Denzel Washington Denzel Washington is, in many ways,
the anti-Steve Carell. If Carell can elevate the hardships of misfits in an
endearing way, then Washington brings great men such as Stephen Biko and Malcolm
X down to comprehensible human size. Not content to rest on his ... morematinee-idol
good looks, Washington has defined himself by his vulnerability throughout his
career. Consider the signature scene of his role in "Glory" when his character
-- the escaped slave Trip -- is whipped by a white Union officer. A less
courageous actor would have put up a purely defiant front to demonstrate his
toughness, but by allowing himself to cry, Washington shows not the physical
wound inflicted but the far more devastating emotional one. It is this quality
-- this fierce willingness to tear down his own defenses for the greater good of
catharsis -- that would make him a superb commander in chief.