25 Things You Didn’t Know About Se7en

Before Pitt was cast as the truculent, bullish Detective David Mills, the role was offered to one Denzel Washington.

At the time, Washington was most famous for playing conflicted but noble men, and his reputation reflected that: he was one of Hollywood’s most respected actors. He read the script… and balked, thinking “this is so dark and evil”.

Washington turned the part down, and it wouldn’t be until 2001 that he’d take on a truly dark movie and an even darker character. Training Day would win him the Best Actor Oscar - but he always looked back at Seven as a missed opportunity.

Supposedly, Sylvester Stallone also turned down the Mills role - and, like Washington, only realised his mistake once he saw the finished movie.