Denzel Washington is the first Black actor to have received two Academy Awards, but his childhood wasn’t all glitz and glamour. Denzel’s parents divorced when he was just 14 years old, and he was sent off to military boarding school, which he says saved his life. He had fallen into a bad crowd with his close childhood friends, serving a combined 40 years in prison. Since Denzel, instead, turned to God and focused on his acting, eventually fulfilling a prophecy a woman at his mother’s beauty parlor had about him when he was just 20 years old.
Early Life
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. was born on December 28, 1954, in Mount Vernon, New York. Denzel was named after his father, Denzel Hayes Washington Senior, who worked at a department store in New York City’s water department but was also a Pentecostal minister. Just like his dad, Denzel Jr. is a devout Christian. He reads the Bible daily and once donated two and a half million dollars to help build a church in Los Angeles. He seriously considered becoming a preacher, just like his old man.
Both of Denzel’s parents were born in the South. His father was a Virginia native, and his mother, Lannis Lin, was raised partly in Harlem but born in Georgia. She worked at beauty salons during Denzel Jr.’s childhood before eventually owning her own beauty parlor.
Denzel lived with both parents and attended Pennington Grimes Elementary School. Both his parents worked, so he spent a lot of time at the Boys Club in Mount Vernon, hanging out or playing basketball after school. He was a big fan of the Dallas Cowboys and the LA Lakers.
Early Jobs and Socializing with the Wrong Crowd
Denzel started working at just 11 or 12 years old, sweeping up at barber shops and running errands. He was also socializing with kids who were heading down dark paths. According to Denzel, “The guys I was hanging out with at the time, my running buddies, have now done maybe 40 years combined in the penitentiary. They were nice guys. The streets got him.”
A Life-Changing Moment
When Denzel was 14 years old, his whole life changed. His parents got a divorce, and his mother sent him to Oakland Military Academy to straighten him out. After graduating, he moved down to Daytona Beach, Florida, where he attended Mainland High School. He went on to study at Fordham University. There, Denzel played on the basketball team and was an undeclared major. He dabbled in chemistry, biology, law, and journalism, having not yet found his direction in life.
Midway through his junior year, he was put on academic probation and took some time off school to figure himself out. Around this time, he received a prophecy from one of his mother’s clients. She told him that he was destined to speak to millions of people and do great things. He didn’t think much of it at the time since he was flunking out of school, but soon after, he went to work at a YMCA camp, Camp Sloan in Lakeville, Connecticut. The counselors put on a talent show for the kids, which gave Denzel his first taste of performance. From there, he was hooked and decided to put everything into acting.
Denzel Washington’s Life important points
- Born on December 28, 1954, in Mount Vernon, New York.
- Parents divorced when he was 14, and sent to military boarding school.
- After high school, he attended Fordham University, where he struggled academically.
- Landed first TV role in 1977, in the made-for-TV movie Wilma.
- Married Pauletta in 1983 and had four children
- Won Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1989 for Glory.
Pursuing Acting
Denzel returned to Fordham University, where he auditioned for school plays and was cast in other title roles, such as The Emperor Jones and Othello. He graduated from Fordham with a BA in drama and journalism in 1977 before going on to attend graduate school at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. However, he didn’t stay in San Francisco for long, as his professional acting career was already beginning to take shape.
First Roles and Breakthrough
Denzel landed his first on-screen role in 1977 with a made-for-TV movie, Wilma. On set, he met the beautiful and talented Paula Peterson, and the two began to date. Denzel’s first off-Broadway show, A Soldier’s Play, opened in 1981, earning him an OB Award. That same year, he had his first appearance in a Hollywood film, Carbon Copy.
Denzel’s big break came when he was cast as Dr. Philip Chandler in NBC’s hospital drama St. Elsewhere. The show ran from 1982 to 1988, making Denzel a familiar face to most Americans.
Family Life
In 1983, Denzel married Pauletta, and they had their first child, John David, on July 25, 1984. Pauletta then retired from her own budding Broadway career to become a stay-at-home mom. More kids would follow: Katya was born in 1986, and twins Olivia and Malcolm were born in 1991.
Oscar Win and Major Achievements
In 1989, Denzel won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in the film Glory. Moving into the 90s, Denzel began to work with Spike Lee. Their first film together was Mo’ Better Blues, but far more memorable was his role as the title character in Malcolm X in 1992, which is truly a classic. Brilliant movie that everybody needs to see.
Denzel continued to work throughout the 90s in films like Philadelphia, The Pelican Brief, Crimson Tide, Courage Under Fire, and The Preacher’s Wife. He reunited with Spike Lee for He Got Game, then starred as Hurricane Carter in The Hurricane in 1999.
Golden Globe and Second Oscar
In 2000, his role in Remember the Titans earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Dramatic Movie, the first awarded to a Black man since Sidney Poitier. He followed in Sidney’s footsteps once again the next year, becoming the second Black man in history to win an Oscar for Best Actor, this time for his amazing performance in Training Day.
Continued Success and Notable Films
Denzel continued to deliver hit after hit. There was John Q, Man on Fire, Inside Man, American Gangster, The Book of Eli, The Equalizer, The Magnificent Seven, and Fences, just to name a few. Denzel to this day is still pumping out remarkable performances, such as his most recent film, an adaptation of the Shakespeare play Macbeth.
Legacy
Denzel’s son, John David, has also become a rather polished and recognizable actor in Hollywood. So it’s good to know that Denzel’s legacy will be left in good hands.
