Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. was born on December 28, 1954 in Mount Vernon, New York. He was the middle of three children of a beautician mother, Lennis, from Georgia, and a Pentecostal minister father, Denzel, Sr., from Virginia. 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 Theatre. He left A.C.T. after only one year to seek work as an actor. His first paid acting role was in a summer stock theatre stage production in St. Mary’s City, Maryland. The play was “Wings of the Morning,” which is about the founding of the colony of Maryland (now the state of Maryland) and the early days of the Maryland colonial assembly (a legislative body). He played the part of a real historical character, Mathias Da Sousa, although much of the dialogue was created. Afterwards he began to pursue screen roles in earnest. 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. Philip Chandler in NBC’s hit medical series St. Elsewhere (1982), a role that he would play for six years. In 1989, his film career began to take precedence when 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. His work in critically-acclaimed films continued simultaneously, with roles in Malcolm X (1992) and The Hurricane (1999) garnering him Oscar nominations for Best Actor, before he finally won that statuette in 2002 for his lead role in Training Day (2001). He continued to define his onscreen persona as the tough, no-nonsense hero through the 2000s in films like Inside Man (2006), The Book of Eli (2010), The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009) and Safe House (2012). Cerebral and meticulous in his film work, he made his debut as a director with Antwone Fisher (2002); he also directed The Great Debaters (2007). During this same time period, he also took on the role of producer for such films as The Book of Eli (2010) and Safe House (2012).

He lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife, Pauletta Washington, and their four children.
Often portrays real people: Rubin “Hurricane” Carter in The Hurricane (1999), Malcolm X in Malcolm X (1992), Herman Boone in Remember the Titans (2000), Frank Lucas in American Gangster (2007), Steve Biko in Cry Freedom (1987) and Melvin Tolson in The Great Debaters (2007).
Frequently plays military commanders and law enforcement officers
In almost all the films – e.g. Man on Fire (2004), American Gangster (2007), John Q (2002) – where he handles or uses side arms (usually a 9mm Beretta or similar pistols), there’s a scene of him swiftly ejecting a bullet from the loaded chamber by pulling back the slide assembly and subsequently catching the bullet before it falls to the ground.
Fiery anger driven tirades
Frequently works with directors Spike Lee and Tony Scott
Frequently works with director Edward Zwick
Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#77) (1995).
Son, Malcolm, was named in honour of Malcolm X.
To prepare for his role as boxer Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter in The Hurricane (1999), Washington worked out for a year with Los Angeles boxing trainer Terry Claybon.
Received his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Fordham University in New York City.
1996 Harvard Foundation Award
In a Newsweek cover story about the biological basis of the perception of beauty, he was used as a key example in a scientific explanation why he is considered an extremely handsome man.
Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World (1990).
According to a 1995 Premiere magazine article, Denzel confronted director Quentin Tarantino when he visited the set of Crimson Tide (1995). Quentin had done an uncredited rewrite of the script. Denzel lambasted Tarantino about his use of racial slurs in his films. Tarantino got embarrassed and wanted to move the conversation to a more private area. Denzel said, “No, if we’re going to discuss it, let’s discuss it now.” Denzel later said he still felt that Quentin was “a fine artist.”
Denzel is named after his father who was in turn named after the doctor, Doctor Denzel, who had delivered him.
In the early 1980s, years before he portrayed Malcolm X in the Spike Lee film Malcolm X (1992), Washington portrayed Malcolm in the off-Broadway production of “When the Chickens Came Home to Roost,” at the Henry Street Theatre in New York City.
Frequent collaborator of Spike Lee.
Named one of E!’s “top 20 entertainers of 2001”.
Supports charities such as the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, and the Gathering Place (an AIDS hospice).
Met his wife Pauletta Washington in 1977 when both had small roles in the television movie Wilma (1977) (she was billed as Pauletta Pearson), the story of runner Wilma Rudolph. They wed five years later.
His father was a Pentecostal minister; his mother a beautician and former gospel singer. They divorced when he was 14.
Is a spokesperson for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, having been a member of the Boys Club once himself.
Only the second black actor (after Sidney Poitier) to win the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (for Training Day (2001)). Poitier received the honorary Academy Award that same year.
Named by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World (2002).
Ranked #28 in Premiere magazine’s 2003 annual Power 100 List. Had ranked #40 in 2002.
Cousin is newsman Ukee Washington, who co-anchors the news on the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia.
He and his family are members of the same church as actors Dwayne Winstead, Sy Richardson, Marvin Wright-Bey and Fitz Houston.
Was awarded the title of “Police Chief for a Day” when he was a member of The Boys and Girls Club of America as a child. The photo was shown during his latest appearance on Live with Kelly and Michael (1988).
Tom Hanks said working with Washington on Philadelphia (1993) was like “going to film school”. Hanks said he learned more about acting by watching Denzel than from anyone else.
He was at his mother’s beauty parlor, when a woman getting her hair done saw him and told someone to get her a piece of paper and she wrote at the top “Prophecy” and then wrote that Denzel would grow up and one day speak to millions. Denzel kept the bit of paper in his wallet. The woman was known as a prophetess in their church and community.
Cites star-athletes like Jim Brown and Gale Sayers as the role models of his youth.
First studied Biology in hopes of becoming a doctor, then switched to Political Science then to a Journalism/Drama major in college.
Has worn some kind of military uniform in at least six of his films.
Ranked #59 on VH1’s 100 Hottest Hotties
Premiere magazine ranked him as #39 on a list of the Greatest Movie Stars of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005).
Chosen as People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive (1996).
Is the first African-American actor to receive two Academy Awards.
Has played two soldiers who have suffered traumatic, life-changing experiences while fighting in the 1991 Persian Gulf War: Lt. Colonel Nathaniel Serling in Courage Under Fire (1996) and Major Ben Marco in The Manchurian Candidate (2004).
Though his first theatrical film was a comedy (Carbon Copy (1981)), he has only done three more since. Has mentioned that he’s always wanted to do a great one.
He and his family visited the troops at Brook Army Medical Centre, in San Antonio, Texas (BAMC). There are some buildings there called Fisher Houses. The Fisher House is a Hotel where soldiers’ families can stay, for little or no charge, while their soldier is staying in the Hospital. BAMC has quite a few of these houses on base, but as you can imagine, they are almost filled most of the time. He was given a tour of one of the Fisher Houses and subsequent to his visit sent them one of the largest donations they’ve ever received.
Is the second of three children.
As of 2006, he is the most Oscar-winning (two) and most nominated (five) black actor/actress in Academy history.