Washington, Denzel

Washington, Denzel (1954- ), American film, theatre, and television actor. Born in Mount Vernon, New York State, on December 28, 1954, Washington studied drama and journalism at Fordham University (1973-1977) and trained at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco (1977-1978). He appeared in numerous stage plays, including several Shakespeare productions, before making his film debut in the farce Carbon Copy (1981). Washington subsequently gained critical acclaim playing a small but crucial role in the praised racial drama A Soldier’s Story (1984). He also gained wide popularity for his role in the television drama St. Elsewhere (1982-1988).

Handsome, articulate, and self-possessed, Washington declined to accept the stereotypical roles commonly offered to black actors. Instead, he established his screen persona playing martyrs to the cause of civil rights. He starred as murdered South African political leader Stephen Biko in Cry Freedom (1987, directed by Richard Attenborough), won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award (Oscar) for his portrayal of a heroic Union soldier in the American Civil War, in the drama Glory (1989), and played the title role in Malcolm X (1992, Spike Lee), based on the life of the black American civil rights leader (see Malcolm X).

Washington’s romantic appeal was used to advantage in Mo’ Better Blues (1990), another Spike Lee film, and in Mississippi Masala (1991). In 1993 he starred in the hit thriller The Pelican Brief (Alan J. Pakula), the critically praised Much Ado About Nothing (Kenneth Branagh), and the drama Philadelphia. In 1995 Washington achieved great commercial success with his role in the suspense film Crimson Tide (Tony Scott) and gave a remarkable performance as a private detective in Devil in a Blue Dress. Subsequent film roles include the US military investigator in Courage Under Fire (1996); an angel in The Preacher's Wife (Penny Marshall, 1997); a police officer in Fallen (1998); a convicted murderer in He Got Game (Spike Lee, 1998); and the head of an anti-terrorist task force in the thriller The Siege (1998). In 2000 he was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Actor for his role in The Hurricane (Norman Jewison, 1999), at the Berlin International Film Festival. He also starred as a high-school football coach in the race relations drama Remember the Titans in 2000.

At the 2002 Academy Awards Washington became only the second black actor in history to be named Best Actor (after Sidney Poitier, 1963), for his performance as the corrupt cop Alonzo Harris in Training Day (2001). Also in 2002 he starred in the hostage drama John Q and made his directorial debut with Antwone Fisher. In 2004 he played a vengeance-seeking bodyguard in the child abduction thriller Man on Fire, directed by Tony Scott, and army major Ben Marco in the remake by Jonathan Demme of the classic Cold War thriller The Manchurian Candidate. 2006 saw him cast by Spike Lee as a New York police detective who pits his wits against an English bank robber in the thriller Inside Man. In 2007 he starred as the Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas in American Gangster by Ridley Scott.