Guide Note
Denzel Washington is an Academy Award winning actor and director who is well known for his performance in films such as Spike Lee's Malcolm X and Antoine Fuqua's Training Day. He has appeared most recently in Ridley Scott's American Gangster alongside Russell Crowe.
Fast Facts
- Born: December 28, 1954
- Has won 2 Oscars
- Notable Role: Malcolm X
- Second African American, after Sidney Poitier to win an Oscar for best actor
Life and Career
Washington was born and raised in Mt. Vernon, New York. His father was a minister and his mother ran a beauty parlor. Washington's childhood was influenced by the the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which he has recently served as a spokesperson for.
He received a scholarship to attend the American Conservatory Theatre school in San Francisco but left after the first year. He achieved his first big success in Hollywood doing the TV drama St. Elsewhere, which lasted six seasons.
In 1989, Washington's performance in Glory earned him an Academy Award for best supporting actor, and eleven years later he became the second African American actor to win an Oscar for best actor. The first was Sidney Poitier. The Oscar victory came for his performance in Training Day, in which he starred opposite Ethan Hawke.
His next release will be Tony Scott's The Taking of Pelham 123 and is scheduled to come out in 2009.
