Denzel Washington is a celebrity poker player and a type of guy everyone wants at their home-game. He appears to be an fun, affable sports fan -- he actively roots for the Knick and the Yankees -- that can easily pull off all the moves needed to be a successful poker player. When he needs to be tough and mean at the table, he can tap into his Frank Lucas character from American Gangster. When he wants to be smooth, channel his Inside Man and Devil in a Blue Dress roles. And when he goes all in at the end to knock you out of the game, he'll summon a quiet, dignified, steely resolve that's all Denzel.
Other than being one of the best actors on the face of the earth, Denzel has stayed remarkably humble. He's portrayed great men such as Malcom X and Hurricane Carter to name a few and has done the roles justice where most would surely have failed! Denzel Washington is one of the most highly respected actors of the 90's, Denzel has mastered the art of storytelling; whether in action films, thrillers, or social awareness-themed films. Being recognized for his work with countless nominations and awards, Denzel is also admired by the industry as one of the most sought-after actor in Hollywood.
Before hitting it big as Dr. Phillip Chandler on the NBC drama St. Elsewhere (which can be considered his claim to fame), Washington appeared in the made-for-TV movie Wilma and a production of Coriolanus at a Shakespeare Festival. He appeared on the big screen for the first time in the 1981 film Carbon Copy.
During his six years on St. Elsewhere, Washington used his summertime breaks to work on his film career. He starred in 1987's Cry Freedom (which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor), but it was his Oscar-winning portrayal (in the category of Best Supporting Actor) of a runaway slave in the 1989 historical drama, Glory, that ensured movie audiences and critics would not ignore the star that was in the making.
In the '90s Denzel Washington's name appeared on the credits of many diversified films. He starred in three Spike Lee joints: Mo' Better Blues; Malcolm X (for which his title role garnered Washington Best Actor awards from the New York Critics Circle, Boston Film Critics Association and an Oscar nomination); and He Got Game.
Denzel Washington showed his star appeal in action films and thrillers such as The Pelican Brief, co-starring Julia Roberts, Crimson Tide, Courage Under Fire, The Siege, Fallen, and The Bone Collector with Angelina Jolie. He also charmed audiences in the romantic film, The Preacher's Wife, opposite pop-diva Whitney Houston, and revisited Shakespeare in the comedy Much Ado About Nothing.
In more serious roles, Washington equally never disappoints. His role in the critically acclaimed drama Philadelphia, as the lawyer defending Tom Hanks' HIV-infected character won rave reviews, while his 1999 portrayal of wrongfully accused champion boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter in The Hurricane, earned him the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor, and an Oscar nomination in the same category.
The role also gave him a new six-pack after having trained for a year and a half with a boxing trainer in preparation for the role. After a role as Herman Boone in 2000's Remember the Titans, Washington starred as the title role in John Q.. His performance in Training Day garnered him the Best Actor Oscar in 2002, making him the first African-American actor to receive the honor in 40 years, since Sidney Poitier. Because of his pay-or-play deal on the doomed 2005 American Gangster project (which was to be directed by Antoine Fuqua), he was paid $20 million even though the film did not move ahead.