Denzel Washington

Denzel Hayes Washington Jr born December 28 1954 is an American actor Known for his dramatic roles on stage and screen he has received numerous accolades including two Academy Awards an Actor Award two Golden Globes two Silver Bears and a Tony Award as well as nominations for a Grammy Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards In 2020 The New York Times named Washington the greatest actor of the 21st century He has also been honoured with the Cecil B DeMille Award in 2016 AFI Life Achievement Award in 2019 the Honorary Palme dOr in 2025 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2025 Films in which he has appeared have grossed over 51 billion worldwide After training at the American Conservatory Theater Washington began his career in theatre acting in OffBroadway performances He first came to prominence in the NBC medical drama series St Elsewhere 19821988 and in the war film A Soldiers Story 1984 Washington won Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor for playing an American Civil War soldier in the war drama Glory 1989 and for Best Actor for playing a corrupt police officer in the crime thriller Training Day 2001 He was Oscarnominated for his roles in Cry Freedom 1987 Malcolm X 1992 The Hurricane 1999 Flight 2012 Fences 2016 Roman J Israel Esq 2017 and The Tragedy of Macbeth 2021 Washington has starred in other notable films including The Pelican Brief Philadelphia both 1993 Crimson Tide Devil in a Blue Dress both 1995 He Got Game 1998 Remember the Titans 2000 Man on Fire 2004 Déjà Vu Inside Man both 2006 American Gangster 2007 Unstoppable The Book of Eli both 2010 The Equalizer trilogy 20142023 Gladiator II 2024 and Highest 2 Lowest 2025 Washington has also directed the films Antwone Fisher 2002 The Great Debaters 2007 Fences 2016 and A Journal for Jordan 2021 On stage he has acted in The Public Theater productions of Coriolanus 1979 and The Tragedy of Richard III 1990 He made his Broadway debut in the Ron Milner play Checkmates 1988 He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role as a disillusioned workingclass father in the Broadway revival of August Wilsons play Fences 2010 He has also acted in the Broadway revivals of William Shakespeares Julius Caesar 2005 and Othello 2025 Lorraine Hansberrys play A Raisin in the Sun 2014 and Eugene ONeills play The Iceman Cometh 2018