Denzel Washington's Biggest Box Office Money Making Movies

So far in his Hollywood movie career Denzel Washington has been in 38 films and 15 of those movies have made over $100 million dollars at the box office worldwide. That's roughly 40% of the films Denzel Washington has been in. The total box office gross from all 38 movies starring Denzel Washington is $1.8 billion dollars or just about $47 million dollars per film on average.

Denzel Washington has won two Academy Awards so far in his acting career. He won for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Glory and he won the Best Actor Award for his leading role in Training Day. Neither of those two movies are among the biggest box office money making movies that Denzel Washington has been in.

To date Denzel Washington has been in five movies that have made over $180 million dollars at the box office worldwide and nine movies that have made over $150 million dollars. These are the biggest box office money making movies that have starred Denzel Washington.

1) American Gangster - $267 million

In the 2007 film American Gangster Denzel Washington plays Harlem heroin boss Frank Lucas who gets rich selling heroin he smuggled into the United States in the coffins of dead servicemen from Vietnam on the streets of Harlem in the 1960's and 1970's. The movie is very loosely based upon actual facts.

2) Philadelphia - $207 million

In the 1993 film Philadelphia Denzel Washington plays attorney Joe Miller who defends Tom Hanks character in the movie after Hanks is dismissed from the law firm he works at because he has AIDS. This movie is badly outdated today. In 1993 contracting AIDS was almost a death sentence but as science and medicine learned more about AIDS and how to treat it the disease has lost most of the stigma attached to it.

3) The Pelican Brief - $195 million

In the 1993 thriller The Pelican Brief based upon the John Grisham novel Denzel Washington teams up with Julia Roberts to solve some political assassinations. The Pelican Brief has made $195 million dollars at the box office worldwide.

4) Inside Man - $184 million

In the 2006 Spike Lee film Inside Man Denzel Washington plays a NYC police detective who tries to deal with a bank robber who has hostages in a New York bank. In the end the bank robber gets away and leaves Denzel a nice present in his coat pocket.

5) Deja Vu - $181 million

In the 2006 sci-fi drama Deja Vu Denzel Washington plays an ATF detective who travels back in time to try and prevent a terrorist attack in New Orleans. Panned by most critics at the time Deja Vu has made $181 million dollars worldwide at the box office and is 5th biggest money making movie in Denzel Washington's career.

6) Crimson Tide - $157.4 million (1995)

7) The Book of Eli -$157.1 million (2010)

8) The Bone Collector - $151 million (1999)

9) The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3- $150 million (2009)

For more see $100 Million Dollar Movies Starring Brad Pitt

$100 Million Dollar Movies Starring Michael Douglas

Sources: Box Office Mojo