1976–1989: Early roles and rise to prominence Washington spent the summer of 1976 in
St. Mary's City, Maryland, in
summer stock theater performing
Wings of the Morning, the Maryland State play, which was written for him by incorporating an African-American character/narrator based loosely on the historical figure from early colonial Maryland,
Mathias de Sousa. A major career break came when he starred as Dr. Phillip Chandler in
NBC's television hospital drama
St. Elsewhere, which ran from 1982 to 1988. He was one of only a few African-American actors to appear on the series for its entire six-year run. He also appeared in several television, motion picture and stage roles, such as the films ''
A Soldier's Story (1984), Hard Lessons (1986) and Power'' (1986). In 1987, he starred as South African anti-apartheid political activist
Stephen Biko in
Richard Attenborough's
Cry Freedom, for which he received his first
Academy Award nomination. In 1989, Washington won the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of a defiant and self-possessed ex-slave Civil War soldier in the film
Glory. That same year, he appeared in the film
The Mighty Quinn; and in
For Queen and Country, where he played the conflicted and disillusioned Reuben James, a British soldier who, despite a distinguished military career, returns to a civilian life where racism and inner-city life lead to vigilantism and violence.
1990–1999: Hollywood stardom and acclaim in 1999 In the summer of 1990, Washington had appeared in the
title role of the
Public Theater's production of
William Shakespeare's
Richard III. Mel Gussow of
The New York Times praised Washington as "an actor of range and intensity, is expert at projecting a feeling of controlled rage". Also that year, Washington starred as Bleek Gilliam in the
Spike Lee film ''
Mo' Better Blues. Charles Murray of Empire'' praised Washington's performance as a "taut portrayal of the driven musician" and "like all Lee’s film, Mo’ Better Blues is a real ensemble piece, and the standard of the performances is uniformly excellent: but Washington [and] Lee deserve extra plaudits." In 1991, he starred as Demetrius Williams in the
Mira Nair directed romantic drama
Mississippi Masala opposite
Sarita Choudhury. Set primarily in
rural Mississippi, the film explores
interracial romance between African Americans and
Indian Americans. Critic
Roger Ebert of
The Chicago Sun-Times praised the chemistry of the two leads writing, "Washington is an actor of immense and natural charm, and he makes a good match with Sarita Choudhury". Washington was reunited with Lee to play one of his most critically acclaimed roles, the
title character of the historical epic
Malcolm X (1992).
The New York Times gave the film its Critic's Pick with
Vincent Canby declaring, "In Denzel Washington it also has a fine actor who does for "Malcolm X" what
Ben Kingsley did for "
Gandhi." Mr. Washington not only looks the part, but he also has the psychological heft, the intelligence and the reserve to give the film the dramatic excitement". His performance as the
Black nationalist leader earned him his third
Academy Award nomination, the first time in the
Lead Actor category. Also that year, he established the production company Mundy Lane Entertainment. The next year, he played the lawyer defending a gay man with AIDS played by
Tom Hanks in the
Jonathan Demme film
Philadelphia (1993).
Sight & Sound wrote, "Casting Washington in the lead guaranteed the film the black audience that otherwise might not have had much interest in the problems of a rich white homosexual with Aids. But Aids is rampant in inner cities, where it attacks not just gay men, but IV drug users and women." During the early and mid-1990s, Washington starred in several successful thrillers, including
The Pelican Brief with
Julia Roberts in 1993, and
Crimson Tide with
Gene Hackman in 1995, as well as the Shakespearean comedy
Much Ado About Nothing directed by
Kenneth Branagh. In 1996, he played a U.S. Army officer who investigates a female chopper commander's worthiness for the Medal of Honor in
Courage Under Fire, opposite
Meg Ryan.
Variety wrote, "All of [the] predicaments are palpably and convincingly registered through Washington’s probing, reserved and sensitively drawn performance in a role that, in another era, might have been played by the likes of a
Montgomery Clift or
William Holden." In 1996, he starred alongside
Whitney Houston, and
Courtney B. Vance in the romantic comedy ''
The Preacher's Wife directed by Penny Marshall. The film is a remake of the 1947 film The Bishop's Wife'' starring
Cary Grant,
Loretta Young, and
David Niven. In 1998, Washington starred in Spike Lee's film
He Got Game. Washington played a father serving a six-year prison term when the prison warden offers him a temporary parole to convince his top-ranked high-school basketball player son (
Ray Allen) to sign with the governor's alma mater, Big State. The film was Washington's third collaboration with Lee. The same year he starred in
Gregory Hoblit's supernatural horror film
Fallen (1998) with
John Goodman,
James Gandolfini, and
Donald Sutherland. In 1999, Washington acted alongside
Angelina Jolie in the crime thriller
The Bone Collector. That same year, Washington starred in
The Hurricane, a film about
boxer Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter, whose conviction for triple murder was overturned after he spent almost 20 years in prison. Although less successful at the box office than
The Bone Collector,
The Hurricane had a better reception from critics. He received a Silver Bear Award at the
Berlin International Film Festival for his role as Carter.
Roger Ebert, film critic for
The Chicago Sun-Times, wrote of Washington's performance, "This is one of Denzel Washington's great performances, on a par with his work in
Malcolm X."
2000–2009: Established actor and action roles Washington won a
Golden Globe and received
Actor Award and
Academy Award nominations for his work in
The Hurricane. He was the first Black actor to win the award since
Sidney Poitier in 1963. Mick LaSalle of the
San Francisco Chronicle declared, "Washington gives a penetrating portrait of life at its most extreme. He takes the viewer into the mind of a man experiencing confinement and physical deprivation. More profoundly, he shows what it's like to deal every day with the torments of wild rage and impotence, despair and hope." In 2000, he portrayed
Herman Boone, a high school football coach, in the Disney sports drama film
Remember the Titans which grossed over $100 million in the U.S. Andrew O'Hehir of
Salon wrote, "Washington is of course the linchpin of
Remember the Titans; he's a commanding actor in a commanding role, and as memorable as he was in
The Hurricane. Washington starred as
corrupt Los Angeles cop Alonzo Harris in the
Antoine Fuqua-directed crime thriller
Training Day (2001), acting opposite
Ethan Hawke.
Roger Ebert wrote, "For Denzel Washington, [it is] a rare villainous role; he doesn't look, sound or move like his usual likable characters...he's like a monster from a horror film, unkillable and implacable." He received
Golden Globe and
Actor Award nominations and won an
Academy Award for Best Actor, becoming the
second African-American actor to win the category after Poitier. In 2002, he starred in the
Nick Cassavettes directed healthcare-themed drama
John Q. (2002) portraying John Quincy Archibald. Washington acted opposite
James Woods,
Robert Duvall, and
Ray Liotta. The film was a financial success but received mixed reviews with critics praising Washington's performances.
BBC film critic Neil Smith wrote, "What credibility there is comes from Washington's intense, humane performance and the supporting players' sterling attempts to rise above the stereotypical roles with which they have been saddled." That same year Washington directed his first film, a well-reviewed drama called
Antwone Fisher (2002), in which he also co-starred as a Navy psychiatrist. Stephen Holden of
The New York Times praised his direction writing, "Mr. Washington shows a confident grasp of cinematic narrative in a hearty meat-and-potatoes style. But the most remarkable aspect of his behind-the-camera debut is his brilliantly surefooted handling of actors." He also praised his acting adding, "[He] is so sensitively reactive that his performance seems more lived than acted". Between 2003 and 2006, Washington appeared in a series of thrillers that performed generally well at the box office, including
Carl Franklin's
Out of Time opposite
Eva Mendez and
Tony Scott's
Man on Fire alongside
Dakota Fanning. In 2004, he acted opposite
Meryl Streep in the remake of the
1962 film of the same name,
The Manchurian Candidate. In 2006, he starred in
Inside Man, a
Spike Lee-directed bank heist thriller co-starring
Jodie Foster and
Clive Owen.
Todd McCarthy of
Variety wrote, its "flashy cast, clever script and vibrant showcasing of New York City are strong plusses for Spike Lee's most mainstream studio venture". Later that year he starred in the
time travel movie
Déjà Vu released in November. In 2005, he was back onstage playing
Brutus in the
Broadway revival of
Julius Caesar. Theatre critic
Ben Brantley of
The New York Times wrote, "Washington does not embarrass himself, as leading citizens of Hollywood have been known to do on Broadway. But even brilliantined in the glow of his inescapable fame, he can't help getting lost amid the wandering, mismatched crowd and the heavy topical artillery that have been assembled here." Despite mixed reviews, the production's limited run was a consistent sell-out. In 2007, he co-starred with
Russell Crowe for the second time (the first was 1995's
Virtuosity) in
Ridley Scott's crime drama
American Gangster, for which he received a
Golden Globe nomination. He also directed and starred in the drama
The Great Debaters with
Forest Whitaker. He next appeared in Tony Scott's 2009 film
The Taking of Pelham 123 (a remake of
the 1974 thriller of the same name), where he played New York City subway security chief Walter Garber opposite
John Travolta's villain.
2010–2019: Return to theater and The Equalizer trilogy at the
Nobel Peace Prize Concert in 2010 Washington returned to Broadway playing Troy Maxson, opposite
Viola Davis, in the revival of
August Wilson's
Fences. Set in 1950s
Pittsburgh, Washington plays a former Negro league baseball player working as a garbage collector who struggles to provide for his family and come to terms with the events of his life.
Ben Brantley of
The New York Times wrote, "Mr. Washington has the fluid naturalness we associate with good screen actors... face and stance alone provide fascinating (and damning) glimpses into Troy’s attitudes toward his son from an earlier relationships". Washington won the
Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance. That same year, Washington starred in
The Book of Eli (2010), a post-apocalyptic action-drama set in the near future. Also in 2010, he starred as a veteran railroad engineer in the action film
Unstoppable, about an unmanned, half-mile-long runaway freight train carrying dangerous cargo. The film was his fifth and final collaboration with director Tony Scott, following
Crimson Tide (1995),
Man on Fire (2004),
Déjà Vu (2006) and
The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009). In 2012, Washington starred in
Flight, for which he was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as an alcoholic airline pilot facing investigation for his part in a plane crash. He co-starred with
Ryan Reynolds in
Safe House, where he prepared for his role by subjecting himself to a torture session that included
waterboarding. In 2013, Washington starred in
2 Guns, alongside
Mark Wahlberg. From April to June 2014, Washington played the leading role in the Broadway production of
Lorraine Hansberry's classic drama
A Raisin in the Sun, directed by
Kenny Leon. The show received positive reviews and won the
Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. That same year he starred in
The Equalizer (2014), an action
thriller film directed by
Antoine Fuqua and written by
Richard Wenk, based on the
television series of same name starring
Edward Woodward. He reprised his role in his first sequel,
The Equalizer 2 (2018) and the third and final sequel,
The Equalizer 3 (2023). In 2016, Washington starred in
The Magnificent Seven, a remake of the
1960 western film of the same name, alongside
Chris Pratt,
Ethan Hawke,
Vincent D'Onofrio,
Lee Byung-hun,
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo,
Martin Sensmeier,
Haley Bennett, and
Peter Sarsgaard.
Principal photography began on May 18, 2015, in north
Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The film premiered on September 8 at the
2016 Toronto International Film Festival, and was released in the United States in conventional and
IMAX theaters on September 23, 2016. In
The Magnificent Seven, Washington plays Sam Chisolm ("the Bounty Hunter"), a duly sworn warrant officer from
Wichita, Kansas. His character was renamed from
Chris Adams (played by
Yul Brynner in the original film) to Sam Chisolm. It was Washington's first Western film. He did not watch Westerns growing up, as it was the end of the Western era in the movies. Moreover, he and his siblings were barred from going to the cinema by his father, a minister in a church. They grew up watching Biblical films instead, like
King of Kings and
The Ten Commandments, although he has said that he watched portions of the shows
Rawhide and
Bonanza. He did not view the
original film in preparation, but has watched
Seven Samurai. '' in 2014 In 2016, Washington directed the film
Fences, co-starring
Viola Davis and
Stephen McKinley Henderson and based on
August Wilson's
play of the same name, with a script by Wilson. He reprised the role of Troy Maxson. The film was released on December 16, 2016, by
Paramount Pictures.
Owen Gleiberman of
Variety wrote, "Washington, as both actor and director, gets the conversation humming with a speed and alacrity that keeps the audience jazzed...Washington tears through it with a joyful ferocity, like a man possessed." For his performance, Washington was nominated for a
Golden Globe Award, an
Actor Award, and an
Academy Award. The film was nominated for three other Oscars, including
Best Picture and
Best Adapted Screenplay, and won Davis her first
Academy Award. The following year, Washington starred in the
legal drama film
Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017).
Peter Bradshaw of
The Guardian wrote, "[He]'s a star player, styling out his character’s complicated and tricky mix of attributes...However contrived, this character is always fully and comfortably inhabited, and Washington brings off the funny moments". While the film received mixed reviews, his performance was praised by critics and led to nominations for a
Golden Globe Award, an
Actor Award and an
Academy Award (Washington's ninth Oscar nomination overall and his sixth for Best Actor). Beginning March 22, 2018, Washington starred as Theodore "Hickey" Hickman in a Broadway revival of
Eugene O'Neill's
The Iceman Cometh. The production, directed by
George C. Wolfe, began regular performances April 26 and ran for 14 weeks. Washington received positive reviews with Alexis Soloski of
The Guardian writing, "For most of it, Washington is playing Washington, letting his good looks and irrepressible charm do most of the character work, though the play’s most exciting moments are when he lets that charm falter (something he’s also been exploring in his recent film work, too) showing something uglier and more ravaged underneath." He received his second
Tony Award nomination.
2020–present . In 2020, he produced the
Netflix film adaptation of the
August Wilson play ''
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom starring Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis. The film was directed by George C. Wolfe and received positive reviews. The following year he portrayed Deputy Sheriff Joe "Deke" Deacon in the crime thriller The Little Things opposite Rami Malek and Jared Leto. The film was released during the COVID-19 pandemic and was released in theaters and on HBO Max. Also in 2021, Washington portrayed the titular character in the 2021 film adaptation of the William Shakespeare tragedy Macbeth. He received universal acclaim for his performance and was nominated for several awards, including an Academy Award, an Actor Award, and a Golden Globe Award. That same year, Washington directed the drama A Journal for Jordan, based on the memoir A Journal for Jordan: A Story of Love and Honor'' by
Dana Canedy. It received a wide theatrical release on December 25, 2021 and received mixed reviews from critics. In 2024, Washington starred in
Ridley Scott's epic historical drama
Gladiator II alongside
Paul Mescal,
Pedro Pascal, and
Connie Nielsen. The film is a sequel to Scott's
Gladiator (2000). Washington's performance was described as scene-stealing and the standout aspect of the film, earning a
Golden Globe nomination. In the same year, Washington served as a producer of
The Piano Lesson, the
Netflix film adaptation of the
August Wilson play of the same name directed by his son
Malcolm Washington and starring his other son
John David Washington. In 2025, Washington returned to Broadway portraying the
title role in a revival of
William Shakespeare's play
Othello opposite
Jake Gyllenhaal as
Iago.
Kenny Leon helmed over the production, having previously directed Washington in the Broadway revivals of
Fences and
A Raisin in the Sun. The production and Washington's performance earned mixed reviews from critics. Adrian Horton from
The Guardian described the production as "underwhelming" and wrote of his performance, "[He] has moments of sublime melody...the kind of rhapsodic deliveries that feel worth whatever price of admission, but the overall tone of his performance is one of perfunctory hyper-competence." David Rooney of
The Hollywood Reporter noted Washington's
Hollywood "magnetism" and "swaggering authority" but added, "there’s little evidence of a driving force behind his performance, which is symptomatic of the production overall." That same year, Washington reunited with
Spike Lee on the
police procedural drama film
Highest 2 Lowest, a remake of the 1963
Akira Kurosawa film
High and Low. A joint production between
A24 and
Apple TV, the film also starred
Jeffrey Wright and
Ilfenesh Hadera. Washington announced in November, that he would be starring in
Black Panther 3, set in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe. Washington was also cast as
Carthaginian general
Hannibal in an upcoming
Netflix film; the decision was controversial in
Tunisia. == Style and influence ==