cutting other scenes in later films as well.

Both the 1995 sci-fi film Virtuosity and the 2004 thriller Man on Fire were said to have included intimate scenes between Washington and his co-stars Kelly Lynch and Radha Mitchell. Both scenes were cut, though it is unclear whether Washington was the direct cause of this.

Despite his global fame and icon status in the film industry, acting was not a first choice for a young Washington, who explored a variety of career options.

The Malcom X star went to college with the intention of becoming a doctor, but he struggled to find interest in his biology classes.

He quickly switched to political science, but ran into the same problem and switched to journalism.

Nothing seemed to pique his interest, so he enrolled in an acting class after being told it was simple to get a good grade.

Washington was the son of a Pentecostal preacher, and despite being unsure of what he truly wanted to do, he never seriously considered becoming a preacher.

Ruth Green, a member of his mother’s church who was known in the community for having the gift of prophecy, told him he would “speak to millions” and “do great things.”

At the time, he took this to mean that he was being called to follow in his father’s footsteps, but later admitted, “Since I’ve been given this ability to act, this must be what Ruth Green was talking about.”

Although it took him a little longer than other actors to discover his passion for acting, Washington was able to pursue all of his potential careers through his performance work.

He played a doctor in the series St Elsewhere, political activist Stephen Biko in Cry Freedom, and Malcolm X, his iconic lead role.