Washington, Denzel (1954—)

A handsome, intelligent, and stylish actor, Denzel Washington is the natural heir, with a modern edge, to Sidney Poitier, the first film star to have demonstrated that an African American could become a heartthrob and a top box-office draw in the United States. Born in Mount Vernon, New York, Washington holds a B.A. in journalism from Fordham, studied acting at San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater, and worked on stage and in television (he was an ongoing character in the popular hospital series, St. Elsewhere) before Hollywood beckoned. He made his screen debut as white George Segal's black illegitimate son in Carbon Copy (1982). Five years later, his portrayal of South African political activist Steve Biko in Cry Freedom (1987) brought him stardom and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He won that award, and a Golden Globe, for his embittered but courageous runaway slave in Glory (1989). He has made several other films dealing with the issue of race; from the comedic (Heart Condition, 1990) through the romantic (Mississippi Masala, 1991) to the overtly political, as the title character in Spike Lee's Malcolm X (1993). He has, however, established his versatility in a broad range of work, notably including Shakespeare—on screen in Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing (1993), and as Richard III on stage in New York's Central Park in 1990.

—Frances Gateward

Further Reading:

Brode, Douglas. Denzel Washington: His Films and Career. Secaucus, New Jersey, Carol Publishing Group, 1997.

Simmons, Alex. Denzel Washington. Austin, Texas, Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1997.

Simon, Leslie. "Why Denzel Washington (not Tom Cruise) is the New Paul Newman." Film Comment. Vol. 34, March/April 1998, 72-75.