Thursday 4/24 African American Lit.

ObjectiveAt the conclusion of the lesson the student will be able to identify Denzel Washington’s contributions to the movie industry.

JournalWhich actors do you know of that have played iconic roles in film and what made their performance so memorable?

PresentationDenzel Washington

Final ProjectPick a person

Denzel Washington1954 -

Quick FactsName

Denzel Hayes Washington

Occupation Film Actor

Birth Date December 28, 1954 (age 59)

Education Fordham University, American Conservatory Theater

Place of Birth Mount Vernon, New York

Zodiac Sign Capricorn

It Takes a Village1961

At age 6, Denzel Washington joined the local Boys & Girls Club of America in Mount Vernon, N.Y.

He later credited the group for keeping him from the dangers of drugs, crime and violence.

Broken Family Ties1969

When Washington was 14, his beautician mother and Pentecostal preacher father divorced.

As a teenager Washington started fighting and hanging out on the streets so his mother sent him off to boarding school, where Washington shaped up before starting at Fordham University in the fall of 1973.

As a camp counselor at a Boys Club camp in 1975, Washington appeared in a variety show and fell in love with acting. He later landed roles in Fordham campus productions of The Emperor Jones and Othello.

Starting Out1977

After graduating from Fordham University with a B.A. in Journalism, Washington enrolled in San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre and spent the summer filming his first onscreen role in the TV movie Wilma.

He meet his future wife Pauletta Pearson, an actress/singer/pianist, on set.

From the Stage to the ER1981

Washington hit the big screen in the comedy Carbon Copy. He got more attention on stage for his Obie-winning performance in the off-Broadway, Pulitzer Prize-winning A Soldier's Play.

In 1982, he was cast as Dr. Philip Chandler on the NBC hospital drama St. Elsewhere.

The Revolution Cometh1987

Washington got time off from St. Elsewhere to tackle the role of Steven Biko, the South African freedom activist, in Cry Freedom.

It is the first in a series of martyrs Washington will play to critical acclaim.

He scored his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor

He's Golden1989

The Civil War epic Glory showcased Washington's talent as Trip, an escaped slave who joins the Union army.

He also got a standing ovation from the Academy when he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

Teaming with Spike Lee1990

In the first of four movies he made with acclaimed director Spike Lee, Washington played against type as Mo' Better Blues' Bleek Gilliam, a womanizing jazz musician.

During a scene in which Washington's character gets into a fight, Lee tells Time Magazine he remembers hearing women at a public screening of the movie screaming, "Not the face!"

Tribute to X1992

Washington delivered an iconic performance as the slain black hero in Spike Lee's Malcolm X.

Preparing for the role, Washington studied Malcolm's writings, followed Muslim dietary restrictions and talked to Nation of Islam acolytes.

He even named his newborn son Malcolm.

His performance lead to a third Oscar nomination, this time for Best Actor.

Legal Eagle1993

The Pelican Brief hit theaters and earned more than $100 million, making it Washington's highest-grossing movie (until Remember the Titans in 2000).

A few days later, Philadelphia is released with Washington playing a homophobic lawyer opposite Tom Hanks' AIDS-stricken lawyer.

Sexiest Man Alive1996

PEOPLE Magazine named Washington its Sexiest Man Alive.

In 1998, Washington's first interracial love scene, in He Got Game with Milla Jovovich, createed a stir. Sonia Alleyne, editor of Black Elegance, told the Observer "For a lot of black women, Denzel represents everything that's right in the black man today. I think they are looking at his new role almost as though he is being unfaithful to black women."

Washington Makes (and Takes) a Hit1999

In order to portray the story of Rubin Carter, a boxer wrongly convicted of murder who was jailed for 19 years, Washington lost 40 pounds and exercised up to four hours a day for 16 months.

His performance in The Hurricane lands Washington another Best Actor Oscar nomination as well as a Golden Globe win.

Making Bank2000

His largest-grossing film to date, Remember the Titans with Hayden Panettiere, pulls in more than $115 million at the box office.

Washington played a strong family man, Coach Herman Boone, in the sports drama about overcoming racial tensions.

In the Director's Seat2001

Washington started shooting his directorial debut,Antwone Fisher, in Cleveland. During filming, he thanked his favorite directors, telling Entertainment Weekly, "I used to joke about my 'homage' every day: 'Today is my homage to Spike Lee, tomorrow is my homage to Steven Spielberg.' In other words, I'm stealing from everyone.'"

Oscar Time2002

Washington toke home the Best Actor statue for his against-type rogue cop in Training Day.

He also made history that night alongside Best Actress winner Halle Berry: it is the first time African-Americans win both lead acting statuettes.

In 2003, he joined the $20 million paycheck ranks of Jim Carrey, Cameron Diaz and Tom Hanks, with his 30th film Out of Time.

The Great Debaters2007

Washington stared in and directs a trio of young actors in The Great Debaters. The period drama is a true story about an African-American debating squad that takes on Harvard.

At the NAACP Image Awards, the film is named best film, Washington is honored as best actor, and costar Jurnee Smollett is cited as best actress.

On the 'Fence'2010

Washington played Troy Maxson in the Broadway revival of August Wilson's Fences, opposite Viola Davis.

They both win Tony Awards for their vibrantly acted performances

In November, Washington returned to the big screen in the action flick Unstoppable

Flight Pattern2013

Washington scored his sixth Oscar nomination for his turn as airline pilot William "Whip" Whitaker, whose act of heroism is tarnished by his struggle to stay sober.

The One and Only