Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington won the 1990 Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing a defiant runaway slave turned Union soldier in Glory. That 1989 film proved his power to command the screen and began his rise to one of the most respected and bankable stars in Hollywood.
New York Beginnings
Denzel Washington was born in Mount Vernon, New York, the son of a minister and a beautician. He studied at Fordham University, where he discovered acting.
From Television to Film Royalty
After breaking out on St. Elsewhere, he won an Oscar for Glory and delivered a landmark performance in Malcolm X. The roles established him as a commanding dramatic actor.
Master of His Craft
A second Oscar for Training Day cemented his stature, and he expanded into directing with Fences and other films. He is consistently ranked among the greatest actors of his era.
Career Timeline
- 1982Joins the cast of TV's St. Elsewhere
- 1987Oscar-nominated for Cry Freedom
- 1989Plays a Union soldier in Glory
- 1990Wins Best Supporting Actor for Glory
- 1992Title role in Spike Lee's Malcolm X
- 1993Stars in The Pelican Brief and Philadelphia
- 1999Oscar nod for boxing drama The Hurricane
- 2001Plays a corrupt cop in Training Day
- 2002Wins Best Actor Oscar for Training Day
- 2002Directorial debut with Antwone Fisher
- 2016Stars in and directs Fences
Biggest Hits
- He won a Tony Award for the Broadway revival of Fences and later directed and starred in the film version.
- He is the son of a Pentecostal minister and once considered the ministry before turning to acting.
Portrait: GabboT · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons