My Experience in Watching the Talented Denzel Washington

The man is a powerful actor. When Denzel explodes in fits of rage, whether he is yelling at someone or acting cold to somebody, he can steal your breath away. He is what you might call compelling. After seeing him as a gangster in American Gangster, an ex-assassin trying to avenge the death of cute, little Dakota Fanning in Man on Fire, and trying to fight the South in Glory, I completely respect his talents as an actor.

Denzel was born on December 28, 1954 in Mount Vernon, New York. His father, Reverend Denzel Washington was an ordained Pentecostal minister. His mother, Lennis was the owner of a beauty parlor in Georgia. Denzel's parents separated while he and his sister were away at boarding school.

How can you question the guy who played Malcolm X to such perfection? Well, his immature attitude toward racial differences have kind of put me off a lot over the years. He has behaved quite a bit like his character in Glory; whining about everything wrong with his place in the world, instead of seeing at what is right in front of him. Let's be more like Morgan Freeman. Let's be bigger than any racist and accept each other as equals. Until he gives up his fight against the 'white oppressors', Washington in my eyes will never be as much of a truly respectable actor and human being like his Glory co-star, Freeman.

In 1977, Denzel Washington graduated from Fordham University, and left for San Francisco to work in the American Conservatory Theatre for a year. During this period in his life, Washington also found time to make his TV-acting debut in Wilma, the made-for-television movie. This would be nothing compared to his big break in the hospital drama, St. Elsewhere in 1982. Denzel's career in the TV series would last until 1988.

Denzel has certainly demonstrated some great talent as an actor. I can't picture anyone else playing such historically significant roles as Malcolm X with such strength. If nothing else, Washington has been utterly believable as these characters. Then his attitude gets in the way of my overall appreciation for Denzel. I don't remember where I heard it but in a very Chris Rock-kind of statement, I believe Denzel was accusing Hollywood of never giving a 'black actor' any white leading ladies or something along those lines. Whatever the actual statement was, it was rubbish - in a word. Maybe Hollywood is that small, maybe they are racist bigots. But Denzel, your fans have more respect for you a man and an actor.

In the '80s and '90s, Denzel really took off in his film career. His first feature was in 1981, called Carbon Copy. His second major role in a motion picture was in 1987's Cry Freedom for which he earn an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actor. Then came the big Oscar-winning role in Glory. He played a self-possessed and defiant ex-slave thrown into the first African-American regiment of the Civil War. It was 1992 when Denzel starred as Malcolm X. Film critics such as Roger Ebert and other major figures in the film business such as Martin Scorsese hailed the performance as one of the best. He was also nominated for Best Actor. This role would transform his career. He would later star alongside such stars as Tom Hanks in Philadelphia, Julia Roberts in The Pelican Brief, and Gene Hackman in Crimson Tide. Later in 2001, Denzel would take home another Academy Award as a villainous, loud-mouth cop in Training Day.

As bad as I felt after hearing such an accomplished actor say such propaganda, it wasn't until Denzel's role in Man on Fire that I really started looking beyond the man's own personal feelings and beliefs. I started just enjoying his abilities on screen. His eyes convey so much emotion that Washington doesn't really have to say a lot. His voice can vary from pleasant to downright intimidating. What's more, Denzel seems to know and understand his characters a lot before he even starts shooting. He hardly falters. That's my take on one of today's most profound and strong men in the acting business.

Filmography

Roger Porter in Carbon Copy (1981)
Pfc. Peterson in A Soldier's Story (1984)
George McKenna in Hard Lessons (1986)
Arnold Billing in Power (1986)
Steve Biko in Cry Freedom (1987)
Xavier Quinn in The Mighty Quinn (1989)
Reuben James in For Queen and Country (1989)
Pvt. Trip in Glory (1989)
Napoleon Stone in Heart Condition (1990)
Bleek Gillian in Mo' Better Blues (1990)
Nick Styles in Ricochet (1991)
Demetrius Williams in Mississippi Masala (1992)
Malcolm X in Malcolm X (1992)
Don Pedro of Aragon in Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
Gary Grantham in The Pelican Brief (1993)
Joe Miller in Philadelphia (1993)
Lt. Commander Ron Hunter in Crimson Tide (1995)
Lt. Parker Barnes in Virtuosity (1995)
Easy Rawlins in Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)
Lt. Colonel Nathaniel Serling in Courage Under Fire (1996)
Dudley in The Preacher's Wife (1996)
Detective John Hobbes in Fallen (1998)
Jake Shuttlesworth in He Got Game (1998)
Special Agent Anthony 'Hub' Hubbard in The Siege (1998)
Lincoln Rhyme in The Bone Collector (1999)
Rubin "Hurricane" Carter in The Hurricane (1999)
Coach Herman Boone in Remember the Titans (2000)
Himself in The Loretta Claiborne Story (2000)
Detective Alonzo Harris in Training Day (2001)
John Quincy Archibald in John Q (2002)
Dr. Jerome Davenport in Antwone Fisher (2002)
Police Chief Matthias Lee Whitlock in Out of Time (2003)
John Creasy in Man on Fire (2004)
Major Ben Marco in The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
Detective Keith Frazier in Inside Man (2006)
Special Agent Doug Carlin in Deja Vu (2006)
Frank Lucas in American Gangster (2007)
Melvin B. Tolson in The Great Debaters (2007)

Find more on Denzel by clicking on the links below

Quotes from Actor Denzel Washington by AC Producer Susan300
Has Denzel Washington Gotten the Credit He Deserves? by AC Producer mrpeterson22
Top 5 Movie Villians of the Decade by AC Producer Shawn Oetzel