Trivia

Tom Hanks said working with Washington on Philadelphia (1993) was like "going to film school". Hanks said he learned more about acting by watching Denzel than from anyone else.

Is the first African-American actor to receive two Academy Awards.

The actors he most wants to work with are Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. The director he most wants to work with is Martin Scorsese.

In 2006, he donated $1 million to Save Africa's Children.

Performed all of his own stunts for the hand to hand fight sequences in the post-apocalyptic action film The Book of Eli (2010).

Claims his personal favorite performances are his works in Cry Freedom (1987), Glory (1989), Malcolm X (1992) and Training Day (2001).

He and his family visited the troops at Brook Army Medical Center, in San Antonio, Texas (BAMC). There are some buildings there called Fisher Houses. The Fisher House is a Hotel where soldiers' families can stay, for little or no charge, while their soldier is staying in the Hospital. BAMC has quite a few of these houses on base, but as you can imagine, they are almost filled most of the time. He was given a tour of one of the Fisher Houses and subsequent to his visit sent them one of the largest donations they've ever received.

He turned down Brad Pitt's role in Se7en (1995), telling Entertainment Weekly that the film was too "dark and evil." Washington later regretted his decision upon seeing a screening.

He was at his mother's beauty parlor, when a woman getting her hair done saw him and told someone to get her a piece of paper and she wrote at the top "Prophecy" and then wrote that Denzel would grow up and one day speak to millions. Denzel kept the bit of paper in his wallet. The woman was known as a prophetess in their church and community.

Named Gene Hackman, Angelina Jolie and Dakota Fanning as the most talented actors he has ever worked with.

Is a huge fan of the television series Monk (2002). He requested Ted Levine to play a role in American Gangster (2007) because he was a fan of the series. He also worked with Tony Shalhoub in The Siege (1998).

Met his wife Pauletta Washington in 1977 when both had small roles in the television movie Wilma (1977) (she was billed as Pauletta Pearson), the story of runner Wilma Rudolph. They wed five years later.

Denzel is named after his father who was in turn named after the doctor, Doctor Denzel, who had delivered him.

In a Newsweek cover story about the biological basis of the perception of beauty, he was used as a key example in a scientific explanation why he is considered an extremely handsome man.

Son John David Washington recently signed as a running back with the St. Louis Rams. (May 2006)

Is a practitioner of Goju-Ryu Karate, Kali, Boxing, Judo, Krav Maga, & Jiu-Jitsu.

Became a father for the 3rd and 4th time at age 36 when his wife Pauletta Washington gave birth to their twins Malcolm Washington and Olivia Washington on April 10, 1991.

Became only the sixth actor to win both leading and supporting acting Oscars. The other five are Robert De Niro, Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, Jack Lemmon and Jack Nicholson.

To prepare for his role as boxer Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter in The Hurricane (1999), Washington worked out for a year with Los Angeles boxing trainer Terry Claybon.

To prepare for his attorney role in Philadelphia (1993), he met with two lawyers who were about to become celebrities in their own right: Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. and Carl Douglas.

First studied Biology in hopes of becoming a doctor, then switched to Political Science then to a Journalism/Drama major in college.

According to a 1995 Premiere magazine article, Denzel confronted director Quentin Tarantino when he visited the set of Crimson Tide (1995). Quentin had done an uncredited rewrite of the script. Denzel lambasted Tarantino about his use of racial slurs in his films. Tarantino got embarrassed and wanted to move the conversation to a more private area. Denzel said, "No, if we're going to discuss it, let's discuss it now." Denzel later said he still felt that Quentin was "a fine artist".

Was considered for the role of Detective Ricardo Tubbs on Miami Vice (1984), which went to Philip Michael Thomas.

Among his favorite black actors are - Idris Elba and Chiwetel Ejiofor - who happen to be British, and both of whom co-starred with Washington in American Gangster (2007).

As of 2018, he is the most Oscar-winning (two) and most nominated (nine) black actor/actress in Academy history.

Broke the pinky finger of his right hand during a childhood basketball accident and never had it set correctly, resulting in the finger healing in a crooked position. The finger is still crooked to this day, bent at the bottom knuckle a full 45 degrees outward from his other fingers.

Was the original choice to play the title character in Blade (1998), which went to Wesley Snipes.

Is a spokesperson for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, having been a member of the Boys Club once himself.

When Washington won the Best Actor Oscar for Training Day (2001), Halle Berry won the Best Actress Oscar for Monster's Ball (2001), and Sidney Poitier won the Honorary Award (2001), 2002 marked the first time in Academy Awards history that three African-Americans so dominated the Oscar ceremonies (2002).

Son, Malcolm, was named in honor of Malcolm X.

Only the second black actor (after Sidney Poitier) to win the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (for Training Day (2001)). Poitier received the honorary Academy Award that same year.

According to Forbes, for each dollar he got paid, his movies averaged $10 of gross income. (December 2007)

Won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for "Fences".

Chosen as People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive (1996).

Likes to point out the difference between his father's and his first name: Denzel. Though both are spelled the same, his dad's name is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable - DEN-zel, whereas the actor's name is pronounced - den-ZEL.

Good friends with actress Julia Roberts.

He has served as the national spokesperson for Boys & Girls Clubs of America since 1993 and has appeared in public service announcements and awareness campaigns for the organization. In addition, he has served as a board member for Boys & Girls Clubs of America since 1995. Due to his philanthropic work with the Boys & Girls Club, PS 17X, a New York City Elementary School decided to officially name their school after Washington.

Has worked twice with Chiwetel Ejiofor. In Inside Man (2006), they played police detectives; in American Gangster (2007), they played criminals.

Turned down Se7en (1995). He opted to do another detective thriller that year, Devil in a Blue Dress (1995).

He was considered for Wesley Snipes' roles in Jungle Fever (1991), White Men Can't Jump (1992) and Blade (1998).

He has worked with both Ridley Scott and Tony Scott. Ridley directed him in two films: American Gangster (2007) and Gladiator II (2024). Ridley's brother Tony directed him in five films: Crimson Tide (1995), Man on Fire (2004), Deja Vu (2006), The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009) and Unstoppable (2010).

Almost every summer he and his family go to Italy on vacation.

He has appeared in one film that has been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Malcolm X (1992).

Was considered for the role of Curtis Taylor Jr. in Dreamgirls (2006). However, Jamie Foxx was cast instead.

Received his Bachelor's degree in Journalism from Fordham University in New York City.

Became a father for the 1st time at age 29 when his wife Pauletta Washington gave birth to their son John David Washington on July 28, 1984.

His performance as Malcolm X in Malcolm X (1992) is ranked #17 on Premiere magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

Has starred in four remakes of films, The Manchurian Candidate (2004), The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009), Man on Fire (2004), and The Magnificent Seven (2016), and one of a television series, The Equalizer (2014) (and its sequel The Equalizer 2 (2018)).

Has two films on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time. They are: Glory (1989) at #31 and Philadelphia (1993) at #20.

Directed 2 actors to an Oscar nominated performance: Viola Davis and himself. Davis won for her performance in Fences (2016).