Denzel Washington: A legacy of excellence in film and beyond
No list of iconic Black film actors is complete without Denzel Washington’s name. Washington has been an industry icon for decades, and his status as one of the greatest actors in the 21st century is well-deserved.
Early life and education
Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. was born in Mt. Vernon, New York, on Dec. 28, 1954, to an ordained Pentecostal minister and beauty parlor owner. When he wasn’t helping his mother out in her shop — she brought him on to sweep the floors when he was 11 years old — you could find Washington at the local Boys & Girls Club.
He became a member at 6 years old and credited his time there for his success. During a visit to his hometown Boys & Girls Club, he told the students:
“Everything you’ve seen or heard about me began with lessons I learned to live by at the Club.”
After Washington’s parents, Denzel Sr. and Lennis, divorced when he was 14, he and his sister were sent to a boarding school in New Windsor, New York. Post-high school, Washington made his way to Fordham University.
Washington’s college plans didn’t pan out exactly as he planned. He started out playing basketball and studying pre-med, a degree program he stuck with until he took a course called “Cardiac Morphogenesis.” He couldn’t pronounce it or pass it, he shared at a commencement address at the University of Pennsylvania in May 2011, so he decided to go the pre-law route before eventually switching to journalism.
He, in his own words, had “no academic focus,” and his grades had dipped so low that he was asked politely yet firmly to take a sabbatical. That sabbatical, he shared in the UPenn commencement speech, was when he received a spiritual prophecy about his future.
While he was working at his mother’s shop, an older woman approached him and told him he would travel the world and speak to millions. He was skeptical at first, but later that summer, when he was working as a YMCA summer camp counselor, the performance bug bit him.
Washington enjoyed the camp production he’d participated in so much that he was motivated to return to Fordham and change his major once more. This time, he decided to pursue drama. Washington found his footing in the Fordham University drama department, ultimately graduating with a degree in theater in 1977.
Career breakthrough and Hollywood rise
Despite getting off to a rocky start, Washington conquered college. But after graduating, he had a new goal to achieve, and this one was no easy feat: build a career in his chosen field.
Early career and notable roles
After graduating from Fordham, Washington made his way to San Francisco to attend the American Conservatory Theater for graduate school. He stayed there for one year before he returned to New York to begin his professional acting career.
In 1977, Washington made his screen acting debut as Robert Eldridge in “Wilma: The Wilma Rudolph Story.” The docudrama tells the story of American track sprinter Wilma Rudolph and her journey to becoming an Olympic gold medalist. Washington starred alongside Cicely Tyson and Pauletta Pearson, the latter of whom would become his wife.
Washington’s next onscreen project was released in 1979. He portrayed Kirk in the made-for-television movie “Flesh & Blood.” Not long after, in 1981, Washington made his television film debut in “Carbon Copy,” starring alongside George Segal and Susan Saint James. Some call the comedy/drama Washington’s worst movie.
However, mixed movie reviews aside, Washington shined in the role, and Hollywood was overall impressed with this newcomer’s performance. It may be why, just one short year later, Washington landed his first major television role as Dr. Phillip Chandler in NBC’s six-season drama “St. Elsewhere.”
Iconic movies and best performances
Washington has remained booked and busy since “Wilma,” racking up an impressive resume with dozens of credits listed. One of the best Denzel Washington movies, the most notable and critically acclaimed, is “Malcolm X,” a 1992 film in which the Fordham graduate played the titular character.
His portrayal of the civil and human rights activist catapulted Washington’s career to the next level. Of course, by this point, he was a known name in the industry, thanks to his six seasons on “St. Elsewhere” and roles in projects like “Cry Freedom” in 1987 and “Glory” in 1989, which earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination and award, respectively.
But Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X” undoubtedly cemented his reputation as a respectable performer. His performance in the film earned him another Oscar nomination. It was said he was a shoo-in. However, much to the surprise and dismay of many critics and fans, Washington did not win the Oscar that year.
Still, even without an Oscar in hand, Washington’s portrayal of “Malcolm X” helped him become one of Hollywood’s most respected leading men. Soon after, he was tapped to star in titles like “Courage Under Fire,” “Philadelphia,” “The Preacher’s Wife,” “The Hurricane,” “Training Day,” “Remember the Titans” and “American Gangster.”
Denzel Oscar awards and other accolades
Throughout his impressively long career — 2025 marks his 50th year as a working actor! — Washington has managed to bring home a long list of awards and accolades. One of his most recent accolades is the Presidential Medal of Freedom, given to him in 2022 by President Joe Biden. Washington was one of 17 honorees and was the only actor to make the cut.
Washington’s list of honors is long — 88 wins and 213 nominations, according to IMDb — and it includes titles such as:
- More than 13-time NAACP Image Award Winner, including Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture, wins for “Malcolm X,” “Glory,” “The Hurricane,” “Training Day” and “Remember the Titans”
- Best Actor from the BET Awards in 2001, 2004, 2008 and 2024
- BET’s 2005 Humanitarian Award — he shares this award with his wife, Pauletta
- The 2010 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play for his work on “Fences”
Though Washington has been nominated for 10 Academy Awards during his five-decade career, he has only taken home two: one for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 1990 and another for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 2002. His 2002 Oscar win, received for his role in “Training Day,” was a momentous occasion not just in Washington’s career but in history. The win made Washington the second Black person to ever win the prize.
Some of Washington’s serious fans believe he should have three Best Actor Oscars in his trophy case. In 1993, Washington was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his work in “Malcolm X.” However, to the shock of many, Washington didn’t win the award.
Washington’s performance in this film remains one of his strongest works, and his portrayal of Malcolm X was believable. However, some believe that because Malcolm X is a polarizing figure, awarding Washington the win for portraying him would have presented the Academy with more criticism than they wanted to take on.
Washington also received the Film Icon Award at TheGrio Awards in 2023 — an unsurprising honor, as “Film Icon” is one of, if not the best, ways to refer to the New York native.
You’ll also find Washington’s name written on three honorary higher education degrees. Morehouse College awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Humanities in 2007, while his alma mater, Fordham, handed him an honorary doctorate in 1991. His third degree comes from the University of Pennsylvania. The institution gave him an honorary Doctor of Arts in 2011.
Directing credits
You won’t just find the award-winning actor Denzel Washington in front of a camera or on the stage. Throughout his career, he has found himself on the other side of the production process, having directed and produced a few projects.
Washington made his feature film directorial debut in 2002 with “Antwone Fisher.” The film, starring Derek Luke, Joy Bryant and Washington, is based on the real-life story of Antwone Fisher, a U.S. serviceman with a troubled past.
Three other projects bear Washington’s name as director:
- “The Great Debaters,” a 2007 film documenting the true story of a radical debate team coach and how he helped an underdog group of Black students take on the Harvard elite
- “Fences,” a 2016 historical drama based on the 1985 play of the same name
- “A Journal for Jordan,” a film based on the story of First Sergeant Charles Monroe King and the journal of advice he began keeping for his infant son
Even with a handful of directorial credits, Washington said in a 2021 interview with PBS that he doesn’t call himself a director. “I’m still learning,” he said just before noting, “I enjoy being a more behind-the-scenes guy.”
He explained that part of his learning process includes following the example set by the directors he’s worked with — directorial legends like Spike Lee, Tony Scott, Ridley Scott and Richard Attenborough are just a few of them. He doesn’t imitate their methods totally, he explained, but instead takes a little bit from all of them and attempts to apply it to the project he’s working on.
Personal life
When Washington isn’t on a film or television set, he’s more than likely spending time with his family — a wife, Pauletta, whom he met on the set of “Wilma” and married in 1983, and four children named John David, Katia, Malcolm and Olivia.
Washington’s children, he told People Magazine, are his greatest accomplishment.
“They’re good people. They know right from wrong. What else can you ask for, you know? That alone: All four of them, healthy and in their right mind. Enough said.”
The wisdom and morality Washington and his wife instilled in their children stuck, but those aren’t all the four picked up from their parents. They also inherited their entertainment abilities, with each of them having pursued a path in the industry.
The oldest Washington, John David, is an actor, having portrayed roles in HBO’s “Ballers,” “Tenet” and “Malcolm and Marie.” Before that, he was a professional football player signed to teams in the NFL, NFL Europe and the United Football League, respectively.
Olivia, twin to Malcolm, followed in her father and eldest brother’s footsteps and pursued an acting career. She’s been in films — “The Butler” and “Breaking” — and on television in shows like “Empire” and “She’s Gotta Have It.”
Washington’s second-born child Katia also jumped into the entertainment industry, alongside Malcom. Only, unlike their father and siblings, they wouldn’t be onscreen. Instead, they chose paths that led them behind the scenes. Katia is a producer who collaborated with her father on “Fences,” while Malcolm is a producer, director and writer. He directed and co-wrote the 2024 drama “The Piano Lesson.”
Future projects and legacy
It’s hard to guess the next role Washington will portray. Still, at 69 years old, Washington is working. We are yet to see seven more film adaptations of August Wilson’s plays Washington promised to deliver to the screen. There’s also a new collaboration with Spike Lee on the procedural drama film “High and Low,” which is a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s film from 1963. We’re eager to see how this one will play out.
Apart from that, his most recent project was “Gladiator 2,” which opened in theaters in November 2024. Post Gladiator, it may be a while before we see Washington on the big screen again. He admitted there are very few films that interest him and that, before he lends his talents to a project, he has to be inspired by the filmmaker. That’s why he jumped on the “Gladiator 2” project. The director Ridley Scott, whom Washington had worked with on “American Gangster,” inspired him to take the role.
That said, Washington has yet to say anything about retirement plans. So, we can assume that should another inspiring filmmaker send a script his way, Washington will once again head to the big screen. But even if the Gladiator sequel is his last hurrah, Washington can walk away with pride, knowing he has helped pave the way for African-American film directors and actors and actresses who have yet to make their debuts.
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