Denzel Washington

Tall, strikingly handsome leading man of films and television in the 1980s and 1990s, Denzel Washington was born in 1954 in Mount Vernon, New York. He was the middle child of the 3 children of a Pentecostal minister father and a beautician mother. After graduating from high school, Denzel enrolled at Fordham University intent on a career in journalism. However, he caught the acting bug while appearing in student drama productions and upon graduation he moved to San Francisco and enrolled at the American Conservatory Theater. He left A.C.T. after only 1 year to seek work as an actor. With his acting versatility and powerful sexual presence, he had no difficulty finding work in numerous television productions. He made his first big screen appearance in Carbon Copy (1981) with George Segal. Through the 1980s he worked in both movies and television and was chosen for the plum role of Dr. Chandler in NBC's hit medical series "St. Elsewhere" (1982), a role that he would play for 6 years. In 1989 he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Tripp, the runaway slave in Edward Zwick's powerful historical masterpiece Glory (1989).

Through the 1990s Denzel co-starred in such big budget productions as The Pelican Brief (1993); Philadelphia (1993); Crimson Tide (1995); The Preacher's Wife (1996); and Courage Under Fire (1996) - a role for which he was paid $10 million. He lives quietly in Los Angeles with his wife Pauletta and their 4 children. Cerebral and meticulous in his film work, he made his debut as a director in 2002 with Antwone Fisher (2002).

Only the second actor of color (after Sidney Poitier)

to win the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (for Training Day (2001)

Denzel Washington recieves an Oscar in 2002

for the movie

Training Day

Denzel Washington shows his remarkable acting skills

Glory

Denzel Washington

Glory

Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman

Glory

Denzel Washington won theese Awards in 1989

Oscar: Best Supporting Actor, Glory

Golden Globe: Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, Glory

Funny draw

Awards:

2002: Academy Award - Best Actor - Training Day

2001: Boston Film Critics Award, A.F.I. (American Film Institute) Award, L.A. Critic Award

2000: NAACP Image Award: Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture, The Hurricane

1999: Golden Globe: Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama), The Hurricane

1997: ShoWest Actor of the Year

1997: NAACP Image: Entertainer of the Year

1997: NAACP Image: Best Performance in an Animated/Live-Action/Dramatic Youth or Children's Series/Special, Happily Ever After: Mother Goose

1997: NAACP Image: Best Motion-Picture Actor, Courage Under Fire

1996: NAACP Image: Entertainer of the Year

1996: NAACP Image: Best Performance in an Animated/Live-Action/Dramatic Youth or Children's Series/Special, Happily Ever After: Rumpelstiltskin

1996: NAACP Image: Best Motion-Picture Actor, Crimson Tide

1993: MTV Movie Award: Best Male Performance, Malcom X

1992: New York Film Critics Circle: Best Actor, Malcolm X

1992: NAACP Image: Best Actor, Mississippi Masala

1992: Boston Film Critics Association: Best Actor, Malcolm X

1992: Berlin Film Festival: Silver Bear Award: Best Actor, Malcolm X

1989: Oscar: Best Supporting Actor, Glory

1989: Golden Globe: Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, Glory

1981: Obie: Distinguished Ensemble Performance, A Soldier's Play

1981: Audelco Award: When the Chicken Comes Home to Roost

2004 :

The Manchurian Candidate

Man on Fire

2002 :

Out of Time

Finding Fish - Director/Actor

2001 :

John Q

Training Day

The Antwoine Fisher Story

(Denzel's Directorial Debut)

2000 :

Remember the Titans

1999 :

The Bone Collector

The Hurricane

1998 :

Fallen

He Got Game

The Siege

1996 :

Courage Under Fire

The Preacher's Wife

1995 :

Crimson Tide

Devil in a Blue Dress

Virtuosity

1993 :

Much Ado About Nothing

The Pelican Brief

Philadelphia

1992 :

Malcolm X

1991 :

Ricochet

Mississippi Masala

1990 :

Heart Condition

Mo' Better Blues

1989 :

For Queen and Country

Glory

The Mighty Quinn

1987 :

Cry Freedom

1986 :

The George McKenna Story

Power

1984 :

License to Kill

A Soldier's Story

1982 :

St. Elsewhere

1981 :

Carbon Copy

1979 :

Flesh and Blood

1977 :

Wilma