Hollywood has been wanting to make a biopic on legendary jazz pianist Thelonius Monk for a long time. Back in 2007, when we seemed to be getting a new film on troubled musicians every few months, like Walk the Line and Ray, Leon Ichaso was talking about getting Wesley Snipes and Denzel Washington for the lead role. Ichaso having been no stranger to similar films as director of El Cantante, the biopic on Puerto Rican salsa singer Henry Lavoe, it seemed like a natural fit.
Well there's been little heard about it since, but in a recent interview with The Observer, Washington revealed that he still has a desire to play Monk, and that a script is in place and ready to go...
Washington: "I'm talking about it more, so maybe I'm talking myself into it."
Thelonius Monk was an improvisational master, who used his unique feel for mood to add signfiicant contributions to hits like "Round Midnight" and "Straight, No Chaser". He was known for his eccentric personality, wild outfits, and penchant for doing his own thing during a show. Some attributed his personality to mental illness, but it was never actually diagnosed.Monk's contributions continue to be felt throughout the music industry, especially in the world of underground hip hop.
What's unclear is whether or Washington is talking about the same film Ichaso was attached to, or if this is a new one. Regardless, the actor seems perfectly suited to the role, and it would mark a departure from the action movies he's been making for the better part of a decade.
If the box office success of Safe House has proved anything, it's that Washington is still a force to be reckoned with, and if his name is attached to a project it will likely get made. So here's hoping we get a chance to see Thelonius Monk's story brought to the silver screen in the next couple of years.
