7. Alonzo Harris (Training Day)
Good old Denzel is always at his best when playing bad-ass characters in the movies, and they don't come more bad-ass than Alonzo Harris, the corrupt, arrogant, manipulative detective from Anotoine Fuqua's Training Day. The more we learn about Harris, the less we like - Fuqua aligns our perception with that of Harris' rookie partner Jake (Ethan Hawke), and we originally see Harris as a narcotics officer who's understandably rough around the edges after being hardened by the drug-riddled streets of LA. He comes across as a tough cop working through unconventional policing methods that "may not play by the rules, but get results". By the end of the movie we are left with a very, very different opinion, mulling over an abhorrent, reprehensible man who is nothing less than pure evil. What makes this character so fascinating is how he exploits automatic viewer assumptions based on past Hollywood movies and Denzel's star image. Washington deservedly bagged an Academy Award for his portrayal.