Denzel Washington

Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is a two-time Academy Award- winning American actor and director. He has garnered much critical acclaim for his portrayals of several real-life figures, such as Steve Biko, Malcolm X, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, Melvin B. Tolson, Frank Lucas, and Herman Boone.


Washington was born in New York City. His mother, Lennis, was a beauty parlor-owner born in Georgia and raised in Harlem.[1] 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".[1] 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.

As a child, 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."[2] Nevertheless, he went on to college at the University of Oklahoma but did not do well and dropped out.[citation needed] Washington attained a B.A. in Drama and Journalism from Fordham University in 1977. At Fordham, he played collegiate basketball 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.[citation needed]

[edit]
Early career

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.

[edit]
Career: 1990s

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."[3] 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.[4][5]

[edit]
Career: 2000s

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.

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.[6] 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 sell-out despite receiving universally terrible reviews.

[edit]
Personal life

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;[7] 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. Denzel had participated in the club as a child.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia named Washington as one of three people (the others being directors Oliver Stone and Michael Moore) they want to negotiate with for the release of three defense contractors that the group has held captive since 2003.[8]

On May 20, 2007 Washington received an honorary doctorate of humanities degree from Morehouse College.

Washington is also a devout Christian.

Denzel is a devoted, and ardent admirer of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. He is an alum of the Mount Vernon Boys & Girls Club, New York, and is, to this day, actively involved in the Club, and other Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation. Denzel is an outspoken defender of children's rights, particularly those children of color growing up in difficult, almost hopeless circumstances.

[edit]
Filmography
Year Film Role Other notes
1981 Carbon Copy Roger Porter
1984 A Soldier's Story Pfc. Peterson
1986 Hard Lessons George McKenna
Power Arnold Billing Image Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
1987 Cry Freedom Steve Biko Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination
1989 The Mighty Quinn Xavier Quinn
For Queen and Country Reuben James
Glory Pvt. Trip Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture
1990 Heart Condition Napoleon Stone
Mo' Better Blues Bleek Gilliam
1991 Ricochet Nick Styles
1992 Mississippi Masala Demetrius Williams
Malcolm X Malcolm X Academy Award for Best Actor nomination
1993 Much Ado About Nothing Don Pedro of Aragon
The Pelican Brief Gray Grantham
Philadelphia Joe Miller
1995 Crimson Tide Lt. Commander Ron Hunter
Virtuosity Lt. Parker Barnes
Devil in a Blue Dress Easy Rawlins
1996 Courage Under Fire Lt. Colonel Nathaniel Serling
The Preacher's Wife Dudley
1998 Fallen Detective John Hobbes
He Got Game Jake Shuttlesworth
The Siege Special Agent Anthony 'Hub' Hubbard
1999 The Bone Collector Lincoln Rhyme
The Hurricane Rubin "Hurricane" Carter Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
Academy Award for Best Actor nomination
2000 Remember the Titans Coach Herman Boone
The Loretta Claiborne Story Himself
2001 Training Day Detective Alonzo Harris Academy Award for Best Actor
2002 John Q John Quincy Archibald
Antwone Fisher Dr. Jerome Davenport also as director
2003 Out of Time Police Chief Matthias Lee Whitlock
2004 Man on Fire John Creasy
The Manchurian Candidate Major Ben Marco
2006 Inside Man Detective Keith Frazier
Déjà Vu Special Agent Doug Carlin
2007 American Gangster Frank Lucas
The Great Debaters Melvin B. Tolson also as director
2009 The Taking of Pelham 123 Zachary "Z" Garber

[Pre-production]

[edit]
Awards and nominations
Awards
Preceded by
Kevin Kline
for A Fish Called Wanda Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
1989
for Glory Succeeded by
Joe Pesci
for Goodfellas
Preceded by
Martin Landau
for Tucker: The Man and His Dream Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture
1990
for Glory Succeeded by
Bruce Davison
for Longtime Companion
Preceded by
Jim Carrey
for The Truman Show Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
2000
for The Hurricane Succeeded by
Tom Hanks
for Cast Away
Preceded by
Russell Crowe
for Gladiator Academy Award for Best Actor
2001
for Training Day Succeeded by
Adrien Brody
for The Pianist
Preceded by
Brad Pitt People's Sexiest Man Alive
1996 Succeeded by
George Clooney

[edit]
Awards/nominations
1993 - won Silver Bear (Best Actor) for Malcolm X at the Berlin International Film Festival
2000 - won Silver Bear (Best Actor) for The Hurricane at the Berlin International Film Festival
Academy Awards
2002, Best Actor in a Leading Role: Training Day (Winner)
2000, Best Actor in a Leading Role: The Hurricane (Nominee)
1993, Best Actor in a Leading Role: Malcolm X (film) (Nominee)
1990, Best Supporting Actor: Glory (Winner)
1988, Best Supporting Actor: Cry Freedom (Nominee)
BET Awards
2006, Best Actor (Nominated)
2004, Best Actor (Winner)
2003, Best Actor (Nominated)
2002, Best Actor (Nominated)
2001, Best Actor (Winner)
Black Movie Awards
2006, Outstanding Lead Actor: Inside Man (Nominated)
Golden Globe
2008, Best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture: American Gangster (Nominated)
Screen Actors Guild Awards
2008, Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture: American Gangster (Nominated)

[edit]
References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Denzel Washington
^ a b Nickson, Chris (1996). Denzel Washington. St. Martin's Paperbacks, 9-11. ISBN-100312960433.
^ Leach OK with star power. Florida Times-Union. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
^ Quotes from Jet magazine, 1995
^ Cowley, Geoffrey. "The biology of beauty", Newsweek v127 n23, Newsweek, 1996-06-03, p. 60(7). Excerpted by Balancing Act. Symonics Inc. Retrieved on 2007-03-20.
^ Rodgers, Joann Ellison. "Flirting Fascination", Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, Jan/Feb 1999. Retrieved on 2007-03-20.
^ Denzel Washington Movie Box Office Results. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved on 2007-03-20.
^ "Denzel Washington's son among Rams signees", ESPN, 2006-05-01. Retrieved on 2007-03-20.
^ "Colombian rebels ask Denzel Washington to help broker hostage exchange", CBC Arts, 2006-11-10. Retrieved on 2007-03-20.

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External links
Denzel Washington at the Internet Movie Database
Denzel Washington at the TCM Movie Database
Denzel Washington at the Internet Broadway Database
Denzel Washington at People.com
Denzel Washington being interviewed on BBC Radio Five Live
Men's Vogue profile of Denzel Washington