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Denzel Washington

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BIO

Denzel Washington is a native of Mt. Vernon, NY, and graduated from Fordham University, where he majored in drama. He spent a year at San Francisco’s prestigious American Conservatory Theatre before beginning his professional acting career. Since then, Denzel’s unforgettable performances have garnered him two Academy® Awards, three Golden Globes, and countless other awards.



Denzel received his first Academy Award for the historical war drama Glory (1987) and his second for his portrayal of the corrupt cop in the crime thriller, Training Day (2001). Denzel won a Tony® Award for his performance in Fences, during his return to Broadway in 2010.

Denzel’s professional acting career began in New York, where he performed in theatre productions such as Ceremonies in Dark Old Men and Othello. He rose to fame when he landed the role as Dr. Phillip Chandler on the NBC long-running hit television series, St. Elsewhere. His other television credits include The George McKenna Story, License to Kill, and Wilma.

As Denzel crossed over into the world of film, he garnered critical acclaim for his portrayal of real life figures. He earned his first Oscar Nomination for Cry Freedom (1987), as South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko. From there, he went on to portray Muslim minister and human rights activist Malcolm X in Malcolm X (1992), boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter in The Hurricane (1999), football coach Herman Boone in Remember the Titans (2000), poet and educator Melvin B. Tolson in The Great Debaters (2007), and drug kingpin Frank Lucas in American Gangster (2007). A few of his other beloved credits include: Much Ado About Nothing (1993), A Soldier’s Story (1984), Crimson Tide (1995), Devil in a Blue Dress (1995), and Inside Man (2006).

In 2016, Denzel starred in the critically acclaimed film adaptation of August Wilson’s Fences. In addition to producing and directing the adaptation, Denzel reprised his original Tony Award-winning role alongside Viola Davis. The film received four Academy Award nominations including Denzel for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.” His other latest films include Unstoppable (2010) where he reunited with director Tony Scott for the fifth time, 2 Guns (2013) where he starred alongside Mark Wahlberg, and The Equalizer, an action thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua (2014) of which he reprised his role in 2018 for The Equalizer 2, making it the first time Denzel has ever done a sequel. Released in 2023, he resumed his role in the last movie of the trilogy The Equalizer 3. In 2016, Denzel teamed up with Antoine Fuqua again for an exciting remake of The Magnificent Seven, which also starred Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke.

Denzel returned to the stage in 2018 when he starred in a revival of Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh, which was directed by George C. Wolfe. His performance garnered him a Tony award nomination.

He also recently starred in Dan Gilroy’s Roman J. Israel, Esq. for which he received multiple Best Actor nominations.

In 2016, he was selected as the recipient for the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards, cementing his legacy in Hollywood. He most recently was honored with the AFI Life Achievement award, one of the highest honors for a career in film.

Denzel recently produced Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom for Netflix, directed by George C. Wolfe with cast including Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, and Colman Domingo. The Warner Bros thriller The Little Things recently starred Denzel alongside Rami Malek and Jared Leto.

Most recently, Denzel directed A Journal for Jordan starring Michael B. Jordan and helmed the helmed the Joel Coen-directed The Tragedy of Macbeth alongside Frances McDormand, for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Male Actor in a Leading Role.

Next up, Denzel is producing The Piano Lesson and will star in Gladiator 2 from director Ridley Scott and High and Low from director Spike Lee. Washington will also be making his long-awaited return to the stage in Othello alongside Jake Gyllenhaal.

Photos

STAGE CREDITS

[Broadway]
Broadway Revival Production, 2025
Othello


[Broadway]
Broadway Revival Production, 2018
Theodore "Hickey" Hickman


[Broadway]
Broadway Revival, 2014
Walter Lee Younger


[Broadway]
Broadway Revival, 2010
Troy Maxson


[Broadway]
Broadway Revival, 2005
Marcus Brutus


[Off-Broadway]
1990
Richard Duke of Gloucester


[Broadway]
1988
Sylvester Williams


[Off-Broadway]
1981
Private First Class Melvin Peterson


[Off-Broadway]
1979
Aediles/Roman Citizen/Voscian Citizen/Roman Soldier/Voscian Soldier


Awards and Nominations

Drama League Awards - 2025 - DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE

Denzel Washington, Othello

Drama League Awards - 2018 - Distinguished Performance Award

Denzel Washington, The Iceman Cometh

Tony Awards - 2018 - Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

Denzel Washington, The Iceman Cometh

Drama Desk Awards - 2014 - Outstanding Actor in a Play

Denzel Washington, A Raisin in the Sun

Drama League Awards - 2014 - Distinguished Performance Award

Denzel Washington, A Raisin in the Sun


winner
Outer Critics Circle Awards - 2010 - Outstanding Actor in a Play

Denzel Washington, Fences


winner
Tony Awards - 2010 - Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

Denzel Washington, Fences


winner
Obie Awards - 1982 - Distinguished Ensemble Performance

Denzel Washington, A Soldier's Play

Videos

News


Review: THE PIANO LESSON at 1st Stage
by Laurie Sara Oliver - Jun 16, 2025

August Wilson is one of America’s greatest playwrights, and The Piano Lesson may be one of his greatest works. The writing is so powerful, I’m not sure you could stage a bad version if you tried. 
Interview: Richard Topol Talks Arlekin Players Theatre's OUR CLASS
by R. Scott Reedy - Jun 13, 2025

Arlekin Players Theatre’s production of “Our Class” led the winners at this year’s Lucille Lortel Awards, presented at New York University on May 4, where the play, by Tadeusz Słobodzianek and adapted by Norman Allen, was honored as Best Revival.
Video: CBS SUNDAY MORNING Explores Shakespeare's Lasting Appeal with Patrick Page & More
by Josh Sharpe - Jun 9, 2025

On a recent edition of CBS Sunday Morning, the show devoted a segment to the most famous playwright of all time: William Shakespeare. The segment explored why his four-hundred-year-old plays continue to remain so popular, interviewing Broadway performer Patrick Page. Watch it now.
2 Broadway Shows Close Today
by Nicole Rosky - Jun 8, 2025

Broadway says goodbye to two limited run productions. Good Night, and Good Luck takes its final bow at the Winter Garden Theatre following 22 previews and 77 regular performances; and Othello will conclude its limited run at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre following 30 previews and 89 regular performances.
Photos: OTHELLO Star Denzel Washington Celebrates Sardi's Portrait Reveal
by Bruce Glikas - Jun 5, 2025

On June 2, 2025, two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington was honored with a caricature portrait at the legendary Sardi’s restaurant in New York City, celebrating his performance as the title character in Broadway’s Othello. Check out photos of the event!
Student Blog: The Hungry and the Known
by Student Blogger: Eva Viciana - Jun 2, 2025

I’ve always seen Broadway as a kind of benchmark for where theater is at, not just in terms of quality but in terms of what the industry values. So when I heard that this season was the highest-grossing in Broadway history, it definitely caught my attention. It was encouraging to see that audiences were coming back in such big numbers and that live performance is still drawing crowds in a major way. 
DEATH BECOMES HER vs. MINCEMEAT Battle For Best Ensemble In The BWW Awards; Last Chance To Vote!
by BWW Awards - Jun 2, 2025

This is the final chance to vote for BroadwayWorld's 22nd Annual Theater Fans' Choice Awards. The Theater Fans' Choice Awards honor and celebrate the best of New York Theater. There's just one week left to vote!
August Wilson's FENCES to Open at AMC Performance Company
by Emmy Rice - Jun 1, 2025

Just in time for Juneteenth and Father's Day, Atlanta's vibrant theater scene welcomes a powerful new production of August Wilson's Fences-a cornerstone of American drama-staged by AMC Performance Company at the Encore Film & Music Studio.
TDF's WENDY WASSERSTEIN PROJECT 2025 Celebration to Take Place in June
by Chloe Rabinowitz - May 29, 2025

DF will host its annual Wendy Wasserstein Project ceremony at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College. Learn more and see how to purchase tickets here!
1 Week Left for the BWW Awards; MAYBE HAPPY ENDING Leading Over MINCEMEAT & DEATH BECOMES HER
by BWW Awards - May 27, 2025

The latest standings have been released for BroadwayWorld's 22nd Annual Theater Fans' Choice Awards. The Theater Fans' Choice Awards honor and celebrate the best of New York Theater. There's just one week left to vote!
Sheryl Lee Ralph to Receive Sidney Poitier Icon Tribute at Gotham TV Awards
by Josh Sharpe - May 20, 2025

The Gotham Film & Media Institute has announced that Emmy Award-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph will receive the Sidney Poitier Icon Tribute at the Second Annual Gotham Television Awards, taking place live and in person on Monday, June 2nd.
Two Weeks Left To Vote for the 22nd Annual Theater Fans' Choice Awards
by BWW Awards - May 19, 2025

Show your support for shows like Maybe Happy Ending, Operation Mincemeat, Death Becomes Her, BOOP! The Musical and more.
2025 Drama League Awards Winners- The Full List
by Nicole Rosky - May 16, 2025

The best of Broadway is gathered at the at the Ziegfeld Ballroom to celebrate the 91st Annual Drama League Awards. BroadwayWorld is bringing you live updates from inside the ceremony. Check back to find out who wins!
Chanticleer Shakespeare Co. Reveals Principal Cast for RICHARD III Coming June 2025
by A.A. Cristi - May 15, 2025

Chanticleer Shakespeare Co. has announced the principal Equity cast for its upcoming production of Richard III, featuring five standout performers with credits spanning Broadway, Shakespeare festivals, and major screen roles.
Cast Set For RICHARD III at Chanticleer Shakespeare Co.
by Stephi Wild - May 14, 2025

Chanticleer Shakespeare Co. has announced the principal Equity cast for its upcoming production of Richard III, featuring five standout performers with credits spanning Broadway, Shakespeare festivals, and major screen roles.
First Standings Announced for the 22nd Annual Theater Fans' Choice Awards
by BWW Awards - May 12, 2025

The first standings have been released for BroadwayWorld's 22nd Annual Theater Fans' Choice Awards. The Theater Fans' Choice Awards honor and celebrate the best of New York Theater - as decided by the most important critics, the audience at large - allowing YOU to have your say during the most exciting time of the year for the theater community.
Which Shows Have Been Revived the Most in the 21st Century?
by Jennifer Ashley Tepper - May 11, 2025

Three of this season’s plays and two of this season’s musicals are already getting revived for the second or third time this century! Twenty-five years into the 21st century and Broadway has already seen multiple revivals of Glengarry Glen Ross, Our Town, Romeo and Juliet, Gypsy, and Sunset Boulevard. 
Photos and Video: Entertainment Community Fund Gala Raises $1.6 Million
by Chloe Rabinowitz - May 7, 2025

You can now get a look at photos and video from  The Entertainment Community Fund's Annual Gala on Monday, April 21, 2025 in New York City, which raised $1.6 million to support their programs and services.
Norm Lewis in CEREMONIES IN DARK OLD MEN Extends Run
by Stephi Wild - May 7, 2025

The new production of Lonne Elder III's play, Ceremonies in Dark Old Men, starring Tony, Emmy and SAG Award nominee Norm Lewis, has extended by six weeks. Learn more here!
Video: Denzel Washington Stars in Trailer for Spike Lee's HIGHEST 2 LOWEST
by Josh Sharpe - May 5, 2025

Denzel Washington and Spike Lee reunite for the 5th time with Highest 2 Lowest, a new reinterpretation of the great filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s crime thriller High and Low. Watch the trailer!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many Broadway shows has Denzel Washington been in?

Denzel Washington has appeared on Broadway in 6 shows.

How many West End shows has Denzel Washington been in?

Denzel Washington has not appeared in the West End.

What awards has Denzel Washington been nominated for?

DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE (Drama League Awards) for Othello, Distinguished Performance Award (Drama League Awards) for The Iceman Cometh, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for The Iceman Cometh, Outstanding Actor in a Play (Drama Desk Awards) for A Raisin in the Sun, Distinguished Performance Award (Drama League Awards) for A Raisin in the Sun, Outstanding Actor in a Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Fences, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Fences and Distinguished Ensemble Performance (Obie Awards) for A Soldier's Play.

What awards has Denzel Washington won?

Denzel Washington has won several prestigious awards for his theatrical performances. He received the Outstanding Actor in a Play award from the Outer Critics Circle Awards for his role in Fences. Additionally, he won the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play, also for Fences. Washington was honored with the Distinguished Ensemble Performance award from the Obie Awards for his work in A Soldier's Play.

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