As the story goes, when he was very young he was at a barber's shop with his mother and a nice old lady sitting in the corner asked his mother to write his full name down. When his mother asked why she said "Because he's going to entertain millions one day". His mother gave the old lady his name and it wasn't until later that they found out she was rumored to be some kind of local fortune teller. His name is Denzel Hayes Washington Jr., and he's a bad man.He's come a long ways since being Dr. Chandler in NBC's medical series "St. Elsewhere". He's got looks and acting chops for days. In a Newsweek cover story about the biological basis of the perception of beauty, he was used as a key example in a scientific explanation why he is considered an extremely handsome man. Tom Hanks said working with Washington on Philadelphia was like "going to film school". Hanks said he learned more about acting by watching Denzel than from anyone else.
He tends to portray real people: Reuben Carter in The Hurricane; Malcolm X in Malcolm X; Herman Boone in Remember the Titans; Frank Lucas in American Gangster; and Steve Biko in Cry Freedom. He dives into his characters head first and goes the extra mile for realism. To prepare for his role as boxer Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter in The Hurricane, Washington worked out for a year with L.A. boxing trainer Terry Claybon.
No stranger to the Academy Awards, he's been nominated no less than 5 times and won twice.
2002 Won Oscar Best Actor in a Leading Role for: Training Day
2000 Nominated Oscar Best Actor in a Leading Role for: The Hurricane
1993 Nominated Oscar Best Actor in a Leading Role for: Malcolm X
1990 Won Oscar Best Actor in a Supporting Role for: Glory
1988 Nominated Oscar Best Actor in a Supporting Role for: Cry Freedom
I'm far from an expert as I haven't even seen all of Denzel's movies, with the most glaring ommisions being that I have never watched Malcolm X or Cry Freedom, but I've seen a boatload and he never disappoints me. I've made a note to rent both of those films soon. So my list is for now, based on what I've seen.
My Top 10 Favorite Denzel Washington Movies
10. Deja Vu - A sci-fi film where he plays an ATF agent who travels back in time to save a woman from being murdered.
9. Fallen - A supernatural story where he's a homicide detective who witnesses the execution of serial killer. Soon after the execution the killings start again, and they are very a familar style...
8. Inside Man - He's a cop who has to talk down a bank robber after the heist spirals into a hostage situation.
7. Antwone Fisher - He plays a Navy a psychiatrist with a violent young patient.
6. The Hurricane - The story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a boxer wrongly imprisoned for murder.
5. American Gangster - I just reviewed it yesterday, have you forgotten already?
4. Training Day - He plays a rogue detective training a new rookie cop. Gritty bad cop classic.
3. Remember The Titans - He plays a newly appointed African-American coach with a high school team on their first season as a racially integrated unit.
2. Philadelphia - He plays a homophobic small time lawyer who defends a man with AIDS. Extremely moving.
1. Man On Fire - A revenge movie where he plays a former assassin who swears vengeance on those who committed an unspeakable act against the family he was hired to protect. Lots of action and emotion.
What's amazing is that after going through those 10, there are still some really great movies left off. He has more good movies left off my top 10 than most actors and actresses have good movies period. How about He Got Game, Courage Under Fire, Out of Time, John Q, The Pelican Brief, Crimson Tide and The Manchurian Candidate? Whew.
I'll leave it with a quote from the man:
"I'm very proud to be black, but black is not all I am. That's my cultural historical background, my genetic makeup, but it's not all of who I am nor is it the basis from which I answer every question." ~~ Denzel
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