The Harris Poll released its annual ranking of America’s favorite movie stars on Friday, and for the second year in a row Democrats expressed their preference for two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington.
The choice speaks volumes, especially considering the fact that Republicans’ favorite actor, conservative icon John Wayne, hasn’t made a film in more than 30 years. Washington has reached a similar iconic status, winning the coveted Cecil B. DeMille honorary Golden Globe award this month at age 60 for his undeniably stellar career in movies.
In some ways, Washington was an Obama-type figure in Hollywood. He broke the mold of what kind of parts could go to an African-American leading man, eventually diversifying his repertoire to include a vast array of heroes and villains, some based on true life characters and others that were initially intended for white actors. His films also tend to boast multiracial casts in non-stereotypical roles (think “Flight,” for instance, which could have starred actors of any ethnicity), which have proven to have broad appeal, yet are still fairly rare.
Today, he is one of the most respected and bankable names in the movie business — but why is he so popular with Democrats in particular?
RELATED: Why John Wayne remains an icon of the right
He’s stayed mostly apolitical publicly since he became a breakout star in the 1980s, although he did endorse Barack Obama’s candidacy in 2008. According to The Hill, he believes he needs to “know more” about the 2016 field before picking a favorite. But these five films may give more insight into why he is a favorite of Democrats than any of his official statements:
“Malcolm X” (1992): Spike Lee’s acclaimed biopic about the controversial Nation of Islam leader was in some ways the culmination of a resurgence of black cultural pride and nationalism in the late ’80s and early-’90s. The film played a significant role in redeeming Malcolm X’s image in the public consciousness, without diluting the power of his unapologetic message of equality “by any means necessary.” The commercial success of this film made it possible for not just other cultural heroes of the left to shine on the big screen, but it also presented a more nuanced and complex vision of what a black leading man could be.
“Philadelphia” (1993): Some elements of this Oscar-winning film may be dated now, but it’s sympathetic portrayal of a gay attorney (played by Tom Hanks) fighting discrimination amid an HIV/AIDS diagnosis was downright groundbreaking in 1993. Washington has arguably the most nuanced role. He plays an ambulance chaser who must overcome his own deep-seeded homophobia in order to better understand how his client was railroaded. Washington’s courtroom oratories in the film’s last act are not just a master class in terms of performance, but also a subtle link between the rhetoric of the civil rights movement and the gay rights cause.









