DW
Denzel Washington
Actor, Producer, DirectorBorn December 28, 1954 (71 years)
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor, producer, and director. Known for his dramatic roles on stage and screen, he is widely regarded as one of the best actors of his generation, with The New York Times declaring him the greatest actor of the 21st century in 2020. Over his career, he has received several accolades, including two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Tony Award, as well as nominations for two Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award. Washington has been honoured with the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2016, the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2019, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022.
After training at the American Conservatory Theatre, Washington began his career in theatre, acting in performances off-Broadway. He first came to prominence in the NBC medical drama series St. Elsewhere (1982–1988) and in the war film A Soldier's Story (1984). He won two Academy Awards, his first for Best Supporting Actor for playing an American Civil War soldier in the war drama Glory (1989) and his second for Best Actor for playing a corrupt police officer in the crime thriller Training Day (2001). He was Oscar-nominated for his performances in Cry Freedom (1987), Malcolm X (1992), The Hurricane (1999), Flight (2012), Fences (2016), Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017), and The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021).
A prominent leading man, Washington also acted in Mo' Better Blues (1990), Mississippi Masala (1991), Philadelphia (1993), Courage Under Fire (1996), Remember the Titans (2000), Man on Fire (2004), Inside Man (2006), American Gangster (2007), and The Equalizer trilogy (2014–2023). Washington directed and starred in the films Antwone Fisher (2002), The Great Debaters (2007), and Fences (2016).
On stage, he has acted in productions of both Coriolanus (1979) and The Tragedy of Richard III (1990) at the Public Theater. He made his Broadway debut in the Ron Milner play Checkmates (1988). He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role as a disillusioned working-class father in the Broadway revival of August Wilson's play Fences (2010). He has also acted in the Broadway revivals of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (2005), Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun (2014), and Eugene O'Neill's play The Iceman Cometh (2018).
After training at the American Conservatory Theatre, Washington began his career in theatre, acting in performances off-Broadway. He first came to prominence in the NBC medical drama series St. Elsewhere (1982–1988) and in the war film A Soldier's Story (1984). He won two Academy Awards, his first for Best Supporting Actor for playing an American Civil War soldier in the war drama Glory (1989) and his second for Best Actor for playing a corrupt police officer in the crime thriller Training Day (2001). He was Oscar-nominated for his performances in Cry Freedom (1987), Malcolm X (1992), The Hurricane (1999), Flight (2012), Fences (2016), Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017), and The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021).
A prominent leading man, Washington also acted in Mo' Better Blues (1990), Mississippi Masala (1991), Philadelphia (1993), Courage Under Fire (1996), Remember the Titans (2000), Man on Fire (2004), Inside Man (2006), American Gangster (2007), and The Equalizer trilogy (2014–2023). Washington directed and starred in the films Antwone Fisher (2002), The Great Debaters (2007), and Fences (2016).
On stage, he has acted in productions of both Coriolanus (1979) and The Tragedy of Richard III (1990) at the Public Theater. He made his Broadway debut in the Ron Milner play Checkmates (1988). He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role as a disillusioned working-class father in the Broadway revival of August Wilson's play Fences (2010). He has also acted in the Broadway revivals of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (2005), Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun (2014), and Eugene O'Neill's play The Iceman Cometh (2018).
Known For
Featured Videos
Denzel Washington Filmography
| 2025 | Highest 2 Lowest · as David King |
| 2025 | |
| 2024 | Gladiator II · as Macrinus |
| 2023 | The Equalizer 3 · as Robert Mccall |
| 2022 | Bonnie · as John W. Creasy |
| 2021 | The Tragedy of Macbeth · as Macbeth |
| 2021 | A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks · as Malcolm X |
| 2021 | The Little Things · as Joe 'deke' Deacon |
| 2018 | The Equalizer 2 · as Robert Mccall |
| 2017 | Roman J. Israel, Esq. · as Roman J. Israel |
| 2016 | Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary · as John Coltrane (voice) |
| 2016 | Fences · as Troy Maxson |
| 2016 | The Magnificent Seven · as Sam Chisolm |
| 2014 | The Equalizer · as Robert Mccall |
| 2013 | The March · as Narrator |
| 2013 | 2 Guns · as Robert 'bobby' Trench |
| 2012 | Flight · as Whip Whitaker |
| 2012 | Safe House · as Tobin Frost |
| 2010 | American Grindhouse · as Cast |
| 2010 | Unstoppable · as Frank Barnes |
| 2010 | The Book of Eli · as Eli |
| 2009 | I Am Love · as Joe Miller |
| 2009 | The Taking of Pelham 123 · as Walter Garber |
| 2007 | The Great Debaters · as Melvin B. Tolson |
| 2007 | American Gangster · as Frank Lucas |
| 2007 | For the Bible Tells Me So · as Coach Herman Boone |
| 2006 | Deja Vu · as Doug Carlin |
| 2006 | Boffo! Tinseltown's Bombs and Blockbusters · as Alonzo |
| 2006 | Inside Man · as Keith Frazier |
| 2004 | The Manchurian Candidate · as Major Bennett Ezekiel Marco |
| 2004 | Man on Fire · as John W. Creasy |
| 2004 | Die Geschichte des erotischen Films · as Cast |
| 2003 | Out of Time · as Matt Lee Whitlock |
| 2002 | Antwone Fisher · as Dr. Jerome Davenport |
| 2002 | John Q · as John Quincy Archibald |
| 2001 | Training Day · as Alonzo |
| 2000 | Remember the Titans · as Coach Herman Boone |
| 2000 | Whitney Houston: The Greatest Hits · as Dudley (segment "step By Step") |
| 1999 | The Bone Collector · as Lincoln Rhyme |
| 1999 | The Hurricane · as Rubin "hurricane" Carter |
| 1998 | The Siege · as Anthony 'hub' Hubbard |
| 1998 | He Got Game · as Jake Shuttlesworth |
| 1998 | Fallen · as John Hobbes |
| 1997 | Mother Goose: A Rappin' and Rhymin' Special · as Humpty Dumpty / The Crooked Man (voice) |
| 1996 | The Preacher's Wife · as Dudley |
| 1996 | Courage Under Fire · as Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Serling |
| 1995 | Devil in a Blue Dress · as Easy Rawlins |
| 1995 | Virtuosity · as Parker Barnes |
| 1995 | Crimson Tide · as Lt. Commander Ronald "ron" Hunter |
| 1995 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (TV Series) · as Humpty Dumpty / Crooked Man (voice) |
| 1993 | Philadelphia · as Joe Miller |
| 1993 | The Pelican Brief · as Gray Grantham |
| 1993 | Much Ado About Nothing · as Don Pedro Of Aragon |
| 1992 | Malcolm X · as Malcolm X |
| 1992 | Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II · as Narrator |
| 1992 | Jammin': Jelly Roll Morton on Broadway · as Narrator |
| 1992 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (TV Series) |
| 1991 | Ricochet · as Nick Styles |
| 1991 | Mississippi Masala · as Demetrius Williams |
| 1990 | Mo' Better Blues · as Bleek Gilliam |
| 1990 | Heart Condition · as Napoleon Stone |
| 1989 | Glory · as Pvt. Trip |
| 1989 | The Mighty Quinn · as Xavier Quinn |
| 1989 | Baka: The People of the Rainforest · as Narrator |
| 1988 | For Queen & Country · as Reuben |
| 1987 | Cry Freedom · as Steve Biko |
| 1986 | The George McKenna Story · as George Mckenna |
| 1986 | Power · as Arnold Billings |
| 1984 | A Soldier's Story · as Private First Class Peterson |
| 1984 | License to Kill · as Martin Sawyer |
| 1982 | St. Elsewhere (TV Series) · as Philip Chandler |
| 1981 | Carbon Copy · as Roger Porter |
| 1979 | Flesh & Blood · as Kirk |
| 1979 | Coriolanus · as Roman Soldier / Volscian Soldier |
| 1977 | Wilma · as Robert Eldridge, Age 18 |
| 2024 | |
| 2023 | |
| 2021 | |
| 2020 | |
| 2018 | |
| 2017 | |
| 2016 | |
| 2014 | |
| 2012 | Safe House · as Executive Producer |
| 2010 | |
| 2002 | |
| 2000 | |
| 1995 | Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream · as Executive Producer |
| 2021 | |
| 2016 | |
| 2007 | |
| 2005 | Grey's Anatomy (TV Series) |
| 2002 |
| 2025 | |
| 2025 | Number One on the Call Sheet (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2025 | 82nd Golden Globe Awards · as Self - Nominee |
| 2024 | The Piano Lesson: Legacy and a Vision · as Self |
| 2024 | Luther: Never Too Much · as Self |
| 2024 | Denzel Washington: American Icon · as Self |
| 2023 | Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story · as Self |
| 2023 | |
| 2022 | Denzel Washington: An American Model · as Self |
| 2022 | Sidney · as Self |
| 2022 | Uncle Tom II: An American Odyssey · as Self |
| 2022 | Whitney, a Look Back · as Self |
| 2022 | The Oscars · as Self - Nominee |
| 2022 | The 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards · as Self - Nominee |
| 2022 | Whoopi Goldberg: The Winning Act · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2021 | Daniel Day Lewis - The Heir · as Self |
| 2021 | Val · as Self |
| 2020 | Giving Voice · as Self |
| 2020 | Loving Neverland · as Self |
| 2020 | Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2020 | Ma Rainey's Black Bottom: A Legacy Brought to Screen · as Self - Producer |
| 2019 | Netflix vs. the World · as Self |
| 2019 | Desus & Mero (2019) (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2019 | Public Figure · as Self |
| 2019 | 2019 Golden Globe Awards · as Self - Audience Member |
| 2018 | Making the Five Heartbeats · as Self |
| 2018 | The 72nd Annual Tony Awards · as Self - Nominee |
| 2018 | |
| 2018 | 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards · as Self - Nominee |
| 2018 | 75th Golden Globe Awards · as Self - Audience Member |
| 2018 | The Oscars · as Self - Nominee |
| 2017 | The IMDb Show (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2017 | The Oscars · as Self - Nominee |
| 2017 | The 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards · as Self - Winner & Nominee |
| 2017 | The 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards 2017 · as Self - Nominee |
| 2016 | 73rd Golden Globe Awards · as Self - Cecil B. Demille Award Recipient |
| 2016 | 2016 Golden Globe Arrivals Special · as Self |
| 2015 | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2015 | Close Up With The Hollywood Reporter (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2014 | |
| 2014 | |
| 2014 | The Equalizer: Children of the Night · as Self |
| 2014 | Good Morning Britain (TV Series) · as Self - Interviewee |
| 2014 | And the Oscar Goes to... · as Self |
| 2014 | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2013 | The Queen Latifah Show (2013) (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2013 | Circus HalliGalli (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2013 | The Oscars · as Self - Nominee |
| 2013 | The Broadway.Com Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2013 | 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards · as Self - Nominee |
| 2013 | 70th Golden Globe Awards · as Self - Nominee |
| 2012 | Katie (2012) (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2012 | Larry King Now (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2012 | CBS Mornings (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2012 | CBS Mornings (TV Series) · as Self - Interviewee |
| 2011 | The Jonathan Ross Show (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2011 | Dish Nation (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2011 | Close Up (TV Series) · as Self - Interviewee |
| 2010 | Stand Up to Cancer · as Self |
| 2010 | Daybreak (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2010 | The 64th Annual Tony Awards · as Self - Winner & Presenter |
| 2010 | |
| 2009 | The Jay Leno Show (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2009 | Live from Studio Five (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2009 | The Project (2009) (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2009 | 2009 MTV Movie Awards · as Self |
| 2009 | |
| 2009 | The Last Days of the Big Lie · as Self |
| 2008 | The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts · as Self - Presenter |
| 2008 | The 80th Annual Academy Awards · as Self - Presenter |
| 2008 | |
| 2008 | 39th NAACP Image Awards · as Self |
| 2008 | Oscar, que empiece el espectáculo · as Self |
| 2007 | Xposé (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2007 | The Graham Norton Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2007 | Up Close with Carrie Keagan (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2006 | El Hormiguero 3.0 (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2006 | The ONE Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2006 | Forbes Celebrity 100: Who Made Bank? · as Self |
| 2006 | The Ultimate Heist: Making 'Inside Man' · as Self |
| 2006 | Mike & Mike (TV Series) · as Self - Telephone Interviewee |
| 2006 | The 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards 2006 · as Self - Presenter |
| 2005 | The Reichen Show (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2005 | Made In Hollywood (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2005 | BET Awards 2005 · as Self |
| 2005 | |
| 2005 | Attack of the Show (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2005 | |
| 2004 | The Insider (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2004 | Le grand journal de Canal+ (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2004 | ESPY Awards · as Self |
| 2004 | 4th Annual BET Awards · as Self |
| 2004 | On Air With Ryan Seacrest (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2004 | Tavis Smiley (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2003 | People Like Us: Making 'Philadelphia' · as Self |
| 2003 | The Ellen DeGeneres Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2003 | A Century of Black Cinema · as Self |
| 2003 | The 75th Annual Academy Awards · as Self - Presenter & Past Winner |
| 2003 | 34th NAACP Image Awards · as Self |
| 2003 | |
| 2003 | |
| 2003 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! (TV Series) · as Self- Guest |
| 2002 | Tinseltown TV (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2002 | 2002 MTV Movie Awards · as Self - Winner |
| 2002 | Shirtless: Hollywood's Sexiest Men · as Self |
| 2002 | The 74th Annual Academy Awards · as Self - Presenter & Winner |
| 2002 | The 59th Annual Golden Globe Awards · as Self - Nominee |
| 2001 | Friday Night with Jonathan Ross (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2001 | Rank (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2001 | The 58th Annual Golden Globe Awards 2001 · as Self - Presenter |
| 2000 | BBC Breakfast (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2000 | Straight from the Streets · as Self |
| 2000 | 106 & Park (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2000 | 2000 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards · as Self |
| 2000 | The BET 20th Anniversary Celebration · as Self |
| 2000 | The 72nd Annual Academy Awards · as Self - Nominee |
| 2000 | 6th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards · as Self - Nominee |
| 2000 | 31st NAACP Image Awards · as Self |
| 2000 | Entertainers with Byron Allen (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2000 | The Loretta Claiborne Story · as Self |
| 2000 | The 57th Annual Golden Globe Awards · as Self - Winner |
| 2000 | Glory: The Making of History · as Self - Actor |
| 1998 | TRL (2017) (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1998 | The 70th Annual Academy Awards · as Self - Presenter & Past Winner |
| 1997 | The View (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1997 | 28th NAACP Image Awards · as Self |
| 1996 | Theater Talk (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1996 | NBA at 50 · as Self - Host |
| 1996 | Access Hollywood (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1996 | The Rosie O'Donnell Show (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1996 | Fox News Sunday (TV Series) · as Self - Power Player Of The Week |
| 1996 | VIP World (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1996 | SMAP×SMAP (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1996 | 27th NAACP Image Awards · as Self - Co-Host |
| 1995 | E! Live from the Red Carpet (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1995 | The 67th Annual Academy Awards · as Self - Presenter |
| 1994 | WGN Morning News (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1994 | Extra (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1994 | |
| 1994 | 26th NAACP Image Awards · as Self |
| 1994 | A Century of Cinema · as Self |
| 1993 | Space Ghost Coast to Coast (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1993 | 1993 MTV Movie Awards · as Self - Presenter & Winner |
| 1993 | The 65th Annual Academy Awards · as Self - Presenter |
| 1992 | Late Show with David Letterman (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1992 | HBO First Look (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1992 | 1992 Essence Awards · as Self - Co-Host |
| 1992 | Muhammad Ali's 50th Birthday Celebration · as Self |
| 1991 | Movie Days (TV Series) · as Self - Interviewee |
| 1991 | Charlie Rose (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1991 | The 45th Annual Tony Awards · as Self - Presenter |
| 1991 | The 63rd Annual Academy Awards · as Self - Presenter |
| 1990 | Motown 30: What's Goin' on! · as Self |
| 1990 | The 62nd Annual Academy Awards · as Self - Winner |
| 1990 | The 47th Annual Golden Globe Awards 1990 · as Self - Winner |
| 1990 | 22nd NAACP Image Awards · as Self |
| 1989 | ZDF-Mittagsmagazin (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1989 | The Arsenio Hall Show (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1989 | Glory: Featurette · as Self - Actor |
| 1988 | American Experience (TV Series) · as Self - Narrator |
| 1988 | LIVE with Kelly and Mark (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1988 | Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute · as Self |
| 1988 | The 60th Annual Academy Awards · as Self - Nominee |
| 1988 | 20th NAACP Image Awards · as Self |
| 1987 | 19th Annual NAACP Image Awards · as Self - Co-Host |
| 1986 | The Oprah Winfrey Show (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1985 | American Masters (TV Series) · as Self - Actor |
| 1982 | Wogan (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1981 | Journal de 20h de France 2 (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1981 | Entertainment Tonight (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1981 | Wetten, dass..? (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1979 | CBS Sunday Morning With Jane Pauley (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1978 | 20/20 (TV Series) · as Self - Narrator |
| 1975 | Good Morning America (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1973 | AFI Life Achievement Award (TV Series) · as Self - Honoree |
| 1971 | Film (TV Series) · as Self - Interviewee |
| 1971 | Parkinson (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1971 | Great Performances (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1968 | 60 Minutes (TV Series) · as Self - Actor (segment "denzel") |
| 1962 | The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1956 | Tony Awards (TV Series) · as Self - Winner/presenter |
| 1954 | The Early Show (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1953 | The Academy Awards (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1952 | Today (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1944 | Golden Globe Awards (TV Series) · as Self - Nominee |