Denzel Washington

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DenzelW Last Updated: 5/30/25
Real Name: Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr.
Born: December 28, 1954
Height: 6' 0"

Grade: A
Actor/Movie Star: 0%-100%
Prime Years: 1989, 1991, 1995-96, 1998-2002, and 2006
Most Famous Film: Glory (1989)
Most Infamous Film: The Hurricane (1999)
Most Famous TV Show: St. Elsewhere (1982-88)
Masterpiece: Glory (1989)
Outstanding: Training Day (2001) and Antwone Fisher (2002)
Honorable: A Soldier's Story (1984), The Mighty Quinn (1989), Mississippi Masala (1991), Crimson Tide (1995), Devil in a Blue Dress (1995), Fallen (1998), The Hurricane (1999), Remember the Titans (2000), and Déjà Vu (2006)

Opinion: The most handsome black man with perfect looks and a strong presence, Denzel Washington has one thing most actors don't have: universal appeal. Therefore, he's Sidney Poitner's heir apparent. Almost all of Denzel Washington's movies are instantly watchable. Once in a while, he'll turn in the greatest performance of his career, thus the two deserving Oscar wins. If there's such a thing as an Oscar-winning clip, Denzel Washington owns it for Glory.

You may notice Malcolm X isn't listed among his best works; it's because the movie is overrated and his performance is superficial which has a lot to do with Spike Lee not fully understanding the man himself. Denzel Washington's long-running problem is he plays himself a lot. There's virtually no difference in most of his characters. Yet it's not always a bad thing because he's entertaining.

The other problem is Denzel Washington did too many films for Spike Lee. They aren't good with the exception of He Got Game. Denzel Washington's reputation took a massive hit when he starred in The Hurricane, playing and supporting a real-life boxer who claimed to be "wrongfully convicted" when it's not true. He was, in fact, found guilty twice of committing three murders at the Lafayette Bar and Grill in Paterson, NJ. His convictions were simply overturned due to procedural errors, no more. The most embarrassing movie Denzel Washington had been involved with is Carbon Copy because of the blatant racism.

Confirmed: Moved around a lot during childhood. Graduated from Fordham University in 1977 with a bachelor's degree in drama and journalism and did plenty of theater work before and after. Got started by the TV show St. Elsewhere before hitting big in Hollywood. Has been married to the same woman since 1983. Once advised Will Smith not to do the gay kissing scene in Six Degrees of Separation for his career's sake. Is a former wine addict, having drunk two bottles a day for years.

Rumors: Does a health cleanse every time before returning to work because he's a major pothead and tends to drink too much before passing out. Has a small cocaine habit. Cheats on his wife constantly, especially with co-stars such as Sanaa Latham; however, the jury is still out when it comes to Julia Roberts.