Denzel Washington was born in 1954 in MT. Vernon, New York, United States.
His mother, Lennis, was a cosmetologist and her father, the Reverend Denzel Washington Mr., he was ordained a Pentecostal minister and also worked in the local health department as well as in a store in the city where they lived.
When Denzel was fourteen years old, his parents entered into a marital crisis that resulted in him and his brother being sent to boarding school, not to be exposed to the eventual divorce of their parents.
Denzel I was interested in attending the Texas Tech UniversityHowever, he eventually earned his college degree in Drama from the Fordham University, in 1977. In his years in the latter, he was a basketball player and had a period in which he dropped out of college for a semester, doing a series of night jobs at a New England summer camp. It was after performing a talent show at this camp that a colleague suggested that she pursue acting.
Thus, he returned to Fordham with a new purpose and enrolled in the LIncoln Center Camus, to study acting, winning the main role of works such as “The Emperor Jones”, Y “Othello”, from which he obtained notable acclaim.
Close to graduation, he was offered a scholarship to study at the prestigious American Conservatory of Theater, in San Francisco, where he attended for a year before starting his professional career in New York.
Shortly after graduating, he made his professional television movie debut. “Wilma”, in 1977. The cinema would see him arrive with “Call me Mr. Charly “, in 1981.
During the 1980s, he combined his work between television and film. His brilliant portrayal of doctor in “St. Elsewhere “ (1982-1988), drew attention to him, in Hollywood. This renown culminated in work for Denzel, who began to participate in large film productions.
In 1987, fame and recognition would arrive, with his participation in “Scream freedom”, A film for which he was nominated by the Academy for best supporting actor.
In 1989 he would again be nominated for best supporting actor, obtaining the statuette for his role in “Glory times”. That same year he would perform a powerful interpretation of the role of Reuben James, on “For Queen and Country “.
From that moment, many projects would rain down and he would become part of the selective stardom of Hollywood. In the summer of 1990, he starred in the film called “Mississipi Masala“, where he had the role of Demetrius Williams.
The following year he would give one of his greatest performances, in “Malcom X”, from the director Spike lee. For the same, he would be nominated again for the award Oscar and his career would be transformed.
He turned down several roles similar to the previous one, including playing Martin Luther King Jr., and thus, the following year I take another risk by embodying Joe miller, the homophobic lawyer of a homosexual patient with AIDS, played by Tom Hanks, on “Philadelphia“(1993).
Other great productions in which I participated during the ’90s, were “Much ado About Nothing“(1993) with Kate beckinsale, Emma thompson Y Keanu reeves, “The pelican report” with Julia Roberts, Y “Red tide“(1995), with Gene Hackman, among other.
In 1999, he played the convicted boxer Rubin Hurricane Carter, on “Hurricane Carter“, and although his performance earned him a Golden globe and a prize Silberner Bar, did not get the Oscar, presuming that this was due to the controversial character of the film.
Also during ’99, it was the other side of Angelina Jolie, on “The bone Collector”.
In 2000, he appeared in the box office “Titans, they made history“, a film he co-starred with WIll Patton, and that it was produced by the studios Disney.
His next movie, “Training Day“(2001), co-starring Ethan hawke, led to him winning his second prize Oscar as best actor, in the role of the detective Alonzo Harris.
After appearing in “John Q”, based on the problems of the North American health system, directed his first creation, a dramatic film called “Antwone Fisher “, of which he was a co-star.
Between 2002 and 2003, he was seen in several Thirller films, generally well-positioned at the box office, including “Against the clock” with Eva mendes, “The fire of revenge” with Dakota Fanning, Christopher Walken Y Marc Anthony, Y “The messenger of fear“.
In 2006, he was the protagonist of “Hidden plan” with Clive owen, Jodie foster Y Christopher Plummer, and that same year, he led “Deja vu”, with Adam Goldberg Y Val kilmer.
Then he would be the co-star with Russell crowe on “American gangster“(2007) and would direct and star”The Great Debaters“, next to Forest whitaker.
Soon it will be seen in “The taking of Pelham 123 “ (2009), with John Travolta.
As for his career in the theater, he reappeared on stage in the play of Shakespeare, “Julius Cesar“, on Broadway, in 2005, after 15 years of absence.
In his personal life, he married the actress Pauletta Pearson, whom he met on the set of his first movie “Wilma”. The couple has four children, John david, Katia, and the twins Olivia Y Malcom.
In 2006, he published a bestseller called “Hand to GUide me“.
He has made numerous donations in favor of the families of former combatants.
In May 2007, he received a honorary doctorate in humanities of the Morehouse University.