American actor, filmmaker, director, and producer, Denzel Washington, has another winner on his hands, with his upcoming ‘Fences’ expected to earn him his third Oscar
The recent release of ‘Fences’ trailer, which is set to hit the screens this Christmas, haswon rave reviews from both critics and fans of the charismatic star, who feel Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is set to receive his third Oscar with the film. The American-Canadian drama film, directed by Washington and written by August Wilson – based on his play of the same name – stars Washington and Viola Davis, among others.
Washington is a recipient of three Golden Globe awards, a Tony Award, and two Academy: Best Supporting Actor for the historical war drama film ‘Glory’ (1989) and Best Actor for his role as a corrupt cop in the crime thriller ‘Training Day (2001).
Fans would remember that the actor has been receiving critical acclaim for his film work since the 1980s. Most prominent among them are his portrayals of real-life figures such as South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko in ‘Cry Freedom’, Muslim minister and human rights activist Malcolm X in ‘Malcolm X’, boxer Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter in ‘The Hurricane’, football coach Herman Boone in ‘Remember the Titans’, poet and educator Melvin B. Tolson in ‘The Great Debaters’, and drug kingpin Frank Lucas in ‘American Gangster’.
The forthcoming film, ‘Fences’, set in 1950s Pittsburgh, tells the story of an African-American father, a former league baseball player, who is struggling with race relations in the United States, while trying to raise his family and coming to terms with the events of his life.
Washington has also been a featured actor in the films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and has been a frequent collaborator of directors Spike Lee and the late Tony Scott. In 2016, Washington was selected as the recipient for the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards.
He has, apparently, dreamed big and followed it through, which comes out vividly in his popular advice: ‘Don’t be afraid to fail big, to dream big, but remember, dreams without goals, are just dreams. And they ultimately fuel disappointment… I try to give myself a goal every day, sometimes it’s just not to curse somebody out.’
Born on December 28, 1954 in Mount Vernon, New York, Denzel Washington is the middle of three children of a beautician mother, Lennis, and a Pentecostal minister father, Denzel Washington, Sr. After graduating from high school, Denzel enrolled at Fordham University for a career in journalism. However, things turned out differently after a stint in student drama productions. Following graduation, he moved to San Francisco and enrolled at the American Conservatory Theater, but gave it up after a year as he was aching to seek work as an actor. His first paid acting role was in a summer stock theater stage production in St. Mary’s City, Maryland, but it was the big screen that was beckoning.
It was in 1981 that he made his first big screen appearance in ‘Carbon Copy’ with George Segal and, within a year, got a major career break when he starred as Dr. Phillip Chandler in NBC’s television hospital drama ‘St. Elsewhere’.
Washington, who lives in Los Angeles, California, with his wife Pauletta and their four children, has, indeed, savoured success on all fronts – as actor, filmmaker, director and producer. But he is not ready to retire yet; for, he says, he’d be more frightened of not using whatever abilities he has been given. “I’d be more frightened by procrastination and laziness…”