One of the most popular crime dramas of the 21st Century has been Antoine Fuqua's Training Day, starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke. In the 2001 film, Hawke plays a young rookie detective who is taken on a violent and surreal journey through Los Angeles most dangerous areas by his training officer, played by Washington.
The movie is a brutal and gritty tale of corruption and is elevated by the spectacular performances of the two lead actors. Such a wild and captivating movie certainly has some memorable stories from behind the scenes. Learn more about the making of this modern crime classic and what made it so special.
The Origins Of The Project
Long before he was directing films like Suicide Squad and Fury, David Ayer was a hardworking screenwriter. He wrote this film back in 1995 and was inspired by the recent Rampart scandal in the LAPD which exposed massive corruption in the city's anti-gang task force.
The character of Alonzo Harris (Washington) was originally written as a Puerto Rican detective, inspired by real-life disgraced detective Rafael Pérez. Washington also styled his appearance on Pérez.
Other Casting Choices
Washington and Hawke both receive huge acclaim for their intense roles in the film and its hard to picture any other actors in these parts. However, with the long development of the project, several other actors were attached at various points.
Initially, Samuel L. Jackson was linked to the role of Alonzo while Matt Damon circled the role of young rookie Jake Hoyt. Tobey Maguire was also seriously in contention for the role of Jake as well as rapper Eminem. Other actors considered for Alonzo include Gary Sinise, Tom Sizemore, and Bruce Willis.
The Coffee Shop
The fateful day of the film starts in a relatively mundane way with Alonzo and Jake's first meeting in a coffee shop. They share stories from their time as police officers before heading out to introduce Jake to the real streets.
The coffee shop seen in the film might feel a bit familiar to some audiences since it is frequently used on movies. Morgan Freeman and Gwyneth Paltrow met there in Se7en. Tom Hanks had a meal there in Catch Me if You Can. And Nicolas Cage frequented it in Gone in 60 Seconds.
Rough Neighborhoods
Fuqua wanted to show a gritty and realistic side of Los Angeles in this film, so he sought out some real-life neighborhoods known to be populated by gang members. In a somewhat unprecedented move, real gangsters in the neighborhoods allowed access to the film crew.
Cle Sloan served as the gang consultant on the film and even convinced some real-life gangsters to appear on-screen. According to Fuqua, they received a warm welcome and no trouble when filming in these areas.
The Three Wise Men
Midway through the movie, Jake and Alonzo take a detour in their crime-fighting day to meet with three commanding officers in the police department. They discuss with Alonzo his recent transgressions and the trouble he has gotten himself into.
The studio originally wanted Fuqua to cut the scene from the final film as they felt it slowed the story down. Fuqua refused, not only because the scene allowed the audience to breathe, but also as a way of showing Alonzo's actions were in some way sanctioned by those in charge.
Grey Characters
At first glance, the story of this film could be seen as a simple good versus evil tale. Jake is an honorable cop who believes in doing the right thing and Alonzo is a corrupt cop who abuses his power for personal gain. However, Fuqua always saw it as a more complex story than that.
Fuqua wanted there to be grey areas in both characters. Though Jake is generally a good man, his ambitions cause him to act against his principles. For Alonzo, he was viewed as someone who was a good cop but his skill at the job began to turn him into the people he was meant to fight against.
Washington As A Villain
Seeing Denzel Washington, one of the most popular leading men in Hollywood play such a ruthless villain was an unexpected turn. Though the film won the actor plenty of acclaim and a second Oscar, there was apparently some controversy with him taking such a role.
According to Ethan Hawke, members of the NAACP came to set one day to confront Washington about the damage playing a villain would do to his image. Washington wasn't having any of that and insisted if white actors like Al Pacino and Gene Hackman can play villains and still be leading men then he could too.
Poker Scene
In one of the most unsettling scenes of the film, Alonzo brings Jake to the home of some gang members he associates with. As Jake waits for Alonzo to finish up some business, he sits down to play some cards with the gangsters. But before long, he realizes Alonzo has abandoned him there and he is in real danger.
To add a sense of tension and unpredictability to the scene, Fuqua told the actors playing the gangsters to adlib lines and actions without Hawke's knowledge. This made Jake's uneasy attitude more real.
Improvisation
The role of Alonzo Harris has not only become one of Washington's most iconic roles, but it also led him to make Oscar history as the first African-American actor to win two Oscars. Washington has also said it is his favorite role he has played and he brought a lot of his own ideas to the role.
When Alonzo confronts two thugs who Jake beat up and pulls his guns on them, Washington improvised the oddly threatening way Alonzo rubs the gun together. Even more impressive, Washington adlibbed the film's most famous line, "King Kong ain't got s**t on me!"
Alternate Endings
Once Jake finds out he was a pawn so Alonzo could steal some money to pay off Russian gangsters who want him dead, Jake confronts Alonzo. Jake overpowers Alonzo and takes the money in as evidence, leaving Alonzo to be killed by the Russians.
Apparently, there were several alternate endings to the film before this final conclusion was decided upon. One ending had Alonzo getting away with his crimes, which Washington objected to. Another had Jake confronting Alonzo and Alonzo killing himself to avoid facing punishment.