Birth name Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. NationalityUSA Birth 28 december 1954 (69 years) at Mount Vernon (USA) Awards Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Academy Award for Best Actor
Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received two Golden Globe awards, a Tony Award, and two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for the historical drama-war film Glory (1989) and Best Actor for his role as a corrupt cop in the crime thriller Training Day (2001).
Washington has received much critical acclaim for his film work since the 1990s, including his portrayals of real-life figures such as South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko in Cry Freedom (1987), Muslim minister and human rights activist Malcolm X in Malcolm X (1992), boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter in The Hurricane (1999), football coach Herman Boone in Remember the Titans (2000), poet and educator Melvin B. Tolson in The Great Debaters (2007), and drug kingpin Frank Lucas in American Gangster (2007). He has been a featured actor in the films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and has been a frequent collaborator of directors Spike Lee and the late Tony Scott.
Biography
On June 25, 1983, Washington married Pauletta Pearson, whom he met on the set of his first screen work, the television film Wilma. The couple have four children: John David (b. July 28, 1984), a former football player with the United Football League's Sacramento Mountain Lions (and before that, college football at Morehouse); Katia (b. November 27, 1986) who graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts in 2010; and twins Olivia and Malcolm (b. April 10, 1991). Malcolm graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in film studies, and Olivia played a role in Lee Daniels's film The Butler. In 1995, Denzel and Pauletta renewed their wedding vows in South Africa with Archbishop Desmond Tutu officiating.
Washington is a devout Christian, and has considered becoming a preacher. He stated in 1999, "A part of me still says, 'Maybe, Denzel, you're supposed to preach. Maybe you're still compromising.' I've had an opportunity to play great men and, through their words, to preach. I take what talent I've been given seriously, and I want to use it for good." In 1995, he donated $2.5 million to help build the new West Angeles Church of God in Christ facility in Los Angeles. Washington says he reads the Bible daily.
Washington has served as the national spokesperson for Boys & Girls Clubs of America since 1993 and has appeared in public service announcements and awareness campaigns for the organization. In addition, he has served as a board member for Boys & Girls Clubs of America since 1995.
In mid-2004, Washington visited Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) at Fort Sam Houston, where he participated in a Purple Heart ceremony, presenting medals to three Army soldiers recovering from wounds they received while stationed in Iraq. He also visited the fort's Fisher House facilities, and after learning that it had exceeded its capacity, made a substantial donation to the Fisher House Foundation. Washington's other charitable contributions include $1 million to the Children's Fund of South Africa and $1 million to Wiley College to resuscitate the college's debate team.
Washington is an Independent voter. He supported Barack Obama in 2008.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia named Washington as one of three people (the others being directors Oliver Stone and Michael Moore) with whom they were willing to negotiate for the release of three defense contractors the group had held captive from 2003 to 2008.
On May 18, 1991, Washington was awarded an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Fordham University, for having "impressively succeeded in exploring the edge of his multifaceted talent". In 2011, he donated $2 million to Fordham for an endowed chair of the theater department, as well as $250,000 to establish a theater-specific scholarship at the school. He also received an honorary doctorate of humanities from Morehouse College on May 20, 2007. and an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania on May 16, 2011.
In 2008, Washington visited Israel with a delegation of African-American artists in honor of the state's 60th birthday.
In April 2014, Washington presented at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Easter Bonnet Competition with Bryan Cranston, Idina Menzel and Fran Drescher, after raising donations at his Broadway show Raisin in the Sun.
, 2h6 Directed byDenzel Washington OriginUSA GenresDrama ThemesFilms about education, Films about racism ActorsForest Whitaker, Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Denzel Whitaker, Denzel Washington, John Heard Rating74% Based on a true story, the plot revolves around the efforts of debate coach Melvin B. Tolson (Denzel Washington) at historically black Wiley College to place his team on equal footing with whites in the American South during the 1930s, when Jim Crow laws were common and lynch mobs were a pervasive fear for blacks. In the movie, the Wiley team eventually succeeds to the point where they are able to debate Harvard University. This was their 47th annual debate team.
, 2h Directed byDenzel Washington OriginUSA GenresDrama, Biography, Historical, Romance ThemesFilms about children, Seafaring films, Transport films, Films about child abuse, United States Armed Forces in films ActorsDerek Luke, Malcolm David Kelley, Joy Bryant, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Denzel Washington, Kevin Connolly Rating72% The film focuses on Antwone "Fish" Fisher (Derek Luke), a temperamental young man with a violent history who is serving in the U.S. Navy. His father was killed before he was born and his teenage mother, Eva Mae Fisher, ended up arrested soon after and put in jail, where she gave birth to him. He was then placed in an orphanage until such time as she was released and could claim him. Since she had not yet claimed him, at the age of two Antwone was placed in a foster home run by a supposedly religious couple, Mr. and Mrs. Tate (Ellis Williams and Novella Nelson). There, Antwone faced mental and physical abuse by Mrs. Tate for many years until he finally left the home at age fourteen. After living out on the streets for the next few years, he decided to join the U.S. Navy to make something out of his life. However the rough life he had as child caused him to have a violent temper at this point.
, 2h1 Directed byAntoine Fuqua OriginUSA GenresThriller, Action, Crime ActorsDenzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Melissa Leo, Bill Pullman, Jonathan Scarfe, Sakina Jaffrey Roles Producer Rating67% Robert McCall, un agent des services secrets américains à la retraite, travaille comme chauffeur de VTC à Boston. Lorsqu'il apprend que son amie Susan Plummer a été assassinée par un groupe de criminels ayant une dette envers elle, il décide de reprendre les armes et de venger sa mort. L'assassinat aurait un lien avec les événements qu'il a vécus quatre ans auparavant.
, 2h19 Directed byDenzel Washington OriginUSA GenresDrama, Historical ThemesSports films, Théâtre, Baseball films, Films based on plays ActorsDenzel Washington, Viola Davis, Mykelti Williamson, Russell Hornsby, Lesley Boone Roles Producer Rating71% Dans les années 1950, à Pittsburgh, Troy Maxson, ancien joueur de la Negro League de baseball est devenu éboueur. Il vit avec son épouse Rose et son fils cadet Cory dans une maison qu'il a pu acheter avec une partie de l'indemnité de blessure de guerre de son frère Gabriel qui, blessé à la tête, est devenu un handicapé mental qui erre dans le quartier et qui est menacé d'internement. Son fils aîné, Lyons, n'arrive pas à se stabiliser, vivant de petits contrats de musique et devant subir les récriminations de son père.
, 2h12 Directed byAntoine Fuqua OriginUSA GenresThriller, Action, Crime ThemesMafia films, Gangster films ActorsDenzel Washington, Chloë Grace Moretz, Marton Csokas, Melissa Leo, Haley Bennett, Bill Pullman Roles Producer Rating72% Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) is a retired black ops operative who quietly lives in Boston, Massachusetts, works at a Home Mart hardware store, where he befriends many of his co-workers, and helps a security guard trainee named Ralphie pass his qualification exam. McCall promised his recently deceased wife that he would leave his old life behind. Unable to sleep, McCall spends some late nights reading in a 24/7 diner, where he befriends Alina (Chloë Grace Moretz), a teenaged prostitute for the Russian Mafia, who is regaled by Robert with his philosophical interpretations of the books he reads. One night she is hospitalized when brutally beaten by her pimp, Slavi (David Meunier). McCall enters a restaurant owned by the Russian mob and offers to buy Alina's freedom from Slavi for $9,800, but Slavi refuses, dismissing McCall as old and impotent. Failing in this approach, McCall kills Slavi and four of his men with skillful close combat efficiency.
, 1h57 Directed byDaniel Espinosa OriginUSA GenresThriller, Action, Crime ThemesFilms set in Africa, Spy films ActorsDenzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Sebastian Roché, Vera Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson, Sam Shepard Roles Executive Producer Rating66% In Cape Town, South Africa, ex-CIA NOC operative turned traitor and international criminal Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington) acquires a data storage device from rogue MI6 agent Alec Wade (Liam Cunningham). After the pair is attacked by a team of mercenaries led by Vargas (Fares Fares), Wade is killed and Frost is cornered by the gunmen, leaving him no choice but to surrender to the American consulate.
, 2h Directed byDenzel Washington OriginUSA GenresDrama, Biography, Historical, Romance ThemesFilms about children, Seafaring films, Transport films, Films about child abuse, United States Armed Forces in films ActorsDerek Luke, Malcolm David Kelley, Joy Bryant, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Denzel Washington, Kevin Connolly Roles Producer Rating72% The film focuses on Antwone "Fish" Fisher (Derek Luke), a temperamental young man with a violent history who is serving in the U.S. Navy. His father was killed before he was born and his teenage mother, Eva Mae Fisher, ended up arrested soon after and put in jail, where she gave birth to him. He was then placed in an orphanage until such time as she was released and could claim him. Since she had not yet claimed him, at the age of two Antwone was placed in a foster home run by a supposedly religious couple, Mr. and Mrs. Tate (Ellis Williams and Novella Nelson). There, Antwone faced mental and physical abuse by Mrs. Tate for many years until he finally left the home at age fourteen. After living out on the streets for the next few years, he decided to join the U.S. Navy to make something out of his life. However the rough life he had as child caused him to have a violent temper at this point.