ACTOR
Denzel Washington
79 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (79)
- #001
Tom Hanks said that working with Washington on Philadelphia (1993) was like "going to film school." Hanks said he learned more about acting from watching Denzel than from anyone else.
- #002
He is the first African-American actor to win two Oscars.
- #003
In the post-apocalyptic action film The Book of Eli (2010), he performed most of his own stunts in the hand-to-hand fight scenes.
- #004
He named Gene Hackman, Angelina Jolie and Dakota Fanning as the most talented actors he has worked with.
- #005
He claims his personal favorite performances are his work in Cry Freedom (1987), Glory (1989), Malcolm X (1992) and Training Day (2001).
- #006
He was at his mother's beauty salon when a woman having her hair done saw him and told someone to hand him a piece of paper; the woman wrote "Prophecy" at the top and then wrote that Denzel would grow up and one day speak to millions. Denzel kept that piece of paper in his wallet. The woman was known as a prophet in their church and community.
- #007
He and his family visited troops at Brook Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio, Texas. There are buildings there called Fisher Houses. A Fisher House is a hotel where the families of soldiers can stay at very little cost or for free while the soldiers remain in the hospital. There are many of these houses on the BAMC base, but as you might expect they are almost always full. He was given a tour of one of the Fisher Houses and, after his visit, sent them one of the largest donations they had ever received.
- #008
He is a big fan of the television series Monk (2002). Because he was such a fan of the series, he asked Ted Levine to appear in American Gangster (2007). He also worked with Tony Shalhoub on The Siege (1998).
- #009
He met his wife Pauletta Washington in 1977 while they were both playing small roles in the television film Wilma (1977), about the runner Wilma Rudolph (she was credited as Pauletta Pearson). They married five years later.
- #010
He became the sixth actor to win Oscars for both lead and supporting acting. The other five are Robert De Niro, Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, Jack Lemmon and Jack Nicholson.
- #011
In a Newsweek cover story on the biological foundations of the perception of beauty, he was used as a key example in the scientific explanation of why he is considered an extremely handsome man.
- #012
His son John David Washington recently signed with the St. Louis Rams as a running back.
- #013
He was considered for the role of Detective Ricardo Tubbs in Miami Vice (1984), which went to Philip Michael Thomas.
- #014
To prepare for the role of boxer Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter in The Hurricane (1999), Washington trained for a year with Los Angeles boxing trainer Terry Claybon.
- #015
He is a spokesman for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, of which he was once a member.
- #016
Among his favorite black actors are the British actors Idris Elba and Chiwetel Ejiofor, both of whom appeared alongside Washington in American Gangster (2007).
- #017
To prepare for his lawyer role in Philadelphia (1993), he met with two lawyers who were about to become famous in their own right: Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. and Carl Douglas.
- #018
As of 2018, Denzel Washington is the Black actor or actress with the most Oscar wins (two) and the most nominations (nine) in Oscar history.
- #019
At the 2002 Academy Awards, Denzel Washington won Best Actor for Training Day (2001), Halle Berry won Best Actress for Monster's Ball (2001), and Sidney Poitier received an Honorary Award (2001), marking the first time three African-Americans dominated the Oscars to that degree in the ceremony's history.
- #020
According to Forbes magazine, for every dollar Denzel Washington was paid, his films grossed an average of 10 dollars.
- #021
During a childhood basketball accident, Denzel Washington broke the pinky finger of his right hand and it was never set properly, causing the finger to heal in a crooked position. The finger remains crooked to this day, with its lower joint bent a full 45 degrees outward from his other fingers.
- #022
Denzel Washington is only the second Black actor to win the Best Actor Oscar in a leading role (for Training Day (2001)), after Sidney Poitier. Poitier received an honorary Oscar the same year.
- #023
People magazine named Denzel Washington the Sexiest Man Alive on July 29, 1996.
- #024
Denzel Washington was considered for Wesley Snipes's roles in Jungle Fever (1991), White Men Can't Jump (1992) and Blade (1998).
- #025
Since 1993, Denzel Washington has served as the national spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, appearing in public service announcements and awareness campaigns for the organization. He has also served on the organization's board of directors since 1995. Because of his charitable work with Boys & Girls Club, PS 17X, a New York City elementary school, decided to officially name the school after Washington.
- #026
Denzel Washington won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role in Fences.
- #027
Denzel Washington worked with Chiwetel Ejiofor twice. In Inside Man (2006) they played police detectives; in American Gangster (2007) they played criminals.
- #028
Denzel Washington likes to point out the difference between his first name and his father's: Denzel. Although both are spelled the same way, his father's name is pronounced DEN-zel with the stress on the first syllable, while the actor's name is pronounced den-ZEL.
- #029
Denzel Washington worked with both Ridley Scott and Tony Scott. Ridley directed him in two films: American Gangster (2007) and Gladiator II (2024). Ridley's brother Tony directed him in five films: Crimson Tide (1995), Man on Fire (2004), Deja Vu (2006), The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009) and Unstoppable (2010).
- #030
Denzel Washington earned his bachelor's degree in Journalism from Fordham University in New York City.
- #031
Denzel Washington was considered for the role of Curtis Taylor Jr. in Dreamgirls (2006). Jamie Foxx was cast instead.
- #032
Denzel Washington turned down Seven (1995). That year he chose to make another police thriller instead: Devil in a Blue Dress (1995).
- #033
Denzel Washington's performance as Malcolm X in Malcolm X (1992) ranked 17th on Premiere magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Performances of All Time.
- #034
Denzel Washington directed two actors to Oscar-nominated performances: Viola Davis and himself. Davis won for her performance in Fences (2016).
- #035
Nearly every summer, Denzel Washington and his family vacation in Italy.
- #036
Denzel Washington has two films on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 Most Inspiring Films of All Time: Glory (1989) at No. 31 and Philadelphia (1993) at No. 20.
- #037
Denzel Washington worked with both Fanning sisters. He worked with Dakota Fanning on Man on Fire (2004) and with Elle Fanning on Deja Vu (2006), although she had no scenes.
- #038
He cites star athletes such as Jim Brown and Gale Sayers as his role models from his youth.
- #039
He was named one of the world's 50 most beautiful people by People magazine.
- #040
For Courage Under Fire (1996), he trained at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin in California, where he became proficient with the M1A1 tank and its 120 mm gun, took part in war games and listened to audio recordings of tank battles from Desert Storm.
- #041
He appeared in the remakes of four films — The Manchurian Candidate (2004), The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009), Man on Fire (2004) and The Magnificent Seven (2016) — as well as in the series The Equalizer (2014) and its sequel The Equalizer 2 (2018).
- #042
His daughter Katia Washington is currently attending Yale University.
- #043
At one point he was set to play Dr. Alex Cross in Kiss the Girls (1997), but had to leave the project due to scheduling conflicts.
- #044
He first studied Biology in the hope of becoming a doctor, then switched to Political Science and later to Journalism/Drama at university. He left middle school with a 1.7 grade point average.
- #045
The longest gap he has gone without an Oscar nomination is the 11 years between Training Day (2001) and Flight (2012).
- #046
Eva Mendes and Paula Patton each played his love interest twice: Mendes in Training Day (2001) and Out of Time (2003), and Patton in Deja Vu (2006) and 2 Guns (2013).
- #047
He supports charities such as the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund and Gathering Place, an AIDS hospice.
- #048
He received the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards.
- #049
His father was a Pentecostal minister, and his mother was a beautician and a former gospel singer. They divorced when he was 14 years old.
- #050
On May 20, 2007, he received an honorary degree (Doctor of Humane Letters) from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.
- #051
In its Stars in Our Constellation feature, Premiere magazine ranked him 39th on its list of the Greatest Movie Stars of All Time.
- #052
He was named America's Favorite Movie Star in the 2006 and 2007 Harris Polls.
- #053
He turned down the role of Cinque in Amistad (1997), which went to Djimon Hounsou.
- #054
To prepare for The Pelican Brief (1993), he spent months working alongside Washington Post reporters.
- #055
Empire magazine named him one of the 100 sexiest stars in film history (#77).
- #056
Denzel Washington turned down the role of Detective David Mills in Seven (1995), which went to Brad Pitt.
- #057
Although his first feature film was a comedy, Carbon Copy (1981), Denzel Washington has since made only three more comedies. He has said he always wants to do something great.
- #058
Denzel Washington is the son of Lennis Washington, a beautician and former gospel singer.
- #059
Denzel Washington graduated from Oakland Military Academy in New Windsor, New York.
- #060
Despite rumors online, Denzel Washington is not in Death Wish (1974); the part he was said to have played was actually played by Damien Leake. Washington himself has stated in interviews that he could not have appeared in any film before he began performing on stage in 1975.
- #061
Denzel Washington played two soldiers who have traumatic, life-changing experiences while fighting in the 1991 Persian Gulf War: Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Serling in Courage Under Fire (1996) and Major Ben Marco in The Manchurian Candidate (2004).
- #062
Universal Pictures approached Denzel Washington for the role of Mr. Nobody in Furious 7 (2015), but he turned it down, so Kurt Russell was cast instead.
- #063
As of 2023, actors Denzel Washington and Mahershala Ali, sound engineers Willie D. Burton and Russell Williams II, and costume designer Ruth E. Carter are the only African-Americans to have won two Oscars.
- #064
Denzel Washington has worn some form of military uniform in at least six of his films.
- #065
Denzel Washington is friends with Samuel L. Jackson, Viola Davis, Daryl Mitchell, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mykelti Williamson and Tom Hanks, and is a good friend of Julia Roberts.
- #066
Denzel Washington ranked 28th on Premiere magazine's annual Power 100 List in 2003; he had been 40th in 2002.
- #067
The September 25, 1985 issue of Variety announced that "Reunion," directed by Reggie Life, had begun shooting in Trenton, New Jersey and New York, with Denzel Washington and Terry Alexander in the cast. The film was never released.
- #068
Denzel Washington's cousin is Ukee Washington, a newscaster who co-anchors the news on the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia.
- #069
Denzel Washington practices Goju-ryu, Krav Maga, jiu-jitsu, eskrima, boxing and judo.
- #070
Denzel Washington auditioned for the role of Leroy Green (also known as Bruce Leeroy) in The Last Dragon (1985), but Taimak was cast instead.
- #071
Denzel Washington was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, by President Joe Biden at a White House ceremony on January 4, 2025, for his services to the film industry.
- #072
Denzel Washington currently lives in Los Angeles, California. He owns a restaurant called Georgia's, a soul food spot where he has helped cook and wash dishes.
- #073
Denzel Washington has appeared in two films nominated for Best Picture: A Soldier's Story (1984) and Fences (2016). He also directed Fences, which was a Best Picture nominee.
- #074
Denzel Washington kissed his finger and placed his hand on a glass to blow the kiss in two films: Crimson Tide (1995) and The Hurricane (1999).
- #075
Denzel Washington attended the star-studded opening of Dubai's glitzy Atlantis Palms resort, where guests were greeted in style with a fireworks display of a million rockets said to be visible from space.
- #076
Denzel Washington ranked 59th on VH1's list of the 100 Hottest Hotties.
- #077
Denzel Washington and his family are members of the same church as actors Dwayne Winstead, Sy Richardson, Marvin Wright-Bey and Fitz Houston.
- #078
By his own admission, Denzel Washington fell into depression and jealousy for several years after being nominated for the Best Actor Oscar in 2000 for his role in The Hurricane (1999) and then losing to Kevin Spacey for American Beauty (1999), which contributed to his alcoholism. Finally winning the Best Actor Oscar in 2002 for Training Day (2001) was not enough to ease the pain of that loss, and he remained depressed for a while.
- #079
Denzel Washington is the brother-in-law of actress Rita Pearson.
Continue through the archive
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- Much Ado About Nothingas Don Pedro
- The Tragedy of Macbethas Macbeth
- Carbon Copyas Roger Porter
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- The Great Debatersas Melvin B. Tolson
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