Will Smith may be bankable, but I'd hardly call him the "only" bankable black actor. They're all bankable
Denzel has also made more films than Will Smith. I also cannot think of any "misses" Denzel has made.
You always choose the right tool for the job, and if you want an "actor", you know who to cast.
If you want a comic, you know who to cast. If you want someone to look pretty while shit blows up around them,
...again you know who to cast. Will Smith has been very good at choosing the right material for him.
Both Ashley Judd and Sandra Bullock passed on "Million Dollar Baby". Hilary Swank took it and made it her own.
The same girl who was fired by Aaron Spelling for being a "bad actress" went on to win 2 Best Actress Oscars before the age of 30. It's not 'JUST' about the actor, it's also about the material, and the supporting players (cast & crew)
Can you picture anyone other than Sylvestre Stallone in the role of Rocky? Well guess what?
The studios originally wanted Rocky to be played by Ryan O'Neill. Can you picture that? Do you think it would have been the same movie? Do you think it would have had the same impact? Is not that Will Smith alone is bankable, ...they're all bankable, ...it's simply that he knows how to pick his material. He's been exceptionally good at that, and with the exception of "Six Degrees of Separation", has not ventured out of his box.
Don't get me wrong. i'm a fan of Will Smith, and I enjoy all his work. Infact, I enjoyed 'Men In Black' the other night, and just finished watching 'Independence Day' 30 mins ago. I have both copies of 'Bad Boyz', always enjoyed him in 'Fresh Prince' and loved him in 'I am Legend', etc., etc., ...but there is no comparing what he did in any of those films to what Jamie Foxx did in 'Ray'. Not even on the same level, or in the same league.
I love jamie foxx, and a huge fan, yeah he was fantastic in Ray, it was made for him, Will is more "bankable" then Foxx
Denzel's FiguresAmerican Gangster Uni.
$129,150,735 3,110 Deja Vu BV $64,038,616
3/24/06 Inside Man Uni.
$88,513,495 7/30/04 The Manchurian Candidate Par. $65,955,630
4/21/04 Man on Fire Fox
$77,911,774 10/3/03 Out of Time MGM $41,088,845
12/19/02 Antwone Fisher FoxS $21,078,145
2/15/02 John Q. NL
$71,756,802 10/5/01 Training Day WB $76,631,907
9/29/00 Remember the Titans BV
$115,654,751 12/29/99 The Hurricane Uni. $50,699,241
Will Smith12/14/07 I Am Legend WB
$206,129,574 and still playing..
12/15/06 The Pursuit of Happyness Sony
$163,566,459 2/11/05 Hitch Sony
$179,495,555 10/1/04 Shark Tale(Voice) DW
$160,861,908 7/16/04 I, Robot Fox
$144,801,023 7/18/03 Bad Boys II Sony
$138,608,444 7/3/02 Men in Black II Sony
$190,418,803 12/25/01 Ali Sony $58,203,105
11/3/00 The Legend of Bagger Vance DW $30,919,168
6/30/99 Wild Wild West WB
$113,805,681 11/20/98 Enemy of the State BV
$111,549,836 7/2/97 Men in Black Sony
$250,690,539 7/3/96 Independence Day Fox
$306,169,268 2,977 Im a huge denzel fan too, loved the movie "ricochet" it was one of my faves.
Look at will's figures damn there better then Sly's, arnold, Eddie's, and maybe Tom cruise..