Original subtitles

What is more important to you, receiving this

acclaim from this group of critics in New York and L.A., or from the audience

that goes to see or that follows your work?

It has to be the audience.

But the most important thing to me is making sure that I've done all I can

do to make the part come to life.

That's what's most important.

That's what I do.

I mean, I don't, you know, that's what I do.

Denzel Washington redefined what an African-American actor can do in Hollywood.

He's not there to make the white American

audience feel better about themselves.

He plays strong, powerful, at times aggressive and

moral, morally upstanding African-American roles.

Well, one of the scenes that had to be the toughest to do or maybe went

through your mind would be a scene where you're whipped.

(dramatic music)

Not the toughest, the simplest scene.

The toughest for everyone else that day except me,

because I knew exactly what I was doing and I had the spirits of all

of those people who had been whipped for real with me.

And I think that's the biggest part of his legacy, the way in which he changed

what African-American actors can do in Hollywood.

It's not serendipity.

God is real.

He's real in my life.

It's all and everything that I want to do.

And that's it.

(dramatic music)

High hopes.

(laughter)

I'm just, you know, here for the party.

Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. entered the world on

December 28, 1954, in Mount Vernon, a suburban

enclave just north of New York City's frenetic energy.

Raised in a devout, hardworking household, Denzel was

shaped by the values of faith and discipline.

His father, Reverend Denzel Washington Sr.,

was a Pentecostal minister whose impassioned sermons filled their church

each Sunday.

(upbeat music)

But if you could choose your future, where

do you see yourself being in 20 years and what kind of work do you think

you'll have accomplished by then?

Oh, 20 years from now, I think I would

like to see myself making films

as a director, possibly, as a producer, possibly, but

having more control over the product that I'm involved with.

Who is Denzel Washington?

Denzel Washington is the leading actor of the

21st century, according to the New York Times,

leading Hollywood actor of the 21st century.

Denzel's mother, Lennis, a beautician and choir singer,

ran a chain of beauty salons.

Her blend of strict guidance and nurturing love

instilled in her children a strong work ethic and a deep sense of purpose.

My father was a minister in the church.

I grew up in the church.

We weren't allowed to go to the movies.

We saw King of Kings, Ten Commandments.

That might have been about it.

So I didn't grow up really watching westerns.

We had a television show in America, Bonanza.

I got to see that, but I never went to the movies.

His mother was a woman of the city and his father was a man of the

country, was much more innocent than she was.

I think what they had in common was they were both very religious.

So his father was a Pentecostal minister and his mother was religious as well.

And he grew up going to church every

Sunday, at least every Sunday, and has carried

through his religious belief throughout his life.

And I think it accounts for some of his moral sense as an actor and his

sense that in most of the films he plays, he plays someone who is on the

side of good.

And he said that this was his career

goal, to play characters who brought something good to the world.

As the middle of three siblings, Denzel grew

up immersed in the rhythms of church life and community.

The Boys and Girls Club of Mount Vernon

became a sanctuary, offering a space for sports,

friendship, and structure amid the temptations of city life.

By age 11, Denzel was sweeping floors and

running errands at local barbershops and his mother's

salons, a humorous twist given his own infrequent haircuts.

These early jobs kept him grounded and out

of trouble, but his teenage years brought challenges.

He ended up attending a military school, which

was quite a different environment, I think, from

how a lot of actors spend their early

years, but also, I think, probably helped instill

this real discipline within him that we see throughout his career as an actor.

When Denzel was 14, his parents' marriage dissolved

and his father relocated to Virginia.

The absence of his father's presence left Denzel

unmoored, leading to rebellious behavior, including street fights

and defiance that worried his mother.

Determined to steer her son back on course,

Lennis made a bold choice.

She enrolled Denzel in Oakland Military Academy,

a prestigious boarding school in upstate New York.

Far from Mount Vernon's familiar streets, Denzel navigated

a predominantly white environment where his academic performance

faltered, but his athletic talent flourished.

He dreamed of a future in professional sports,

while his quick wit and charisma led friends to predict a career in comedy.

Beneath his outgoing demeanor, however, lay a reserved

young man grappling with the uncertainties of youth.

At Oakland, a quiet resolve began to take shape,

a determination that would later fuel his ascent to global stardom.

You know, that's the thing I'm proud of, most proud of about this film, is that

it made young people, black and white and

other colors too, think about their history in

this country and what has happened, how they've been miseducated,

and to go and learn things for themselves.

I'm real proud of that fact.

Each summer, Denzel returned to Mount Vernon, volunteering

at the Boys and Girls Club that had once been his refuge.

As a counselor, he mentored young boys, passing

on the guidance that had shaped him.

These experiences reinforced his commitment to community, a

value that would remain a cornerstone of his life.

Mount Vernon in the 1950s and 1960s was

a diverse, working-class community with a strong sense of identity.

Its proximity to New York City exposed residents to urban challenges,

yet it retained a suburban charm that fostered tight-knit neighborhoods.

The Boys and Girls Club, founded in 1906

as a national organization, played a pivotal role in Denzel's upbringing.

According to the Boys and Girls Clubs of

America, the organization had served millions of youths,

providing mentorship and opportunities in under-deserved communities.

Denzel's lifelong connection to the Mount Vernon chapter,

where he later became a prominent supporter, underscores its impact.

In 1972, Denzel enrolled at Fordham University in

the Bronx, initially pursuing pre-med to fulfill his mother's expectations.

Science, however, failed to ignite his passion,

and he soon switched to journalism, only to find it equally uninspiring.

Denzel's career began at Fordham University, where initially

he wasn't studying acting, he had got in

with the intention of doing something completely different,

and he ended up taking some classes and

becoming involved in the drama department and developing

this real passion and interest for it, and he decided to change his degree.

A turning point came during a summer job at a YMCA camp, where he performed in

a theater production.

The experience was electric, awakening a sense of

purpose he hadn't felt before.

Returning to Fordham, Denzel shifted his focus to acting,

transferring to the university's Lincoln Center campus

to study theater arts in his senior year.

From then on, it was kind of off to the races for him.

I think that once he decided that was

something that he wanted to pursue, he really

took to it in a very strong manner.

His talent shone brightly in a university production of Othello,

where he played the titular role

with a commanding intensity that caught the eye of talent agents.

This performance led to his professional debut in

1977, playing Robert Eldridge in the television movie

Wilma, a biopic about Olympic sprinter Wilma Rudolph.

(gentle music)

No, I never wanted to go out with no other girls.

Not steady.

That's OK.

You know why?

No.

Because I think we're something special.

On set, Denzel met Pauletta Pearson,

a young actress and musician whose small role belied the

profound impact she would have on his life.

Their friendship, sparked during filming, laid the foundation

for a lifelong partnership.

Huh?

Oh, yeah.

It's a great show, the Oscars, huh?

Does it ever get old coming to an award show?

Does it ever get old?

No, it doesn't get old because everything is new all the time.

You never know.

After graduating from Fordham with a double major

in journalism and drama, Denzel earned a scholarship

to the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco.

The prestigious program offered rigorous training,

but Denzel’s hunger for the stage drew him back to acting after just one year.

With only $30 to his name, he moved

to Los Angeles, staying with relatives while seeking auditions.

Despite landing a job teaching acting through the

Urban League, Denzel's heart was set on performing.

Frustrated by Hollywood's limited opportunities, he returned to New York,

where the vibrant black theater scene offered richer prospects.

There, he reconnected with Pauletta, whose talents as

a pianist, singer and actress complemented his ambitions.

Her steadfast support became a cornerstone of his

journey, as their relationship deepened into love.

Yeah, well, even before I wanted to be

an actor, I think something like this was in the back of my mind, you know,

playing cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians or whatever.

I kind of started in theater, so I never really looked this far ahead, I guess

you'd say.

I still do a lot of theater, but, you know, I enjoy doing a lot of

different projects, a lot of different, going a

lot of different directions, so.

The 1970s marked a renaissance for black theater

in New York, driven by institutions like the

Negro Ensemble Company, founded in 1967.

The NEC and similar groups provided platforms for

African-American actors, playwrights and directors at a

time when mainstream opportunities were scarce.

Plays like A Soldier's Play by Charles Fuller,

which later became a defining moment in Denzel's

career, emerged from this scene.

According to a 2019 article in the New York Times,

the NEC produced over 200 works,

nurturing talents like Felicia Rashad and Samuel L.

Jackson.

The late 1970s were a lean period for Denzel.

Auditions were scarce and financial struggles loomed.

Pauletta, now his partner, paused her own promising

career in music to support them, taking on

the role of breadwinner while Denzel pursued acting.

On the verge of giving up, he accepted

a job with the Department of Recreation, but

Pauletta's encouragement kept him focused.

Just days before starting the new job, he landed the role of Malcolm X on the

off-Broadway play When the Chickens Come Home to Roost.

Why did you have to be so gabby with it?

It looks like the chickens have come home to roost.

What is that?

A joke?

Humor?

Black humor?

For now, the nation of Islam is associated with it through you.

You have any idea of the possible recrimination?

There won't be any recrimination.

Now, what I said was morally straight and sympathetic to them and to us.

Earning a modest $125 a week,

Denzel immersed himself into the role, studying Malcolm X's speeches,

reading his writings, and even dyeing his hair

red to capture the activist's likeness.

This meticulous preparation became a hallmark of his career.

His performance in When the Chickens Come Home

to Roost led to another stage role in

Charles Fuller's A Soldier's Play, where he played

Private Peterson, a defiant soldier.

His searing portrayal earned him an Obie Award,

the off-Broadway equivalent of a Tony, signaling

his arrival as a formidable talent.

In 1981, Denzel made his feature film debut

in the comedy Carbon Copy, playing the long -lost son of a white businessman.

My, what a fine-looking boy.

You were right, Walter.

I was worried over nothing.

You're just in time for dinner.

Walter, will you tell Marianne that we're expecting her?

Roger?

We're having chicken for dinner.

I just love chicken, ma'am.

I know you do.

I had Bianca prepare especially for you.

The role provided financial stability,

and the studio’s decision to pay for Denzel work to fix

his signature gap-tooth smile introduced him to Hollywood star treatment.

Denzel's breakout came with the television drama St.

Elsewhere, where he played Dr. Philip Chandler.

Initially hesitant, he accepted the role for its steady paycheck.

The show, praised for its bold tackling of

social issues, became a critical darling, earning 12

Emmy Awards over six seasons.

Denzel's salary of $30,000 per episode provided

financial security, allowing him to marry Pauletta in 1983.

So St. Elsewhere was a popular American medical

comedy-drama, and it followed the lives of

doctors and nurses and patients at this medical

facility, and that's where Denzel got his big break.

The couple welcomed their first child, John David,

in 1984, followed by daughter Katia in 1987.

During a hiatus from St. Elsewhere, Denzel reprised

his role in the film adaption of A

Soldier's Play, titled A Soldier's Story, earning further acclaim.

Sorry, just joking P.

He don't mean no harm.

No, he does.

I mean, we're taking her from them white boys.

(upbeat music)

He really was able to kind of show how charismatic he was and how charming, and

bring a lot of gravitas to this medical

show, that I think really developed a fondness

between audiences and him, and set him up

as someone that was developing a real sort of following within the industry.

You heard it here live, I should stick to acting.

News at 11.

(laughter)

(gentle music)

In 1987, Denzel landed a transformative role as

South African activist Steve Biko in Cry Freedom,

directed by Richard Attenborough.

Being involved in a film like Cry Freedom

will make the public very aware of the

terrible inequities that still exist in South Africa.

What about the inequities that still exist in the United States?

Do you sense that this sort of takes

the spotlight off of problems that are still within our society?

- You mean racial problems? - Yeah.

No, I think it'll only shine more light on it, the similarities.

To embody Biko, he gained weight, grew a goatee,

and studied the activist's life extensively,

filming in Zimbabwe and Tanzania.

Cry Freedom was filmed by Richard Attenborough, who

is regarded as one of the great filmmakers

of his generation, and it wasn't that long

after the death of Martin Luther King, and

this was something that would become a kind of hallmark of Denzel's career.

Despite disappointment over cut scenes, his performance earned

the Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination in 1988

and an NAACP Image Award.

One of Denzel Washington's really early key roles

was playing Steve Biko, the anti-apartheid activist

in South Africa, and he is, of course, killed within the story, and so it sets

up his career in a direction that it will go for many, many years, in which

he is the kind of moral center of the story.

His death stands for all of the crimes

and injustice of apartheid, so it's a really

important role in establishing his star persona.

I think the problems here are more subtle,

more advanced.

You know, it's not as obvious a problem as in South Africa, but, you know, you

can change laws, but you can't necessarily change

people's hearts and minds, and that only comes through time

and constant pressure and struggle.

Cry Freedom was a pivotal film in Denzel's career,

but it faced criticism for focusing more

on the white journalist Donald Woods than on Biko.

According to a 1987 review in The Washington Post,

some critics argued the film diluted Biko's story,

a sentiment Denzel reportedly shared regarding cut scenes.

His Oscar nomination was a milestone as he

became one of the few African-American actors

recognized in the supporting actor category at the time, per Academy Records.

That same year, he made his Broadway debut

in Checkmates, a comedy that enjoyed a successful run.

Denzel's ability to navigate stage, television, and film

showcased his versatility, but roles for African-American

actors remained limited.

He proactively sought parts in films like For

Queen and Country and The Mighty Quinn.

By 1989, at age 24, Denzel Washington was

a rising star with an Oscar nomination, an

Obie Award, and a growing reputation.

His next role in the Civil War drama Glory marked a turning point.

In Glory, he plays a former slave in the United States in the 1860s who goes

over to fight for the Union, to fight for the northern side against slavery.

And it is a very intense film that

shows his transformation from being a rebel slave

to being someone who is fighting for the higher cause of the Union.

And he once again is the moral center of the story because he begins as a

rebel and he has to find a way of bringing himself within the power and the

hierarchy of the Northern Army.

At one point, he goes AWOL, and he is brought back by the Army police and

he is whipped as a punishment.

You may commence.

(dramatic music)

Apparently the standard punishment for going AWOL, but

when they take off his shirt to whip him, you can see that his back is

already covered in scars from many whippings as a slave.

And so as he's being whipped, he stares

at his commanding officer, played by Matthew Broderick,

with a kind of intensity and vehemence that

is really his trademark as an actor.

Well, one of the scenes that had to be the toughest to do, or maybe went

through your mind, would be the scene where you're whipped.

Not the toughest.

The simplest scene.

The toughest for everyone else that day except me

because I knew exactly what I was doing and I had the spirits of all

of those people who had been whipped for real with me, and I was prepared.

It wasn't tough for me at all.

As a matter of fact, everyone else was

crying and people couldn't deal with it because they felt guilty.

I was in the part.

I felt strong.

As a matter of fact, the contact between

Matthew and myself, it had nothing to do with the guy whipping me.

It was like, well, let's see who's going to break here.

It was almost like that kind of energy.

It was tough preparing for that, I might say.

That day it was easier, but reading all

the history, reading books like Bullwhip Days and

Slave Narratives and things like that to find

out what actually happened to my great-grandfathers

and grandmothers, that was the tough part.

One tear falls down his cheek to convey

the pain of the whipping, but otherwise there's

just this amazing intensity that he brings to the role.

Filming in Georgia with his family by his

side, he described the experience as deeply fulfilling.

His portrayal earned him a Golden Globe for

Best Supporting Actor and, on March 26, 1990,

the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, beating

out heavyweights like Marlon Brando and Martin Landau.

He also won his second NAACP Image Award for the role.

So Denzel won his first Oscar for Glory

for Best Supporting Actor, which was his second nomination.

He also beat out some pretty incredible performers to win the award.

He beat Marlon Brando and he beat Danny Aiello,

who had starred in Do the Right Thing.

I started acting, what, 1975.

I was in college, my first acting class.

The teacher went around and asked everyone what

they want to do, why they want to be an actor.

And I said, I want to be the best actor in the world.

And everybody went, really?

Who the hell does he think he is?

But not only to be the best in the world.

Who's the best? Who's the best supporting actor?

Who knows? But to be the best that I can be.

And this feels like not a confirmation of that,

but I know that I've been working the right way and trying to do the

right things and growing as an actor.

I want to continue to grow.

I'm going to play Richard III this summer

in the park, and that's going to stretch the heck out of me, but it's going

to teach me some lessons.

And I may fall on my face, but I'm going to go for it.

But I think that the reason that that

performance won the Oscar is because it felt

like he'd put so much of himself and

so much kind of spirit and power into the performance.

And I think that it really did feel like a win, that despite how young he

was when he made the film, he was only kind of in his late 20s, early

30s, it was something that truly kind of

resonated with audiences and felt like something new

was coming through on screen.

That year, Denzel and Pauletta welcomed twins, Malcolm

and Olivia, completing their family of four children.

The 1990s saw Denzel cement his status as a leading man.

He starred in diverse films, including More Better

Blues, Mississippi Masala, Malcolm X, Much Ado About Nothing,

Philadelphia, Devil in a Blue Dress, and Crimson Tide.

His collaborations with directors Spike Lee and Tony

Scott showcased his range from romantic leads to intense action roles.

In Mo' Better Blues, he clashed with Lee

over a nude scene, prioritizing his children's comfort.

So Mo' Better Blues is one of Spike Lee's earlier films.

It came just after Do the Right Thing,

which was his big breakthrough, which kind of launched him to the world.

And this was his first collaboration with Denzel.

And it was something a little bit different

after Do the Right Thing, which is a very angry, very powder keg type film.

And Mo' Better Blues was something different that

I think proved not only Spike Lee's versatility

as a filmmaker, but Denzel's versatility as an actor.

Big.

I don't like no static.

You know, I'm a peaceful person.

And even though you fire my ass, you're still my boy.

I look out your best interest.

When was the last time you seen Clark?

I don't know.

What's up?

He plays this jazz musician who is incredibly talented,

but also has kind of personal demons that he suffers with.

And it's really a love story, but it's

also about artistic integrity, which is something that

I think Denzel and Spike have both spoken about a lot, and trying to kind of

maintain your artistic freedom in an industry where

that oftentimes is compromised and it was the

beginning of this really enduring, very loving friendship

and work relationship between Denzel and Spike, which continues to this day.

- What was that? - I got your ticket.

OK.

You know that's what I was coming to check on.

I got your ticket.

- OK. All right. - I'll talk to you later, man.

Say, side by side.

- OK. - In the house.

His role in Malcolm X was a career-defining moment,

building on his earlier stage performance,

Denzel prepared rigorously, training with the Nation of

Islam, abstaining from alcohol and pork and losing 20 pounds.

He drew inspiration from his father's preaching style,

despite their distant relationship.

His father's death from a stroke in 1991,

before the film's release, added a personal layer to the performance.

So Malcolm X is widely regarded as one of the best biopics ever made and maybe

one of the longest, but I think it's

definitely one of the most rewarding films you can sit down and watch.

These are the questions you and I have to ask.

How did we get this mind?

You're not an American.

You're an African who happens to be an American.

You have to understand the difference.

We didn't come over on the Nina, the Penta and the whatchamacallit.

We didn't land on Plymouth Rock.

Plymouth Rock landed on us, landed right on top of us.

Spike Lee fought incredibly hard to make the film.

Originally, a white director had been chosen by the studio and Spike kind of

did a bit of a protest, rightfully claiming that a

black filmmaker should get the opportunity to make the film,

and he was instated eventually, and Denzel stayed on board the project.

He'd been cast before Spike Lee became involved,

and Spike Lee said the only person he ever wanted to play Malcolm X was Denzel.

He'd played him before on Broadway when he

was younger and did just a phenomenal amount

of research into who he was as a man, and the result was this incredible epic

film spanning the entire course of Malcolm X's life.

It really was this attempt to capture

an incredibly important figure in American culture, in Islamic culture,

in the liberation of African Americans in America.

The way Spike does it is with such energy and such reverence, but also he is

critical at times of Malcolm X, and he

doesn't shy away from the more difficult parts

of his life, and I think that Denzel brings such a sense of personality to the role.

It doesn't feel like you're watching him doing an impression of Malcolm X.

It really does feel like you are watching a film with the man himself, and it

still is regarded to this day as one of the greatest biopics of all time, and

I think it is that combination of Denzel's

performance and Spike's direction that means people still

love the film and resonate with the film to this day.

You can't even get drugs in Harlem without the white man's permission.

You can't get prostitution in Harlem without the white man's permission.

You can't get gambling in Harlem without the white man's permission.

Every time you break the seal on that

liquor bottle, that's a government seal you're breaking.

The film, though controversial and over budget, earned

Denzel a third Oscar nomination and a fourth NAACP Image Award.

They flew from L.A. to New York

just to convince me to change and to take out the opening sequence of the film.

So why do you think it ought to be directed by an African-American?

Well, the same reason that with Francis Ford

Coppola being an Italian-American, the nuances of

flavor he brought to the Godfather trilogy, him

being an Italian-American, he knew all that.

He was of that background.

I've gotten tons and tons and tons of

mail from young people who didn't know much

about Malcolm X, were walking around with X

hats on, who've taken the initiative to learn

more about their history and their culture.

You know, that's the thing I'm proud of, most proud of about this film, is that

it made young people, black and white and

other colors too, think about their history in

this country and what has happened, how they've been miseducated,

and to go and learn things for themselves.

I'm real proud of that fact, as I know Spike is as well.

(gentle music)

Denzel's selective approach to roles defined his career.

He turned down parts in films like Terminator

2 and Amos & Andrew, prioritizing quality over quantity.

His casting in The Pelican Brief, a role

written for a white actor, was championed by co-star Julia Roberts.

The film's omission of a love scene sparked

debate about racial bias, but director Alan Pecula

insisted it was a creative choice.

Two films, one is the longest post-production

I've ever been involved in on a film,

Philadelphia, because it took him a year to

put it together, and the other one is the shortest, Pelican Brief.

I mean, we were still shooting last week.

Philadelphia, a groundbreaking film about AIDS, saw Denzel

play a homophobic lawyer defending a gay man.

Philadelphia was a really important film in the early 1990s.

It was the time of the AIDS crisis.

The AIDS crisis was at its height, so not only were many people dying of AIDS

and were ill with AIDS, but there was a huge public panic around AIDS and how

contagious it was and how people with AIDS should be treated.

There was a huge amount of homophobia around

AIDS, really outspoken homophobia in a way that's difficult to imagine today.

We've moved away from that a lot.

The role challenged him to portray an unsympathetic

character, and the film's $200 million box office

success further elevated his status.

The Pelican Brief and Philadelphia were landmark films

for their commercial success and social impact.

So Jonathan Demme made Philadelphia as a way

of countering prejudice against people with AIDS and

raising awareness of AIDS as a disease that

was causing a lot of discrimination.

Tom Hanks plays a young lawyer who develops AIDS and is sacked from his job by

his very prejudiced bosses at the law firm.

If this was 1962 and Rock Hudson had to pretend to be married to his publicist

secretary and Luella Parsons was still stabbing people

in the back with her newspaper column, maybe it would be a tough role to take

on.

But believe me, in the United States and in the U.K., there is stuff on

free TV day in and day out that make me playing a homosexual small potatoes in

comparison.

Mr. Beckett, come in.

It's good to see you again, Counselor.

Judge Tate, Kennel Construction.

Inoculate.

How are you?

What happened to your face?

I have AIDS.

Denzel Washington comes into it as the lawyer

who is initially very reluctant to engage with Hanks.

He doesn't want to take on the case

because he is prejudiced against people with AIDS.

He has all sorts of assumptions about people

with AIDS and how contagious AIDS is.

And so he becomes the kind of conscience

of the film, the public conscience of the

film, who's gradually won over and takes the

case and learns what AIDS is and that

it's not that contagious in terms of everyday

contact and develops a huge amount of sympathy for Tom Hanks.

They are quite close by the end of the film.

And so it's really the story of Denzel

Washington's awakening to the crisis and to homophobia.

And that all sounds very worthy, but of course he plays it with a huge amount

of charisma, with humor, with frankness.

It's a really, really important role in the

film and an important film, I think, in his career.

Denzel Washington undoubtedly brought a lot of people

to see the film who would not have otherwise seen it.

Philadelphia was the first major studio film to

address AIDS, a topic stigmatized in the early 1990s.

A 1994 article in the Los Angeles Times

noted that Denzel's casting in Philadelphia was significant

as it showcased his ability to carry complex, morally ambiguous roles.

They're looking at Mr. Wheeler, Ms. Coneen, even you, Your Honor.

They're wondering about it.

Trust me, I know that they are looking at me and thinking about it.

So let's just get it out in the open.

Let's get it out of the closet.

Because this case is not just about AIDS, is it?

So let's talk about what this case is

really all about, the general public's hatred, our loathing, our fear.

Our fear of homosexuals.

Denzel's hot streak continued with Crimson Tide, where

he played a naval officer opposite Gene Hackman, grossing nearly $100 million.

A misstep came with Virtuosity, an action film

that underperformed due to its lack of depth,

reinforcing Denzel's preference for substantive roles.

He rebounded with The Preacher's Wife,

a family-friendly remake produced by his company, Mundy Lane

Entertainment, starring Whitney Houston.

You ever had your palm read?

(gentle music)

The film earned $48 million and resonated with audiences.

In Courage Under Fire, Denzel commanded a record-breaking $10 million salary

for an African-American actor in a dramatic role, per Variety.

By the late 1990s, Denzel was a Hollywood

titan, often compared to Sidney Poitier.

He rejected the comparison, wary of industry biases,

and focused on forging his own path.

His third collaboration with Spike Lee, He Got Game,

saw him play a convicted criminal, a departure from his heroic roles.

So by the end of the 90s, Denzel

had really developed an incredible reputation as one

of the best actors working of his generation.

He had made Malcolm X, he'd made The Hurricane,

he was kind of on top of the world in a lot of aspects and

was fast becoming really someone that audiences loved to watch.

I can remember being up on Fordham Road in the Bronx to see Rocky and people

cheering and wondering where those steps were in Philadelphia.

Warm feelings from a movie like Field of Dreams.

People will have good feelings from this film as well.

Do you think this will be at the top of the list?

When you think back when we were kings or Rocky?

It's not for me to make categories.

It's not about categories.

It's about enjoying a very, very good film.

Who cares?

In 2001, Training Day redefined his career.

As the corrupt detective Alonzo Harris, Denzel delivered

a chilling performance, earning his second Oscar for Best Actor,

making him only the second African-American

to win in that category after Poitier.

In Training Day, we see Denzel playing a pretty different character for him.

Up until the point of Training Day, he'd

really made this reputation for himself, almost of

playing nice guys or, if not nice guys,

very authoritative figures who were very noble and just.

And now he was playing this corrupt cop and not even a little bit corrupt,

a very corrupt cop who is the antagonist of the film.

And I think this surprised a lot of

people, not because they didn't think that Denzel

was capable of playing such a difficult role,

but because he was so believable and so commanding.

And the film really, to this day, is considered one of his best performances.

Just throw that in the glove box.

This car is not from the motor pool.

No, it's not.

Sexy, though, isn't it?

So where's the office back at Division?

You're in the office, baby.

I'm going out.

[Still D.R.E. by Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg]

Denzel's versatility extended to the stage with acclaimed

performances in Julius Caesar and Fences, the latter earning him a Tony Award.

He directed and starred in the film adaption

of Fences with Viola Davis, earning another Oscar nomination.

Fences is a play about a former baseball

player who has become a sanitation worker,

and it's a story that Denzel was very familiar

with because he had played the role previously

on Broadway and had worked with Viola

Davis, who played his wife, in the play.

And it's something that I think he felt very strongly needed to be moved to big

screen or deserved to be moved to the big screen.

And it's quite a tough watch at times.

I think that Viola Davis and Denzel are

such a compelling presence together on screen,

and it confronts a lot of difficult truths about

living as a black couple in 1950s Pittsburgh

and the kind of harshness of that life.

- We're not talking about no baseball. - Rose.

You're not listening to me.

I'm trying to explain it to you the best way I know how.

It's not easy for me to admit that I've been standing in the same place for

18 years.

Well, I've been standing with you.

I've been right here with you, Troy.

I got a life too.

I gave 18 years of my life to stand in the same spot as you.

Don't you think I ever wanted other things?

Don't you think I had dreams and hopes?

What about my life?

What about me?

It really felt like you were watching these

2 kind of powerhouse actors giving their all to the source material.

And I think that directing theater on the

big screen is always quite difficult, but Denzel,

I think because he has such experience as an actor,

on screen, on stage, behind the camera, I think he really was the best

person to realize this dream of bringing the film together.

Some critics have said that Denzel Washington transcends race,

and I get what they mean, that he's an actor who is popular and can

take on any kind of role regardless of the race of the character.

I also think it's important that he is

African-American and he has the stature that

he has in Hollywood, because there's really, there

aren't that many other actors like him.

There aren't that many leading African-American male

actors who don't play comedy and who have the kind of gravitas that he has.

So I think he's a really important presence in Hollywood.

His filmography spans genres, from action-packed

The Equalizer series to Shakespearean The Tragedy of Macbeth.

As a director, he helmed Antoine Fisher, The

Great Debaters, and A Journal for Geordie, showcasing

his commitment to diverse storytelling.

In The Equalizer, he plays a man of

extraordinary humility, quietness, moral centeredness, all the things

that we might expect from any Washington character.

But we're always aware that behind that tranquil

surface there is a man who is capable of extraordinary violence.

There's a lot of mystery with him.

I think he's a very humble person.

I think that's people like that.

He's very introverted.

He's got a vulnerability.

And he's an avenging angel, that sort of thing.

And he's complex.

I think people like that kind of character.

And of course, there's Mr. Washington playing him.

First of all, it's first about the audience.

Do they want one?

They said yes, writer went off, and away we go.

A lot of rehearsal, a lot of choreography, and, you know, a lot of that.

And we're working with expert fighters and all that,

so they keep it safe for us actors.

There's no corner that he is backed into that he can't work his way out of.

It's really quite an extraordinary role.

And I think as the film goes by, you just accept that, that he will always survive.

No matter what is thrown at him, he will overcome it.

And there's a kind of clarity to the character that makes that believable.

I knew my son was going to be a good actor.

He is one.

He's growing as an actor.

It's something he really wanted.

And, you know, I'm his dad.

I'm not like him, you know, proud papa.

I'm so happy for him.

And we were watching him last night do one of the big talk shows in America,

and it's like slapping my wife five.

We were sitting there just, it's unbelievable.

Is that a Hekla cock?

This?

Yeah.

My name's Yarrow Rook.

Book is nice.

- What is he saying? - I don't fucking know.

Can I see it?

Oh, you want to see my gun?

Uh, yes and no.

No.

No, fuck!

All right, all right, all right!

He's constantly evolving and searching even for himself.

You know, he's, I have a friend who wakes up in the middle of the night

who was a real guy who lived a certain life, and he wakes up in a

cold sweat looking for his wallet because he has to try to remember who he is.

Denzel's awards are well-documented.

He won Oscars for Glory and Training Day, per the Academy's official records.

His Tony Award for Fences is confirmed by the American Theatre Wing.

One of the really remarkable things about his

later career is that he keeps returning to Broadway to work as a stage actor.

So he's an actor who believes in acting in that traditional sense.

It's clearly a way of kind of proving your chops as an actor.

You know, what he could do now as an actor in his 60s is, you know,

sit back and take the best film roles.

But he's clearly more ambitious and more driven than that.

Denzel Washington's story is one of triumph over adversity,

driven by an unyielding passion for his craft.

But in a way, was it freeing to play a character like this?

Because there's so many dimensions, and there's just

a sense of sort of unhinged ruthlessness, right?

Sign of the times.

He's a product of his environment.

It was ruthless.

I mean, you know, if you didn't do well, they'd cut your head off.

You know, fed you to the lions or

sharks or whatever else they had floating around.

So it was just, you know, putting the

putting the gear on, putting the rings on.

That was the icing on the cake.

You know, the script is the ingredients.

Beyond his on-screen achievements, he remains a

pillar of his community, supporting his church and

the Boys & Girls Club with significant donations,

including $2.5 million in 1997, and ongoing

advocacy, per the organization's records.

Denzel has become one of the most well-known

and well-liked figures in Hollywood.

I think it's very hard to find anyone with a bad word to say against him

because he's such a hard-working man and

so committed to storytelling and to craft, but

also to helping other actors and to championing other actors.

Speaking of actors, did anything surprise you about Denzel or him?

Um, no.

I mean, I know his talent.

I knew his caliber of talent.

I've been watching him forever.

So I wasn't really surprised at anything.

I was happy at how generous he was and how accessible he was, you know, as

an actor in the scenes.

It just raised everything to the next level.

He's been married to his wife for a very long time in Hollywood.

That is incredibly impressive, and now we're seeing

his kids kind of come through the system as well with a love for acting and

filmmaking.

I think that that proves that Denzel has done a lot right to kind of show

them that there's a place in this world

for their stories and for them to kind of have the same love for the craft

as he does.

This one is important in its own right

because it's celebrating the fact that we are now,

we are all free to express ourselves,

you know, and that's what the film celebrates, is the power of the talent.

And it represents the whole, you know, the collective of what we did.

You know, so many people put their blood,

sweat, and tears into this film for us to be recognized in this manner.

It's great.

I wish I was as smart as them.

You know, when I finally do grow up, I'm going to be as smart as them.

Obviously, you've alluded to maybe slowing down, retiring.

I really want to get behind the camera.

That's really what it is.

I have some great challenges.

I need challenges.

I just can't keep going like it is.

And seeing guys like Paul and Fred and

my sons, and that generation, it's there.

You know, at some point, you've got to hand the baton off, let them run.

Now, I may trickle along behind them for a while, but I'm not going all the

way around the bend.

I'm surely not coming all the way back home.

You know, and I'm really excited about my future.

I have great opportunities.

I'm excited about getting behind the camera, and

I have one of the greatest playwrights in the history of the world in my hands

that they've asked me to take care of, and that's enough.

Denzel Washington is an actor and a star

who has no scandal attached to him whatsoever.

He lives a very wholesome life, especially by Hollywood standards.

He's a family man.

He's a churchgoer.

People who know him talk about his, the strength of his faith, and the kind of

fiasco at the Oscars when Will Smith hit Chris Rock,

it was Denzel Washington that Will Smith then turned to and took solace from,

and Denzel Washington not only consoled him, but

gave him a kind of spiritual advice about

what had happened, that is, when you are

at your most powerful, the devil comes for

you and undermines you, and I think that's

how Will Smith felt about what had happened,

and having Denzel Washington's advice helped him come through that moment.

His marriage to Pauletta, now over four decades strong,

was renewed in 1993 in a ceremony

officiated by Desmond Tutu, a moment of personal significance.

He's also known for supporting a range of

charities such as the Fisher House Foundation and

the Nelson Mandela Fund, and he really is

someone who cares about using his platform, but

in a kind of behind-the-scenes way.

He doesn't want a ton of credit or glory, he just wants to use the money

and success that he's had to help other people.

(gentle music)

From Mount Vernon to the global stage,

Denzel has navigated fame with integrity, balancing artistry with

social responsibility.

His ability to inhabit diverse roles, soldiers, activists,

criminals, and kings, has inspired generations.

As a director, producer, and philanthropist, he continues

to push boundaries, leaving a legacy that transcends Hollywood.

For a preacher's son from Mount Vernon, Denzel

Washington's journey is a testament to the power of purpose,

resilience, and a commitment to giving

back, a legacy that will endure for generations.

His name is Noah.

It's not serendipity.

God is real.

He's real in my life.

It's all and everything that I want to do.

And that's it.