Denzel Washington, Denzel Hayes Washington Jr., is an actor, director, and producer from the United States. He has been characterized as an actor who “reconfigured the concept of classic movie stardom” for his performances on the screen and stage. He is also well-known for his frequent cooperation and collaboration with filmmakers such as Spike Lee, Antoine Fuqua, and Tony Scott. (1)
Facts About Denzel Washington
| Nationality | American |
|---|---|
| Estimate Net Worth | $280 million |
| Religion | NA |
| Zodiac Sign | Capricorn |
| Birthplace | New York |
| Birthday | December 28, 1954 |
Denzel Washington's Appearance (Height, Hair, Eyes & More)
| Height | 6 ft 1 in 1.85 m |
|---|---|
| Weight | 176 pounds 80 kg |
| Hair Color | Dark Brown |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
| Body Type | Fit |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
Denzel Washington's Early Life
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. was born in New York on December 28, 1954. Lennis “Lynne,” his mother, was a beauty parlor owner and manager born in Georgia and raised in Harlem, New York. Denzel Washington Sr., a native of Buckingham County, was an ordained Pentecostal minister who worked for the New York City Water Department and a local S. Klein’s department store. Denzel attended Mount Vernon’s Pennington-Grimes Elementary School until 1968. Denzel’s parents divorced when he was only 14, and his mother enrolled Denzel in the private school Oakland Military Academy in New York. (3)
Denzel Washington's Education
Denzel attended Mount Vernon’s Pennington-Grimes Elementary School until 1968. Denzel’s parents divorced when he was 14, and Denzel’s mother enrolled him in the private preparatory school at Oakland Military Academy in New Windsor, New York. From 1970 to 1971, she attended Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida. He was considering attending Texas Tech University. Instead, he graduated from Fordham University in 1977 with a BA in Drama and Journalism. He played collegiate basketball as a guard for Fordham under coach P.J. Carlesimo. Washington worked as the creative arts director of the overnight summer camp at Camp Sloane YMCA in Lakeville, Connecticut, after deciding on a major and taking a semester off.
Denzel Washington's Wife and Family Life
Denzel married Pauletta Pearson, whom he met on the set of his first film, the television film Wilma, on June 25, 1983. They have four children: John David, an actor and former football player. Katia earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2010 from Yale University, and twins Olivia and Malcolm. Malcolm made a degree in film studies from the University of Pennsylvania, and Olivia appeared in Lee Daniels’s film The Butler. Denzel Washington and his wife renewed their vows in South Africa in 1995, with Desmond Tutu officiating.
Denzel Washington's Career
Washington spent the whole summer of 1976 in St. Mary’s City, Maryland, performing Wings of the Morning, the Maryland State play written for him by trying to incorporate an African-American character/narrator apparently based on the historical figure Mathias Da Sousa from early colonial Maryland. Washington made his screen acting debut shortly after graduating from Fordham in the 1977 made-for-television film Wilma, a docudrama about sprinter Wilma Rudolph, and his first Hollywood visual appeal in the 1981 film Carbon Copy. He received an Obie Award for Distinguished Ensemble Performance in 1982 for his performance as Private First Class Melvin Peterson in the production of Off-Broadway Negro Ensemble Company of A Soldier’s Play, which premiered on November 20, 1981
Washington played Bleek Gilliam in Spike Lee’s 1990 film Mo’ Better Blues. He played Demetrius Williams in the romantic drama Mississippi Masala in 1991. Washington reunited with Lee for one of his most critically acclaimed roles, the title character in 1992’s Malcolm X. Denzel’s performance as the Black nationalist leader earned him another Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. That same year, Denzel founded the production company Mundy Lane Entertainment. The following year, in the 1993 film Philadelphia, he played the lawyer for a gay man with AIDS. Washington appeared in several successful thrillers in the early and mid-1990s, including The Pelican Brief with Julia Roberts and Crimson Tide with Gene Hackman in 1995.
Denzel won the award of Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in Motion Picture Drama award for his work in The Hurricane at the 57th Golden Globe Awards in 2000. He was the first African-American actor to receive the award since Sidney Poitier in 1963. Also that year, he emerged in the Disney film Remember the Titans, which grossed over $100 million in the United States. Denzel won an award like the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Detective Alonzo Harris, a corrupt Los Angeles cop, in the 2001 cop thriller Training Day. Denzel was the second African-American actor to win the award, following Sidney Poitier, who received an Honorary Academy Award the same night. (4)
References
- Denzel Washington, retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000243/
- Denzel Washington Net Worth, retrieved from https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/denzel-washington-net-worth/
- Denzel Washington, retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Denzel-Washington
Denzel Washington, retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denzel_Washington