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Washington, Denzel

TopBlacks Member 2001
Actor

Cool, calm and collected, Denzel Washington has always been a model of poise. It is almost impossible to envision him out of control or nervous; he exudes such confidence. It is also impossible to see his work and not notice him and take him seriously.

Before making his meteoric rise to Hollywood stardom, Denzel grew up watching his father, a minister, perform weekly at church. Young Denzel thrilled at the sight of his dad working the audience and began to nurture dreams of showmanship himself. Washington was born in Mount Vernon, New York, on December 28th, 1954. His mother was a hairdresser and during the week Denzel would hang around there, listening to the gossip and the storytelling. The mix of his dad's Sunday showmanship and his mom's salon stories would eventually form the basis for Denzel's dreams of acting and performance.

At age 14, things took a turn for the worse in the Washingtons' marriage. Denzel and his older sister were sent away to a private boarding school so that they wouldn't be exposed to the ongoing problems, and his parents would eventually divorce. After high school was over, Denzel enrolled at New York's Fordham University, where he studied Journalism. Washington had not given up on his dreams though, and found time to perform in drama productions throughout his stay at the school. He received his Bachelor of Arts in 1977, and then continued an education in Theater in San Francisco. Denzel won a scholarship to the American Conservatory Theater, at which he fine tuned his acting abilities.

His professors were impressed with his talent, and many termed him a ‘natural'. It was not long before Washington found he had nothing more to learn at A.C.T., and he left after one year. After a few small film roles which allowed Washington to get his membership in the Screen Actor's Guild, it was not long before he got his big break. It came in the form of a new television show, St. Elsewhere. The medical drama hit the airwaves in 1982 and would turn the genre on its head (and pave the way for later medical dramas like ER). As Doctor Phillip Chandler, Washington earned critical raves and audiences loved him.

Hollywood couldn't ignore the rising young star, and he was soon offered a plethora of film roles. He worked in a variety of films during his summer hiatus' from St. Elsewhere and closed the decade with an Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor for the film, Glory. The timing was exquisite, as St. Elsewhere had wrapped up just one year prior. The win signaled the future for Washington as he easily made the transition into Hollywood stardom.

While Denzel has flirted with action hero status, he seems to be at his weakest in those roles. Films like Ricochet and Virtuosity were hardly the high points of his career. He is at his utmost best in powerful drama, where his confidence and poise are best utilized. Washington earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his work in Spike Lee's Malcolm X, and many agree that he should have been nominated for his heartfelt supporting role opposite Tom Hanks' AIDS victim in Philadelphia.

Unlike many of Hollywood's A-list, Denzel has had little trouble maintaining his spot. Even when his films have bombed, he has usually been seen as the bright spot in all of them. A consummate actor and professional, he is a performer who others like to work with - his reputation preceding him.

Washington takes his role as one of America's most prominent black actors very seriously. He has provided advice and counsel to young up-and-coming black stars like Will Smith, and frequently takes roles in films that explore black issues (Washington has worked with director Spike Lee on numerous occasions, most recently in He Got Game). He also recently completed work on The Hurricane, about boxer Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter.