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Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor and director. He has garnered much critical acclaim for his work in film since the 1990s, including his portrayals of real-life figures, such as Steve Biko, Malcolm X, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, Melvin B. Tolson, Frank Lucas, and Herman Boone. Washington has been awarded three Golden Globe awards and two Academy Awards for his work. He is notable as the second African-American (after Sidney Poitier) to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, which he received for his role in the 2001 film Training Day. Actor and director Denzel Washington burst onto the big screen with an Oscar and Golden Globe-winning role in the Civil War epic “Glory” (1989). But over the following decade, the matinee-idol handsome actor became the first of his generation's African-American movie stars to land squarely on Hollywood's A-list – as likely to be tapped to play a heroic lead as any white actor would have been a shoe-in for only a decade prior. Likened to Sidney Poitier for his ability to appeal to a multiracial audience, Washington’s grounding force was a critical and audience favorite in historical dramas like “Cry Freedom” (1987), “Malcolm X” (1992) and “American Gangster” (2007), as well in more action-driven dramas such as “The Pelican Brief” (1993), “Remember the Titans” (2000) and “Training Day” (2001). Rising above the “black actor” moniker, Washington not only held a firm position as one of Hollywood’s top dramatic leads well into the new millennium, he also earned industry respect for his filmmaking efforts – directing and producing both “Antwone Fisher” (2002) and “The Great Debaters” (2007). Denzel Washington was born in Mt. Vernon, New York. His mother, Lennis "Lynne", was a beauty parlor-owner and operator born in Georgia and raised in Harlem. His father, Reverend Denzel Washington, Sr., was an ordained Pentecostal minister and also worked for the Water Department and at a local department store, "S. Klein". When Washington was fourteen his parents' marriage took a turn for the worse and he and his older sister were sent away to boarding school so that they would not be exposed to their parents' eventual divorce. He attended grammar school at Pennington Grimes Elementary School in Mount Vernon, where he played various sports. Denzel Washington was born on Dec. 28, 1954, in Mt. Vernon, NY, a predominantly African-American suburb just north of Manhattan. His father was a preacher at the Pentecostal Church of God in Christ and also worked for the NY’s Water Department, while his mother – a Harlem-bred former Gospel singer – owned and operated a local beauty parlor. Washington began working odd jobs from the time he was a student at Grimes Elementary School; also becoming active in the Boys & Girls Club, which he credited for keeping him out of trouble. The club’s mentors were especially helpful after his parents’ divorce, when Washington lost contact with his father and the restless teen increasingly found himself hanging out on the streets with kids who would ultimately end up dead or doing time. His mother eventually opted to send Washington and his older sister to Oakland Academy boarding school. After graduation, Washington began college at Fordham University in the Bronx – safely on the right path. At Fordham, Washington played on the college basketball team and was earning a degree in journalism until a summer job in 1975 forever changed his course. It was while working as a counselor at a Boys Club camp that Washington first took the stage to participate in a camp variety show, which is when he fell in love with acting. Returning to college that fall, he immediately added drama classes to his schedule and made an impressive debut in a Fordham production of Eugene O’Neill’s “The Emperor Jones” in the role made famous by Paul Robeson. The following year, he appeared in “Othello,” causing his professor Robinson Stone to remark to The Boston Globe, "He was easily the best Othello I had ever seen, and I had seen Paul Robeson play it. Jose Ferrer came to look at it. He and I agreed that Denzel had a brilliant career ahead of him." Washington was interested in attending Texas Tech University: "I grew up in the Boys Club in Mount Vernon, and we were the Red Raiders. So when I was in high school, I wanted to go to Texas Tech in Lubbock just because they were called the Red Raiders and their uniforms looked like ours." Nevertheless, Washington attained a B.A. in Drama and Journalism from Fordham University in 1977. At Fordham, he played collegiate basketball at the guard position under coach P. J. Carlesimo. He still found time to pursue his interest in acting, and after graduation he went to San Francisco, American Conservatory Theatre for one year. Shortly after graduating from Fordham, Washington made his professional acting debut in the 1977 made-for-television movie Wilma. He made his film debut in the 1981 film Carbon Copy. His big break came when he starred in the popular television hospital drama, St. Elsewhere from 1982 to 1988. He was one of a few actors to appear on the series for its entire six-year run. In 1987, after appearing in several minor television, film and stage roles, Washington starred as South African anti-apartheid campaigner Steve Biko in Richard Attenborough's Cry Freedom, a role for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In 1989, Washington won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for playing a defiant, self-possessed ex-slave in the film Glory. Also that same year, he gave a powerful performance as Reuben James, a Caribbean-born man who turned from a British Army paratrooper into a vigilante in For Queen and Country. Washington graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism in 1977 and promptly headed to San Francisco, CA, where he had landed a scholarship to further study acting at the American Conservatory Theater. In the Bay Area, he was cast in a TV biopic of Olympic athlete Wilma Rudolph, "Wilma" (CBS, 1977), which also introduced him to his future wife Pauletta Pearson. After a year at the Conservatory, Washington continued to earn a solid reputation on the New York stage, appearing in “Coriolanus” with the New York Shakespeare Company; "A Soldier's Play," which earned the ensemble cast an Obie Award and the playwright a Pulitzer; and "When the Chicken Comes Home to Roost," portraying Malcolm Shabazz (a.k.a. Malcolm X). While touring in "A Soldier's Play,” Washington landed the part of insecure young medical resident Dr. Phillip Chandler on the well-regarded drama, "St. Elsewhere" (NBC, 1982-88). Although one of the lesser players in the ensemble, Washington embarked on his film career during the show’s run, making his debut in the inane comedy "Carbon Copy" (1981). In 1984, he reprised his stage role in “A Soldier’s Play,” entitled "A Soldier's Story" (1984), and received high praise for his riveting lead performance as an outspoken recruit who kills his master sergeant (Adolph Caesar). He acted in Sidney Lumet's "Power" (1986), playing a part originally written for a white man, and then garnered his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor as South African activist Steven Biko in "Cry Freedom" (1987). Having considered dozens of African actors for Biko, director Richard Attenborough finally found the right mixture of charm, erudition and intellect in Washington, casting him in the first of the actor’s historical-political roles. Washington followed up with a second career high in 1988 when he debuted on Broadway in a production of Ron Milner’s comedy, “Checkmates.” Washington was tapped to play a Falklands war hero down on his luck in Thatcherite London in the thriller "For Queen and Country” (1988) before delivering an Oscar-winning portrayal of a defiant slave-turned-soldier in "Glory" (1989). As the emotionally-distant, womanizing trumpeter Bleek Gilliam in Spike Lee's stylish but uneven "Mo' Better Blues" (1990), Washington played one of his few roles calling for love scenes. The family man and father of four clashed with the director over the scene, ultimately insisting he keep his shirt on, though their differences would not keep them from working together again. The emerging star returned to the New York Shakespeare Festival that year in the title role of "Richard III" (1991). In the Summer of 1990 he starred in a movie called Mississippi Masala where he played the character Demetrius Williams. Washington played one of his most critically acclaimed roles in 1992's Malcolm X, directed by Spike Lee. His performance as the Black Nationalist leader earned him an Oscar nomination. Both the influential film critic Roger Ebert and the highly acclaimed film director Martin Scorsese called the movie one of the ten best films made during the 1990s. Malcolm X transformed Washington's career, turning him, practically overnight, into one of Hollywood's most respected actors. He turned down several similar roles, such as an offer to play Martin Luther King, Jr., because he wanted to avoid being typecast. The next year, in 1993, he took another risk in his career by playing Joe Miller, the homophobic lawyer of a homosexual man with AIDS in the movie Philadelphia starring Tom Hanks. During the early and mid 1990s, Washington became a renowned Hollywood leading man, starring in several successful thrillers, including The Pelican Brief and Crimson Tide, as well as comedies (Much Ado About Nothing) and romantic dramas (The Preacher's Wife). While filming the 1995 film Virtuosity, Washington refused to kiss his white female co-star, Kelly Lynch, during a romantic scene between their characters. During an interview, Lynch stated that while she wanted to, "Denzel felt very strongly about it. I felt there is no problem with interracial romance. But Denzel felt strongly that the white males, who were the target audience of this movie, would not want to see him kiss a white woman." Lynch further stated, "That's a shame. I feel badly about it. I keep thinking that the world's changed, but it hasn't changed quick enough." A similar situation also occurred during the filming of The Pelican Brief when Julia Roberts expressed in an interview her desire to have her character in the film engaged in a romantic relationship with Washington's character. And an additional occurrence was in the 1989 film The Mighty Quinn where Washington's Quinn character did not kiss Mimi Rogers' alluring Hadley character. However, in 1998, Washington starred in a scene of a sexual nature with actress Milla Jovovich, in Spike Lee's He Got Game. In 1999, Washington starred in The Hurricane, a movie about boxer Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter, whose conviction for triple murder was overturned after he had spent almost 20 years in prison. Various newspaper articles have suggested that the controversy over the film's accuracy may have cost Washington an Oscar for which he was nominated. Washington did receive a Golden Globe Award in 2000 and a 'Silberner Bär' (Silver Berlin Bear) at the Berlin International Film Festival for the role. He also presented the Arthur Ashe ESPY Award to Loretta Claiborne for her courage. He appeared as himself in the end of The Loretta Claiborne Story movie. Washington is often cited as an example of human physical attractiveness due to the symmetry of his facial features. After a disappointing turn playing an embattled cop on the edge in the crime thriller "Ricochet" (1991), Washington fared better falling for Sarita Choudhury in Mira Nair's engaging art-house romance "Mississippi Masala" (1992). Reuniting with Spike Lee at his best on "Malcolm X" (1992), Washington again slipped inside the skin of the controversial black leader in a superb Oscar-nominated lead performance. The montage of stills and footage of the real X at movie's end pointed up the brilliant alchemy enabling Washington to capture the essence of the influential minister and activist. Washington’s universal audience appeal and the depth of his dramatic chops again enabled him to effortlessly transition from historical and political chronicles of African-American culture to art house and mainstream fare of all genres. In 1993 alone, he demonstrated his ease with Shakespearean dialogue as the dashing Don Pedro in Kenneth Branagh's bouncy adaptation of "Much Ado About Nothing," showed he could sell mainstream Hollywood pictures, alongside superstar Julia Roberts in the John Grisham legal thriller "The Pelican Brief," and tackle timely issues, such as the tragedy of AIDS opposite Tom Hanks in "Philadelphia." Some reviewers deemed his role as a homophobic attorney who takes on the case of a HIV-positive lawyer unfairly fired by his law firm as more challenging than the sympathetic central character winningly played by Hanks. In any case, the film was a success and earned Hanks a Best Actor Oscar. In 1995, Washington starred opposite film veteran Gene Hackman in "Crimson Tide,” a nuclear brinkmanship thriller set on a submarine and one of the big hits of the summer season. It was his only box-office success that year, as the violent sci-fi thriller "Virtuosity" tanked despite its foundation of genuinely interesting ideas and the casting of a then unknown Aussie actor, Russell Crowe, as Washington’s crazy nemesis. Crowe would in fact, never forget how collaborative and kind the A-list star was to him as a Hollywood newcomer. In addition to the two films, Washington’s production company, Mundy Lane Entertainment, launched that year with the thoughtful, period detective film, "Devil in a Blue Dress." The meticulously observed slice of post-World War II Los Angeles black Americana was generally well-reviewed, but failed to find an audience, putting the kibosh on a proposed franchise for its star and ascendant writer-director Carl Franklin. Later that year – as if his year was not already chocked full – Washington served as executive producer of the TV documentary "Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream" (TBS, 1995). On a seemingly unending upswing of great parts and phenomenal performances, Washington went on to earn strong critical praise in Ed Zwick's "Courage Under Fire" (1996), revealing a darker aspect in his turn as an armored tank commander troubled over his involvement in an incident of friendly fire during the Persian Gulf War. The actor's sensitive and understated etching of his moody character was the stand-out performance in the film. He next co-starred with singer-turned-actress Whitney Houston in a film that might have seemed appropriate given his childhood, "The Preacher's Wife" (1996) — a Penny Marshall-directed remake of 1947's "The Bishop's Wife." Not exactly cutting edge for the 1990s, this warm-hearted holiday movie provided a handsome showcase for its black stars and did the lion's share of its business long after Christmas stockings had come down. However, none of his features opening in 1998 took off – though his work in all was exemplary. Washington did the best he could in Zwick's "The Siege," which deteriorated in a tide of action movie clichés after a promising beginning – not to mention the insidious, prejudicial attitudes naively displayed. He also reunited that year with Lee for the ambitious, yet flawed "He Got Game," playing a convict father temporarily released to try and convince his basketball prospect son to commit to the governor's favorite college. Washington gave a stand-out performance as the sorrowful Everyman wronged by passion and a blink of faith, but the director's heavy hand – despite his on-target look at basketball recruiting – mitigated the power of the father-son relationship. As the paralyzed protagonist of the serial killer thriller "The Bone Collector" (1999), Washington managed to compellingly anchor the film from his high-tech bed while glamorous newcomer Angelina Jolie served as his legs in the street. In 1999, Washington lost 40 pounds to play Ruben “Hurricane” Carter, the unjustly imprisoned former middleweight boxing contender, in "The Hurricane.” The film received a six-minute standing ovation when a work-in-progress print debuted at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival, causing the director to cite Washington's dedication and the painstaking recreation of different decades as the movie's two biggest pluses. Despite engendering controversy, mostly in the way some "facts" were omitted or rearranged, no one could fault the actor's work. Washington picked up his second Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. In 2000, Washington appeared in the crowd-pleasing Disney film, Remember the Titans, which grossed over $100 million at the United States box office. He was nominated and won an Oscar for Best Actor for his next film, the 2001 cop thriller, Training Day, which was considered a change of pace for Washington, as he played a villainous character after many roles as a heroic lead. Washington was the second African-American performer ever to win an Academy Award in the category of Best Actor (for Training Day), the first being Sidney Poitier, who happened to receive an Honorary Academy Award the same night that Washington won for Best Actor. Washington holds the record for most Oscar nominations by an actor of African descent; so far he has earned five. After appearing in 2002's box office success, the health care-themed John Q., Washington directed his first film, a well-reviewed drama called Antwone Fisher, in which he also co-starred. Audiences had become accustomed to rooting for Washington as a moral, noble lead, but with "Training Day" (2001), the actor showed them something new when he undertook the role of streetwise, abrasive and corrupt L.A. narcotics officer Alonzo Harris, who breaks in a new, idealistic partner (Ethan Hawke) while dispensing his own brand of street justice. Washington tore into the juicy role and earned his second Academy Award – this time, for Best Actor — the first black man to achieve that distinction since Poitier. By the time he picked up that statue, he had delivered another quality turn as the father of a critically ill son driven by circumstances to take desperate measures in the action drama "John Q" (2002). The film faired only marginally well at the box office. Now unquestionably the most popular black actor of his generation and a genuine A-lister with the paychecks to prove it, Washington’s search for life’s next challenge led him to directing. His first effort was the crowd-pleaser "Antwone Fisher" (2002), the true tale of a security guard who found success as a screenwriter and producer after a volatile career in the U.S. Navy. Washington returned to the role of leading man in the thriller "Out of Time" (2003), reuniting with director Carl Franklin to play chief of police of Banyan Key, FL, who ends up as the prime suspect in a small town double homicide. Both "Antwone Fisher" and "Out of Time" underperformed at the box office, but Washington's ability to draw an audience with the right material was reaffirmed with "Man on Fire" (2004), an action-packed revenge drama which cast the actor as a taciturn bodyguard who befriends his 10-year-old client (Dakota Fanning), before going on a bloody trail of retribution when she is kidnapped. In director Jonathan Demme's remake of the classic conspiracy thriller "The Manchurian Candidate" (2004), Washington equated himself well in a challenging role, taking the Frank Sinatra part as a confused military officer attempting to unravel the secrets behind his frightening dreams of a mission gone awry. Washington made the character his own, investing him with both quiet nobility and crazed desperation. He followed up with a return to the stage for two months of performances as Brutus in Shakespeare's “Julius Caesar” on Broadway. Washington’s presence packed the show night after night; however the actor received some of the worst stage reviews of his career. Returning to the big screen, he starred in Spike Lee’s first stab at the heist genre, “Inside Man” (2006), playing a smooth, even-keeled hostage negotiator who is dispatched to the scene of a bank robbery to diffuse a crisis situation, but finds himself one step behind the job’s cool and collected mastermind (Clive Owen). Between 2003 and 2004, Washington appeared in a series of thrillers that performed generally well at the box office, including Out of Time, Man on Fire, and The Manchurian Candidate. In 2006 he starred in Inside Man, a Spike Lee-directed bank heist thriller co-starring Jodie Foster and Clive Owen, and Déjà Vu released in November 2006. Next, he co-starred with Russell Crowe in American Gangster and directed and starred in The Great Debaters. Washington made a rare stage appearance in 2005 as Brutus in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar on Broadway. The production's limited run was a consistent sell-out, averaging 100% attendance capacity nightly despite receiving universally terrible reviews. Washington once again put his good-guy image aside and earned rave reviews for 2007’s “American Gangster,” co-starring alongside former co-star and now fellow A-lister Russell Crowe in the fact-based chronicle of New York’s drug underworld of the 1970s. In the Ridley Scott-directed picture which many likened to the gangster epics of Martin Scorsese, Washington played a savvy, business-minded employee of Harlem’s top drug dealer who steps in to build his own empire following the death of his boss. The film earned over $46 million dollars on opening weekend and instantly generated Oscar buzz for both lead actors and director Scott. Washington would return to his respectable persona later in the year with the Christmas release of “The Great Debaters” (2007), playing an inspirational teacher who founds a powerhouse debate team at an all black college during the 1930s. The film marked Washington’s sophomore directing effort. In 1983, Washington married actress Pauletta Pearson (now Pauletta Washington), whom he met on the set of his first screen role, Wilma. The couple has four children: John David (b. July 28, 1984), who signed a football contract with the St. Louis Rams in May 2006 after playing college football at Morehouse; Katia (b. November 1987), who is attending Yale University, and twins Olivia and Malcolm (b. April 10, 1991). In 1995, the couple renewed their wedding vows in South Africa with Archbishop Desmond Tutu officiating. Washington and his family visited soldiers at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. He later made a sizable donation to the Fisher Houses, small hotels that provide rooms for soldiers' families while the soldiers are hospitalized. In October 2006, he published a bestseller entitled Hand to Guide Me, featuring actors, politicians, athletes, and other public figures recalling their childhood mentors. The book was published in commemoration of the Boys and Girls Club of America's centennial anniversary, because Washington had participated in the club as a child. Washington is a devout Christian. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia named Washington as one of three people (the others being directors Oliver Stone and Michael Moore) with whom they were willing to negotiate for the release of three defense contractors that the group had held captive since 2003. On May 20, 2007 Washington received an honorary doctorate of humanities degree from Morehouse College. |
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