Denzel Washington is an American actor known for his performance on stage and screen. Washington made his feature film debut in Carbon Copy (1981).[1] In 1982, Washington made his first appearance in the medical drama St. Elsewhere as Dr. Philip Chandler. The role proved to be the breakthrough in his career.[2][3] He starred as Private First Class Melvin Peterson in the drama A Soldier's Story (1984). The film was an adaptation of the Off-Broadway play A Soldier's Play (1981–1983) in which Washington had earlier portrayed the same character.[4]
![A photograph of Washington at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2000](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Denzel_Washington_cropped_02.jpg/190px-Denzel_Washington_cropped_02.jpg)
He has since gained recognition as one of the greatest actors in the 21st century.[5] Washington went on to win two Academy Awards, his first for Best Supporting Actor as a former slave-turned-soldier in Civil War film Glory (1989)[6][7] and his second for Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as a corrupt cop in the crime thriller Training Day (2001).[8][9] By virtue of his win, he became the first African American actor to win two competitive Academy Awards, and the first since Sidney Poitier in 1964 to win the leading actor award.[10][11] His other Oscar-nominated roles were in Cry Freedom (1987),[12] Malcolm X (1992),[13] The Hurricane (1999),[14] Flight (2012),[15] Fences (2016),[16] Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017),[17] and The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021).[18]
Washington also established himself as a leading man in Hollywood acting in films such as the Spike Lee's Mo' Better Blues (1990), the romantic drama Mississippi Masala (1991), Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing (1993), the thriller The Pelican Brief (1993), the AIDS drama Philadelphia (1993), the action thriller Crimson Tide (1995), the war drama Courage Under Fire (1996), the sports drama Remember the Titans (2000), the action thriller Man on Fire (2004), the political thriller The Manchurian Candidate (2004), the crime thrillers Inside Man (2006), and American Gangster (2007). He has starred in the action thriller The Equalizer franchise (2014–2023) and has directed films such as Antwone Fisher (2002), The Great Debaters (2007), and Fences (2016).
He has also asserted himself onstage acting in The Public Theatre productions of William Shakespeare's tragedies Coriolanus (1979), and The Tragedy of Richard III (1990). He made his Broadway debut in Checkmates (1988). He went on to win the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for playing Troy Maxson in the August Wilson play Fences (2010). His other Broadway roles include Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (2005), Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun (2014), and Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh (2018), the later of which earned him another Tony Award nomination.[19] He is set to return to Broadway in the 2025 revival of Shakepeare's Othello playing the title role.[20]
Film
editYear | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1981 | Carbon Copy | Roger Porter | [21] | |
1984 | A Soldier's Story | Private First Class Melvin Peterson | [22] | |
1986 | Power | Arnold Billings | [23] | |
1987 | Cry Freedom | Steve Biko | [24] | |
1988 | For Queen and Country | Reuben James | [25] | |
1989 | The Mighty Quinn | Xavier Quinn | [26] | |
Glory | Private Silas Trip | [23] | ||
1990 | Heart Condition | Napoleon Stone | [27] | |
Mo' Better Blues | Bleek Gilliam | [28] | ||
1991 | Mississippi Masala | Demetrius Williams | [29] | |
Ricochet | Nick Styles | [30] | ||
1992 | Malcolm X | Malcolm X | [23] | |
1993 | Much Ado About Nothing | Don Pedro of Aragon | [31] | |
The Pelican Brief | Gray Grantham | [32] | ||
Philadelphia | Joe Miller | [33] | ||
1995 | Crimson Tide | Lt. Commander Ron Hunter | [34] | |
Virtuosity | Lt. Parker Barnes | [23] | ||
Devil in a Blue Dress | Easy Rawlins | [23] | ||
1996 | Courage Under Fire | Lt. Colonel Nathaniel Serling | [23] | |
The Preacher's Wife | Dudley | [35] | ||
1998 | Fallen | Detective John Hobbes | [36] | |
He Got Game | Jake Shuttlesworth | [23] | ||
The Siege | Anthony Hubbard | [23] | ||
1999 | The Bone Collector | Lincoln Rhyme | [23] | |
The Hurricane | Rubin Carter | [14] | ||
2000 | Remember the Titans | Herman Boone | [37] | |
2001 | Training Day | Alonzo Harris | [23] | |
2002 | John Q. | John Quincy Archibald | [38] | |
Antwone Fisher | Dr. Jerome Davenport | Also director and producer | [39] | |
2003 | Out of Time | Matt Lee Whitlock | [40] | |
2004 | Man on Fire | John W. Creasy | [41] | |
The Manchurian Candidate | Maj. Ben Marco | [42] | ||
2006 | Inside Man | Keith Frazier | [43] | |
Déjà Vu | Doug Carlin | [44] | ||
2007 | American Gangster | Frank Lucas | [23] | |
The Great Debaters | Melvin B. Tolson | Also director | [23] | |
2009 | The Taking of Pelham 123 | Walter Garber | [23] | |
2010 | The Book of Eli | Eli | Also producer | [45] |
Unstoppable | Frank Barnes | [46] | ||
2012 | Safe House | Tobin Frost | [47] | |
Flight | William "Whip" Whitaker Sr. | [48] | ||
2013 | 2 Guns | Robert "Bobby" Trench | [23] | |
2014 | The Equalizer | Robert McCall | Also producer | [49] |
2016 | The Magnificent Seven | Sam Chisolm | [50] | |
Fences | Troy Maxson | Also director and producer | [51] | |
2017 | Roman J. Israel, Esq. | Roman J. Israel | Also producer | [52][53] |
2018 | The Equalizer 2 | Robert McCall | Also producer | [54] |
2020 | Ma Rainey's Black Bottom | — | Producer only | [55] |
2021 | The Little Things | Deputy Sheriff Joe "Deke" Deacon | [56] | |
The Tragedy of Macbeth | Lord Macbeth | [57] | ||
A Journal for Jordan | — | Director and producer only | [58] | |
2023 | The Equalizer 3 | Robert McCall | Also producer | [59] |
2024 | Gladiator II † | Macrinus | Post-production | [60] |
TBA | High and Low † | TBA | Post-production | [61] |
The Piano Lesson † | — | Producer only; post-production | [62] |
† | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Television
editYear(s) | Title | Role(s) | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1977 | The Wilma Rudolph Story | Robert Eldridge – age 18 | Television film | [63] [64] |
1979 | Flesh & Blood | Kirk | Television film | [65] [66] |
1982–1988 | St. Elsewhere | Dr. Philip Chandler | 118 episodes | [67] |
1984 | License to Kill | Martin Sawyer | Television film | [68] |
1986 | The George McKenna Story | George McKenna | Also known as Hard Lessons; Television film | [69] |
1992 | Great Performances | Narrator | Episode: "Jammin': Jelly Roll Morton on Broadway" | [70] |
Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II | Narrator | Documentary | [71] | |
1995, 1997 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | King Omar / Humpty Dumpty / Crooked Man | Voice, 2 episodes | [72] [73] |
2013 | The March | Narrator | Documentary | [74] |
2016 | Grey's Anatomy | — | Director of episode: "The Sound of Silence" | [75] |
Theatre
editYear(s) | Production | Role(s) | Theater | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1979 | Coriolanus | Aediles / Roman Citizen / Voscian Citizen Roman Soldier / Voscian Soldier |
Joseph Papp Public Theater | June 22 − July 22 | [76] |
1981 | When the Chickens Came Home to Roost | Malcolm X | New Federal Theatre | [77] | |
1981–1983 | A Soldier's Play | Private First Class Melvin Peterson | Theatre Four | Nov. 20, 1981 − Jan. 2, 1983 | [78] |
1988 | Checkmates | Sylvester Williams | 46th Street Theatre | August 4 − December 31 | [79] |
1990 | The Tragedy of Richard III | Richard III of England | Joseph Papp Public Theater | August 3 − September 2 | [80] |
2005 | Julius Caesar | Marcus Brutus | Belasco Theatre | April 3 − June 12 | [81] |
2010 | Fences | Troy Maxson | Cort Theatre | April 26 − July 11 | [82] |
2014 | A Raisin in the Sun | Walter Lee Younger | Ethel Barrymore Theatre | April 3 − June 15 | [83] |
2018 | The Iceman Cometh | Theodore "Hickey" Hickman | Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre | April 26 − July 1 | [84] |
2025 | Othello † | Othello | TBA | Spring 2025 | [85] |
See also
editReferences
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- ^ "Denzel Washington: His Life and Career in Pictures". The Hollywood Reporter. October 31, 2012. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
- ^ Van Gelder, Laawrence (September 14, 1984). "A Soldier s Story (1984) Film: 'Soldier's Story'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
- ^ Dargis, Manohla; Scott, A. O. (November 25, 2020). "The 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ Collins, Glenn (December 28, 1989). "Denzel Washington Takes a Defiant Break From Clean-Cut Roles". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 21, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- ^ "Denzel Washington Wins Oscar for 'Glory': Academy Awards: He is named best supporting actor for role in Civil War drama about black soldiers". Los Angeles Times. March 27, 1990. Archived from the original on May 19, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (October 5, 2001). "Training Day Movie Review & Film Summary". Roger Ebert. Archived from the original on April 14, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- ^ "The 74th Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- ^ "Unforgettable Oscar Moments". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Archived from the original on May 22, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
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- ^ "The 60th Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
- ^ "1993 Academy Awards". Oscars.org. October 4, 2014. Archived from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ a b Ebert, Roger (January 7, 2000). "The Hurricane Movie Review & Film Summary (2000)". Roger Ebert. Archived from the original on October 18, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- ^ Simmons, Russell (November 5, 2012). "Russell Simmons on Denzel Washington's 'Flight': 'Don't Boycott, Take Your Friends'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 28, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- ^ "2017 Academy Awards". Oscars.org. April 18, 2017. Archived from the original on April 17, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ "2018 Academy Awards". Oscars.org. Archived from the original on March 10, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ Complex, Valerie (February 8, 2022). "Denzel Washington's Best Actor Nomination For The Tragedy of Macbeth Is His Tenth Making Him The Most Nominated Black Actor In Oscar History". Deadline.com. Archived from the original on November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ "2018 Tony Award Nominations: SpongeBob SquarePants and Mean Girls Lead the Pack". Playbill. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ "Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal to Star in Othello on Broadway". Broadway.com. Archived from the original on March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ Donalson, Melvin (January 1, 2010). Black Directors in Hollywood. University of Texas Press. p. 87. ISBN 978-0-292-78224-2. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- ^ "A Soldier's Story (1984)". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on September 13, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Denzel Washington Movie Reviews & Film Summaries". Roger Ebert. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
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- ^ Scott, A. O. (July 30, 2004). "The Manchurian Candidate (2004) Film Review; Remembrance of Things Planted". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 20, 2017. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
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- ^ "The Book of Eli (2010)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2016. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
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- ^ Hans, Simran (February 4, 2018). "Roman J Israel, Esq review – strange but compelling". The Observer. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
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- ^ Debruge, Peter (July 17, 2018). "Film Review: Denzel Washington in 'The Equalizer 2'". Variety. Archived from the original on June 10, 2019. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
- ^ McNary, Dave (June 19, 2019). "Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman Starring in 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' for Netflix". Variety. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (October 31, 2019). "Denzel Washington's 'Little Things' Casts John Harlan Kim (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
- ^ Bradshaw, Peter (September 24, 2021). "The Tragedy of Macbeth review – McDormand and Washington deliver noirish nightmare". The Guardian. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (February 2, 2019). "Michael B. Jordan to Star in Denzel Washington's 'Journal for Jordan'". Variety. Archived from the original on February 22, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- ^ Vivarelli, Nick (November 2, 2022). "'Equalizer 3' Drug Bust: Italian Police Seize 120 Grams of Cocaine From Film's Caterers, Raid Hotel Rooms". Variety. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (March 17, 2023). "Denzel Washington Reuniting With Ridley Scott On 'Gladiator' Sequel At Paramount". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- ^ Klawans, Justin (February 8, 2024). "Many Have Failed to Remake Kurosawa's 'High and Low' — Spike Lee and Denzel Washington Will Try". Collider. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (April 13, 2023). "Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Danielle Deadwyler & More Set For Netflix's The Piano Lesson; Denzel Washington, Todd Black Producing". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
- ^ M. Smith, Maureen (January 1, 2006). Wilma Rudolph: A Biography. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 100. ISBN 978-0-313-33307-1. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
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- ^ "Coriolanus". Lortel. Archived from the original on October 28, 2014. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
- ^ "The Stage: Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad". The New York Times. July 15, 1981. Archived from the original on February 8, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
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- ^ "Julius Caesar". Internet Broadway Database. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
- ^ "Fences". Internet Broadway Database. Archived from the original on April 1, 2015. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
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External links
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