WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.120 Welcome back to The Deep Dive. Today, we are 00:00:02.120 --> 00:00:04.500 taking on a career that, I mean, it doesn't just 00:00:04.500 --> 00:00:07.919 span decades. It really defines the landscape 00:00:07.919 --> 00:00:11.380 of modern cinema and, just as importantly, theater. 00:00:11.679 --> 00:00:14.519 It really does. We are diving into the comprehensive 00:00:14.519 --> 00:00:17.519 sources detailing the life and work of Denzel 00:00:17.519 --> 00:00:20.219 Washington. It's a necessary deep dive, you know, 00:00:20.239 --> 00:00:22.280 because when you look at the sheer weight of 00:00:22.280 --> 00:00:24.879 his contributions, the commercial success, the 00:00:24.879 --> 00:00:27.519 critical acclaim, the mentorship, directing, 00:00:27.780 --> 00:00:31.920 it's just... It's unparalleled. It is. The sources 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:34.619 we have today trace a man whose influence goes 00:00:34.619 --> 00:00:37.420 so far beyond the screen. Had to. And I think 00:00:37.420 --> 00:00:40.039 that legacy, that weight, it was kind of crystallized 00:00:40.039 --> 00:00:42.179 in 2020. Right, with the New York Times. Exactly. 00:00:42.460 --> 00:00:44.619 When they reviewed the new millennium, they didn't 00:00:44.619 --> 00:00:46.179 even hesitate. They called him the greatest actor 00:00:46.179 --> 00:00:48.479 of the 21st century so far. And that's really 00:00:48.479 --> 00:00:50.280 the foundation we're building on, isn't it? That 00:00:50.280 --> 00:00:52.340 single statement. It is. And that designation 00:00:52.340 --> 00:00:55.520 itself, it invites immediate scrutiny. I mean, 00:00:55.539 --> 00:00:57.600 what qualities, what choices, what consistent 00:00:57.600 --> 00:01:00.600 level of excellence earns you that kind of title? 00:01:00.679 --> 00:01:04.120 Our mission today is to unpack precisely that, 00:01:04.180 --> 00:01:08.079 to trace that decades long road that transformed 00:01:08.079 --> 00:01:11.420 Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. from, you know, a 00:01:11.420 --> 00:01:13.859 young man facing a really difficult path in Mount 00:01:13.859 --> 00:01:16.920 Vernon, New York, into this. This monumental 00:01:16.920 --> 00:01:19.120 figure. Yeah, and we're covering the whole 360 00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:22.159 view. His foundational lifelong work in theater, 00:01:22.340 --> 00:01:24.700 his record -breaking film career, which the sources 00:01:24.700 --> 00:01:28.420 confirm has grossed over $5 .1 billion worldwide. 00:01:28.760 --> 00:01:30.920 Which is just a staggering number. It's unbelievable. 00:01:31.040 --> 00:01:33.680 And then his ventures into directing, producing, 00:01:33.900 --> 00:01:37.959 and the deep -seated faith and significant philanthropic 00:01:37.959 --> 00:01:40.019 commitments that truly ground the man behind 00:01:40.019 --> 00:01:41.719 all those roles. And when you just look at the 00:01:41.719 --> 00:01:44.079 top -level accolades, the snapshot, it tells 00:01:44.079 --> 00:01:45.980 you everything you need to know. about his ability 00:01:45.980 --> 00:01:48.040 to navigate both art and commerce. You're talking 00:01:48.040 --> 00:01:50.040 about the Oscars? We're talking two Competitive 00:01:50.040 --> 00:01:52.120 Academy Awards Best Supporting and Best Actor, 00:01:52.280 --> 00:01:54.859 two Golden Globes, two Silver Bears from the 00:01:54.859 --> 00:01:57.120 Berlin International Film Festival, and a Tony 00:01:57.120 --> 00:01:59.319 Award for his work on the stage. And the Lifetime 00:01:59.319 --> 00:02:01.959 Honors just keep accumulating. It really underscores 00:02:01.959 --> 00:02:04.799 his status as a cultural giant, doesn't it? It 00:02:04.799 --> 00:02:07.480 does. He received the Cecil B. DeMille Award 00:02:07.480 --> 00:02:11.620 in 2016, the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2019. 00:02:12.349 --> 00:02:14.310 And the sources even note the extremely high 00:02:14.310 --> 00:02:16.330 altitude recognition of the Honoré Palme d 'Or 00:02:16.330 --> 00:02:19.090 in 2025. And crucially, that recognition extends 00:02:19.090 --> 00:02:21.530 beyond the artistic sphere. I mean, it goes right 00:02:21.530 --> 00:02:23.689 into public service. The Presidential Medal of 00:02:23.689 --> 00:02:27.289 Freedom. Yes. Officially conferred in 2025, an 00:02:27.289 --> 00:02:30.270 honor that had been delayed from 2022 because 00:02:30.270 --> 00:02:33.009 of COVID. Receiving the highest civilian honor 00:02:33.009 --> 00:02:35.069 in the country that confirms his life and impact 00:02:35.069 --> 00:02:38.090 are viewed as having national significance, not 00:02:38.090 --> 00:02:40.650 just cinematic. It truly is an overwhelming portfolio. 00:02:41.659 --> 00:02:43.319 So let's step back and look at the foundation. 00:02:43.680 --> 00:02:46.199 How did a boy from Mount Vernon end up with an 00:02:46.199 --> 00:02:48.699 AFI Life Achievement Award? The road to the stage 00:02:48.699 --> 00:02:51.599 was, to put it mildly, unexpected. Yeah, that 00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:54.919 road began on December 28, 1954, in Mount Vernon, 00:02:55.000 --> 00:02:57.400 New York. And his childhood was really defined 00:02:57.400 --> 00:02:59.919 by this strong set of dualities. His mother, 00:03:00.060 --> 00:03:02.800 Lennis Lynn Lowe, was a keen observer of people. 00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:05.360 She ran her own beauty parlor. So she's hearing 00:03:05.360 --> 00:03:08.539 stories all day. All day. That environment, the 00:03:08.539 --> 00:03:11.479 everyday narratives of community life, that surely 00:03:11.479 --> 00:03:14.060 provided him with an early, you know, an unintentional 00:03:14.060 --> 00:03:16.599 education in human drama. And his father, Denzel 00:03:16.599 --> 00:03:19.620 Hayes Washington Sr., he provided the other pole 00:03:19.620 --> 00:03:22.719 of influence. Right. An ordained Pentecostal 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:25.879 minister rooted in deep faith, but he also held 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:28.620 down two secular jobs. One at the New York City 00:03:28.620 --> 00:03:31.120 Water Department. And another at a local S. Klein 00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:34.039 Department Store. Yeah. This blend of the sacred 00:03:34.039 --> 00:03:36.560 and the blue collar, the spiritual calling and 00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:39.240 the practical work ethic, it just seems absolutely 00:03:39.240 --> 00:03:41.580 foundational to who he is. It really is the blueprint. 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:44.860 It is. And there's a small fascinating detail 00:03:44.860 --> 00:03:47.949 from the sources regarding his name itself. In 00:03:47.949 --> 00:03:50.389 a 2025 appearance, Washington shared that the 00:03:50.389 --> 00:03:53.889 correct original pronunciation of Denzel is actually 00:03:53.889 --> 00:03:56.509 with the stress on the first syllable. So D -N 00:03:56.509 --> 00:03:58.509 -Zell. Now that is the kind of nugget our listeners 00:03:58.509 --> 00:04:01.509 come for. A deep dive moment of linguistic correction. 00:04:01.889 --> 00:04:04.509 Right. But the reason for the common mispronunciation 00:04:04.509 --> 00:04:07.270 is purely personal. He explained that his mother 00:04:07.270 --> 00:04:09.490 consciously shifted the emphasis to the second 00:04:09.490 --> 00:04:12.370 syllable, to Denzel, so that when she called 00:04:12.370 --> 00:04:15.810 for him. Denzel Jr. He wouldn't confuse the call 00:04:15.810 --> 00:04:18.910 with her summoning his father, Denzel Sr. That 00:04:18.910 --> 00:04:21.769 is amazing. It's such an intimate way to establish 00:04:21.769 --> 00:04:24.629 a dual identity right from the beginning, separating 00:04:24.629 --> 00:04:26.850 the son from the father while he's still bearing 00:04:26.850 --> 00:04:29.810 the name. Precisely. That dual identity, however, 00:04:30.029 --> 00:04:33.089 it came to a head when he was just 14. And the 00:04:33.089 --> 00:04:35.490 sources highlight this as the definitive turning 00:04:35.490 --> 00:04:38.430 point in his life. Yeah. 1968. His parents divorced 00:04:38.430 --> 00:04:41.060 that year. They did. And his mother made the 00:04:41.060 --> 00:04:43.819 crucial life -altering decision to send him away 00:04:43.819 --> 00:04:46.879 to the Oakland Military Academy, a private preparatory 00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:49.199 school in New Windsor, New York. And he's spoken 00:04:49.199 --> 00:04:53.540 about this decision with profound gravity. He 00:04:53.540 --> 00:04:56.160 has. And that's where the narrative of stardom 00:04:56.160 --> 00:04:59.519 really meets the narrative of survival. He reflected 00:04:59.519 --> 00:05:02.100 directly on that time saying, that decision changed 00:05:02.100 --> 00:05:04.240 my life because I wouldn't have survived in the 00:05:04.240 --> 00:05:05.939 direction I was going. And he talked about his 00:05:05.939 --> 00:05:08.199 friends, right? Yeah, his running buddies, as 00:05:08.199 --> 00:05:10.759 he called them. He said they've now done maybe 00:05:10.759 --> 00:05:14.019 40 years combined in the penitentiary. Wow. That 00:05:14.019 --> 00:05:18.060 is profoundly sobering. It really is. It strongly 00:05:18.060 --> 00:05:20.740 suggests that without that military structure, 00:05:20.980 --> 00:05:23.519 the discipline, the relocation, the redirected 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:27.160 focus, the world might never have known Denzel 00:05:27.160 --> 00:05:29.680 Washington, the actor. The military academy was 00:05:29.680 --> 00:05:32.500 an act of intervention. It saved his life. and, 00:05:32.500 --> 00:05:34.939 by extension, gifted his talent to the world. 00:05:35.079 --> 00:05:38.019 It really makes you wonder how many great artists 00:05:38.019 --> 00:05:41.199 were derailed by a lack of that kind of intervention. 00:05:41.399 --> 00:05:44.360 From there, his collegiate path, it kind of continued 00:05:44.360 --> 00:05:47.879 these exploratory detours. It did. He attended 00:05:47.879 --> 00:05:50.360 Mainland High School in Florida, and the sources 00:05:50.360 --> 00:05:52.959 note he had a very specific, almost childlike 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:55.199 goal for college at first. He wanted to go to 00:05:55.199 --> 00:05:58.379 Texas Tech. For one reason. Their mascot was 00:05:58.379 --> 00:06:00.959 the Red Raider. similar to his beloved boys club 00:06:00.959 --> 00:06:03.300 team back home. It was all about loyalty and 00:06:03.300 --> 00:06:06.519 nostalgia, not career ambition. But fate intervened, 00:06:06.519 --> 00:06:08.899 and instead of the Red Raiders, he ended up at 00:06:08.899 --> 00:06:11.680 Fordham University. Earning a B .A. in drama 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:15.000 and journalism in 1977, which tells you he was 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:17.680 already curious, dabbling in the analytical side 00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:20.339 with journalism while exploring performance with 00:06:20.339 --> 00:06:22.399 drama. And he wasn't just in the library or the 00:06:22.399 --> 00:06:25.660 studio. He was an athlete. A good one. He played 00:06:25.660 --> 00:06:28.310 collegiate basketball as a guard. under coach 00:06:28.310 --> 00:06:31.410 P .J. Carlesimo. So you have this incredibly 00:06:31.410 --> 00:06:34.829 varied foundation, military discipline, journalistic 00:06:34.829 --> 00:06:37.889 curiosity, athletic focus, and this growing interest 00:06:37.889 --> 00:06:41.750 in drama. But the aha moment, the moment of absolute 00:06:41.750 --> 00:06:45.170 conviction that acting was his path? It didn't 00:06:45.170 --> 00:06:47.449 happen in a formal class. No, or even on the 00:06:47.449 --> 00:06:49.569 court. It happened during a period of professional 00:06:49.569 --> 00:06:52.930 pause. He took a semester off from Fordham, was 00:06:52.930 --> 00:06:54.970 working as the creative arts director at Camp 00:06:54.970 --> 00:06:57.610 Sloan YMCA in Connecticut. And there was a talent 00:06:57.610 --> 00:07:00.430 show. A staff talent show for the campers. A 00:07:00.430 --> 00:07:03.129 colleague saw him perform and was so struck by 00:07:03.129 --> 00:07:06.149 his presence, his natural talent, that she just 00:07:06.149 --> 00:07:07.629 came up to him and said he should try acting 00:07:07.629 --> 00:07:10.250 professionally. It was a moment of profound external 00:07:10.250 --> 00:07:12.870 validation. And that external push was clearly 00:07:12.870 --> 00:07:15.509 the catalyst he needed. Absolutely. He returned 00:07:15.509 --> 00:07:17.470 to Fordham, specifically to the Lincoln Center 00:07:17.470 --> 00:07:21.029 campus, to intensely study acting. And he didn't 00:07:21.029 --> 00:07:23.709 ease back in. He immediately tackled these colossal 00:07:23.709 --> 00:07:25.949 roles. The title characters in Eugene O 'Neill's 00:07:25.949 --> 00:07:28.029 The Emperor Jones and Shakespeare's Othello. 00:07:28.189 --> 00:07:30.769 I mean, that commitment to heavyweight drama 00:07:30.769 --> 00:07:34.470 was evident from day one. And that exposure led 00:07:34.470 --> 00:07:36.370 him straight to graduate school at the American 00:07:36.370 --> 00:07:39.149 Conservatory Theater, ACT, in San Francisco. 00:07:39.350 --> 00:07:41.230 One of the country's most respected training 00:07:41.230 --> 00:07:43.439 grounds. For sure. But he only stayed for one 00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:46.720 year, which is interesting. Why leave a prestigious 00:07:46.720 --> 00:07:49.639 program like that early? Because he had enough. 00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:52.699 I think the training had done its job. The sources 00:07:52.699 --> 00:07:54.899 suggest he realized he didn't need the degree 00:07:54.899 --> 00:07:57.079 as much as he needed the work. He moved back 00:07:57.079 --> 00:07:59.079 to New York to launch his professional career 00:07:59.079 --> 00:08:02.100 immediately. He prioritized the stage over more 00:08:02.100 --> 00:08:05.470 academic immersion. Exactly. And that ambition, 00:08:05.589 --> 00:08:07.970 that self -reliance, it leads us directly into 00:08:07.970 --> 00:08:10.490 his rapid rise to prominence in the late 70s 00:08:10.490 --> 00:08:12.910 and 80s. He jumped right into summer stock theater, 00:08:13.129 --> 00:08:15.790 the old soul proving ground for actors. His very 00:08:15.790 --> 00:08:18.230 first documented theatrical appearance was in 00:08:18.230 --> 00:08:20.949 1976. In the Maryland State play Wings of the 00:08:20.949 --> 00:08:23.350 Morning. And what's unique about that role is 00:08:23.350 --> 00:08:25.870 that it was written specifically for him. It 00:08:25.870 --> 00:08:27.629 incorporated an African -American character, 00:08:27.850 --> 00:08:30.350 an narrator based loosely on the historical figure 00:08:30.350 --> 00:08:32.850 Matthias de Sousa. A black indentured servant 00:08:32.850 --> 00:08:35.470 who became a wealthy merchant in colonial Maryland. 00:08:35.730 --> 00:08:38.230 Yeah. So right from the jump, he was involved 00:08:38.230 --> 00:08:41.450 in roles that fused history, identity and real 00:08:41.450 --> 00:08:43.549 dramatic weight. And his screen career started 00:08:43.549 --> 00:08:46.009 almost immediately after that in 77. With the 00:08:46.009 --> 00:08:49.049 made for TV film Wilma, a docudrama about the 00:08:49.049 --> 00:08:51.929 Olympic sprinter Wilma Rudolph. And of course, 00:08:51.929 --> 00:08:53.710 that was his personal turning point because that's 00:08:53.710 --> 00:08:55.720 where he met his future wife. Pauletta Pearson. 00:08:55.940 --> 00:08:58.960 A truly high stakes first gig then, professionally 00:08:58.960 --> 00:09:02.019 and personally. For sure. His first proper Hollywood 00:09:02.019 --> 00:09:05.759 film, Carbon Copy, came in 1981, but he stayed 00:09:05.759 --> 00:09:08.820 tethered to the theater. This is so key to understanding 00:09:08.820 --> 00:09:11.700 his whole career. He did. In 1981, he won an 00:09:11.700 --> 00:09:14.100 Obie Award. For the Negro Ensemble Company's 00:09:14.100 --> 00:09:17.059 acclaimed production of Charles Fuller's a soldier's 00:09:17.059 --> 00:09:19.200 play. Okay, let's pause on that because the distinction 00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:22.580 between an Obie and a Tony is crucial here. An 00:09:22.580 --> 00:09:25.340 Obie recognizes artistic risk, excellence, often 00:09:25.340 --> 00:09:27.039 outside the commercial pressures of Broadway. 00:09:27.500 --> 00:09:30.419 Winning that so early on, it signals his commitment 00:09:30.419 --> 00:09:33.320 to serious, groundbreaking, dramatic work, not 00:09:33.320 --> 00:09:35.799 just chasing mainstream roles. And that commitment 00:09:35.799 --> 00:09:39.360 paid off because soon after, he landed the role 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:41.899 that gave him six years of consistent nationwide 00:09:41.899 --> 00:09:45.250 visibility. Dr. Philip Chandler in the NBC medical 00:09:45.250 --> 00:09:48.509 drama St. Elsewhere from 1982 to 1988. Right. 00:09:48.590 --> 00:09:52.129 And for actors in the 1980s, transitioning from 00:09:52.129 --> 00:09:54.590 a long -running TV series to a major film career 00:09:54.590 --> 00:09:57.230 was notoriously difficult. They got typecast. 00:09:57.509 --> 00:10:00.490 So how did he manage that transition so smoothly? 00:10:00.809 --> 00:10:04.230 By using the stability of television to strategically 00:10:04.230 --> 00:10:07.149 select demanding film roles that were radically 00:10:07.149 --> 00:10:09.629 different from his kindly doctor persona. He 00:10:09.629 --> 00:10:11.269 was one of the few African -American actors on 00:10:11.269 --> 00:10:13.929 St. Elsewhere for the entire run. So he had that 00:10:13.929 --> 00:10:15.850 consistent platform, that financial security. 00:10:16.190 --> 00:10:17.809 And used that security to choose complexity. 00:10:18.090 --> 00:10:20.570 He transitioned immediately to the film adaptation 00:10:20.570 --> 00:10:23.570 of his stage success, A Soldier's Story in 1984. 00:10:24.090 --> 00:10:26.649 Then challenging roles in films like Hard Lessons 00:10:26.649 --> 00:10:29.669 and Power in 86. These were gritty film first 00:10:29.669 --> 00:10:32.269 roles. But the global spotlight. That hit him 00:10:32.269 --> 00:10:35.009 hard in 1987 with Cry Freedom. Directed by Richard 00:10:35.009 --> 00:10:37.899 Attenborough. Yeah. He played Stephen Biko. the 00:10:37.899 --> 00:10:40.419 real -life South African anti -apartheid activist. 00:10:40.759 --> 00:10:43.940 This film was heavy, it was timely, and it was 00:10:43.940 --> 00:10:46.840 globally resonant. And it earned him his first 00:10:46.840 --> 00:10:49.899 major Oscar recognition, a nomination for Best 00:10:49.899 --> 00:10:52.639 Supporting Actor. He was stepping into the shoes 00:10:52.639 --> 00:10:55.480 of historically significant figures, requiring 00:10:55.480 --> 00:10:58.919 intense gravitas, intense research. This was 00:10:58.919 --> 00:11:01.860 miles away from network TV. And just two years 00:11:01.860 --> 00:11:04.549 later... He had his first Academy Award moment 00:11:04.549 --> 00:11:08.330 for the 1989 Civil War drama Glory. He won Best 00:11:08.330 --> 00:11:11.330 Supporting Actor for his role as a defiant, self 00:11:11.330 --> 00:11:13.950 -possessed ex -slave soldier. The power of that 00:11:13.950 --> 00:11:16.309 performance was just undeniable. Critics noted 00:11:16.309 --> 00:11:18.750 his ability to portray this deep internalized 00:11:18.750 --> 00:11:21.190 rage and self -respect in a narrative that was 00:11:21.190 --> 00:11:24.070 dominated by white characters. That win cemented 00:11:24.070 --> 00:11:26.309 his status, not just as a talented actor, but 00:11:26.309 --> 00:11:28.610 as a major film star capable of commanding historical 00:11:28.610 --> 00:11:30.590 narratives. And we see that commitment to diverse 00:11:30.590 --> 00:11:33.250 narratives early on. Same year, he starred in 00:11:33.250 --> 00:11:35.389 the less -known British film For Queen and Country. 00:11:35.590 --> 00:11:38.090 In that, he played Reuben James, a conflicted, 00:11:38.090 --> 00:11:40.250 disillusioned former Falkland soldier struggling 00:11:40.250 --> 00:11:42.710 with racism and inner -city poverty, which leads 00:11:42.710 --> 00:11:45.029 him toward vigilantism. That film choice confirms 00:11:45.029 --> 00:11:47.250 the pattern, doesn't it? He was always seeking 00:11:47.250 --> 00:11:50.169 out these complex characters wrestling with systemic 00:11:50.169 --> 00:11:52.909 issues, whether it was the American Civil War 00:11:52.909 --> 00:11:55.889 or the British inner -city. He wasn't just chasing 00:11:55.889 --> 00:11:59.559 the American blockbuster. Early strategic balance, 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:02.700 securing the Oscar while consistently pursuing 00:12:02.700 --> 00:12:05.879 roles that explored nuance. That's what propelled 00:12:05.879 --> 00:12:09.000 him into the 1990s, the decade of true Hollywood 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:11.340 stardom. And yet the decade of stardom begins 00:12:11.340 --> 00:12:13.759 not in Hollywood, but back on the New York stage. 00:12:14.059 --> 00:12:17.519 Exactly. In 1990, he took on Shakespeare's ultimate 00:12:17.519 --> 00:12:20.240 villain, the title role in The Tragedy of Richard 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:22.879 III for the Public Theater. This just shows that 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:25.220 deep -seated commitment to flexing his dramatic 00:12:25.220 --> 00:12:27.860 muscle. even as his film career was exploding. 00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:29.960 Critics loved it. They called him an actor of 00:12:29.960 --> 00:12:32.799 range and intensity who was expert at projecting 00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:35.320 a feeling of controlled rage. And you can see 00:12:35.320 --> 00:12:37.419 it. That intensity we later saw in his cinematic 00:12:37.419 --> 00:12:39.940 villains was already being homed on the stage 00:12:39.940 --> 00:12:42.179 in classic tragedy. And speaking of intensity, 00:12:42.399 --> 00:12:44.720 the box office was now calling largely thanks 00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:47.820 to his initial critically defining phase of collaboration 00:12:47.820 --> 00:12:50.940 with director Spike Lee. Their synergy was electric. 00:12:51.200 --> 00:12:54.399 It started with Mo' Better Blues in 1990. where 00:12:54.399 --> 00:12:56.659 he played the driven jazz musician bleak gilliam 00:12:56.659 --> 00:13:01.419 but that that was just the warm -up for the cinematic 00:13:01.419 --> 00:13:05.940 event of 1992 malcolm x this is i mean it's arguably 00:13:05.940 --> 00:13:08.419 the most essential role of his career it earned 00:13:08.419 --> 00:13:11.919 him a best actor oscar nomination and cemented 00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:14.879 his legacy as a biographical actor capable of 00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:17.820 transforming completely into a historical giant 00:13:18.269 --> 00:13:19.990 Let's elaborate on the critical weight of that. 00:13:20.129 --> 00:13:21.909 The sources highlight that The New York Times 00:13:21.909 --> 00:13:24.490 didn't just give it a critic's pick. Vincent 00:13:24.490 --> 00:13:27.210 Canby placed his performance in the most rarefied 00:13:27.210 --> 00:13:30.610 air. Saying Denzel Washington does for Malcolm 00:13:30.610 --> 00:13:33.570 X what Ben Kingsley did for Gandhi. That comparison 00:13:33.570 --> 00:13:35.850 is staggering. It links Washington's performance 00:13:35.850 --> 00:13:38.750 to the absolute gold standard of cinematic biographical 00:13:38.750 --> 00:13:41.049 transformation. They emphasize it wasn't just 00:13:41.049 --> 00:13:43.470 that he looked the part. He possessed the psychological 00:13:43.470 --> 00:13:46.350 heft, the intelligence and the reserve to make 00:13:46.350 --> 00:13:48.809 the film dramatically exciting. to capture the 00:13:48.809 --> 00:13:50.750 character's evolution from street hustler to 00:13:50.750 --> 00:13:53.330 intellectual giant. And the sources reveal that 00:13:53.330 --> 00:13:56.190 his preparation was legendary. He studied countless 00:13:56.190 --> 00:13:58.690 hours of footage, read every biography, spent 00:13:58.690 --> 00:14:01.309 time practicing the distinct dialect and physical 00:14:01.309 --> 00:14:03.990 mannerisms. It was a commitment to immersion 00:14:03.990 --> 00:14:06.750 that set a new standard. And yet, in between 00:14:06.750 --> 00:14:09.610 these high stakes biopics, he was constantly 00:14:09.610 --> 00:14:12.559 proving his range. We see the romantic drama 00:14:12.559 --> 00:14:15.840 Mississippi Masala in 91, where he explored an 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:18.460 interracial romance opposite Sarita Chowdhury. 00:14:18.759 --> 00:14:20.960 And this is where critics began talking about 00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:23.720 Denzel Charisma. They described him as an actor 00:14:23.720 --> 00:14:25.779 of immense and natural charm, which made him 00:14:25.779 --> 00:14:28.179 a compelling romantic lead. Yeah, he could switch 00:14:28.179 --> 00:14:31.320 from the intellectual fury of Malcolm X to genuine, 00:14:31.320 --> 00:14:34.059 approachable romance just effortlessly. Then 00:14:34.059 --> 00:14:36.440 came 1993 and the groundbreaking social issue 00:14:36.440 --> 00:14:38.600 film Philadelphia. Dealing with the AIDS crisis. 00:14:38.899 --> 00:14:41.259 He played Joe Miller, the homophobic personal 00:14:41.259 --> 00:14:44.100 injury lawyer who reluctantly defends Tom Hanks's 00:14:44.100 --> 00:14:46.769 character, a gay man with AIDS. What's fascinating 00:14:46.769 --> 00:14:49.230 here is the strategic decision behind his casting 00:14:49.230 --> 00:14:52.100 which the sources detail. Mm -hmm. Sight & Sound 00:14:52.100 --> 00:14:54.559 pointed out that securing Denzel Washington guaranteed 00:14:54.559 --> 00:14:57.659 the film access to the black audience that might 00:14:57.659 --> 00:15:00.080 otherwise have been disengaged from the story 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:02.639 of a rich white gay man with AIDS. This was a 00:15:02.639 --> 00:15:05.200 crucial political move. The sources note that 00:15:05.200 --> 00:15:07.600 AIDS was rampant in inner cities, affecting not 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:11.000 just gay men, but IV drug users and women. Yet 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:13.080 the mainstream narrative often excluded those 00:15:13.080 --> 00:15:15.440 communities. So Washington's star power provided 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:18.240 necessary visibility. It forced the audience 00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:20.919 to confront the intersection of race. class, 00:15:21.019 --> 00:15:23.519 and the epidemic. It turned a specific narrative 00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:26.600 into a national conversation. That move was calculated, 00:15:26.940 --> 00:15:29.460 risky, and incredibly effective. And the rest 00:15:29.460 --> 00:15:31.720 of the 90s established him as this consistent, 00:15:31.779 --> 00:15:34.639 bankable force in commercial thrillers. He became 00:15:34.639 --> 00:15:37.200 the definition of a reliable leading man. We 00:15:37.200 --> 00:15:39.480 saw the Pelican Brief with Julia Roberts in 93, 00:15:39.700 --> 00:15:41.679 showing his chemistry with other massive stars, 00:15:41.860 --> 00:15:43.759 and then the start of a collaboration that defined 00:15:43.759 --> 00:15:46.059 his commercial identity, the partnership with 00:15:46.059 --> 00:15:48.379 director Tony Scott. That began with Crimson 00:15:48.379 --> 00:15:52.559 Tide in 1995. That intense nuclear submarine 00:15:52.559 --> 00:15:55.360 drama opposite Gene Hackman. That first film 00:15:55.360 --> 00:15:57.879 was a massive success, signaling a partnership 00:15:57.879 --> 00:16:00.700 that would prove invaluable to his box office 00:16:00.700 --> 00:16:03.100 standing. But he continued to weave in profound, 00:16:03.320 --> 00:16:05.980 dramatic performances like Courage Under Fire 00:16:05.980 --> 00:16:08.580 in 96. Yeah, where he played a conflicted officer 00:16:08.580 --> 00:16:11.200 investigating a female chopper commander for 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:13.299 the Medal of Honor. He was investigating the 00:16:13.299 --> 00:16:16.460 truth behind a wartime legend. And critics recognized 00:16:16.460 --> 00:16:19.240 that performance immediately. Variety offered 00:16:19.240 --> 00:16:22.539 high praise, calling it probing, reserved and 00:16:22.539 --> 00:16:25.019 sensitively drawn. And they placed him firmly 00:16:25.019 --> 00:16:26.960 within the lineage of serious American dramatic 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:30.220 actors by noting the role might have been played 00:16:30.220 --> 00:16:32.179 by the likes of a Montgomery Clift or William 00:16:32.179 --> 00:16:34.820 Holden in an earlier era. That kind of praise, 00:16:35.039 --> 00:16:37.419 placing him in the tradition of classic, complex, 00:16:37.500 --> 00:16:40.340 sensitive leading men, it speaks volumes about 00:16:40.340 --> 00:16:42.440 his depth, even when working in a genre film. 00:16:42.600 --> 00:16:45.179 And before the decade closed, he showed his breadth 00:16:45.179 --> 00:16:47.399 with the romantic comedy The Preacher's Wife, 00:16:47.399 --> 00:16:50.100 alongside Whitney Houston. A gentle remake of 00:16:50.100 --> 00:16:52.460 The Bishop's Wife. And the underrated supernatural 00:16:52.460 --> 00:16:56.159 horror film Fallen. He was just fearless in traversing 00:16:56.159 --> 00:16:58.720 genres. But the century concluded with another 00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:02.159 performance for the ages. The Hurricane in 1999. 00:17:02.519 --> 00:17:05.799 Playing the boxer Ruben Hurricane Carter, Romley 00:17:05.799 --> 00:17:08.480 imprisoned for almost two decades. The acclaim 00:17:08.480 --> 00:17:11.200 was enormous. And it resulted in a landmark win. 00:17:11.400 --> 00:17:14.359 The Golden Globe for Best Actor Motion Picture 00:17:14.359 --> 00:17:17.700 Drama. And the significance of that win is critical. 00:17:17.980 --> 00:17:21.000 He was the first black actor to win that specific 00:17:21.000 --> 00:17:25.119 Golden Globes since Sidney Poitier in 1963. It 00:17:25.119 --> 00:17:27.799 marked a return to the highest echelon of dramatic 00:17:27.799 --> 00:17:30.960 recognition. And he won the Silver Bear at the 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:33.559 Berlin Film Festival. Roger Ebert, one of his 00:17:33.559 --> 00:17:36.000 most consistent champions, immediately placed 00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:38.079 the performance in the Pantheon, writing it was 00:17:38.079 --> 00:17:41.059 on a par with his work in Malcolm X. The sources 00:17:41.059 --> 00:17:43.279 underscore the incredible internal intensity 00:17:43.279 --> 00:17:45.799 he brought to that role. Critic Mick LaSalle 00:17:45.799 --> 00:17:47.859 praised him for taking the viewer into the mind 00:17:47.859 --> 00:17:50.619 of a man experiencing confinement, showing what 00:17:50.619 --> 00:17:53.180 it's like to deal with the torments of wild rage 00:17:53.180 --> 00:17:56.039 and impotence. despair, and hope. Yeah. That 00:17:56.039 --> 00:17:59.200 ability to convey the slow burn of internal struggle 00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:01.960 that truly established him as a cornerstone actor 00:18:01.960 --> 00:18:04.539 entering the 21st century. And that reputation 00:18:04.539 --> 00:18:07.339 for emotional complexity transitioned him perfectly 00:18:07.339 --> 00:18:09.660 into the 2000s, where he established himself 00:18:09.660 --> 00:18:13.119 as a certified icon and significantly began his 00:18:13.119 --> 00:18:15.759 journey behind the camera. The decade began with 00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:18.279 commercial success, balancing that complexity 00:18:18.279 --> 00:18:20.940 with pure crowd pleasers. Remember the Titans 00:18:20.940 --> 00:18:23.059 in 2000? Where he played high school football 00:18:23.059 --> 00:18:26.019 coach Herman Boone. It grossed over $100 million 00:18:26.019 --> 00:18:29.140 in the U .S. and proved his name alone could 00:18:29.140 --> 00:18:32.200 sell a major studio family drama. And these athletic 00:18:32.200 --> 00:18:35.640 -themed roles. Following He Got Game in 98, his 00:18:35.640 --> 00:18:38.180 third collaboration with Spike Lee allowed him 00:18:38.180 --> 00:18:40.920 to explore mentor figures, father -son dynamics. 00:18:40.960 --> 00:18:42.960 All within these high -pressure American institutional 00:18:42.960 --> 00:18:45.920 settings. Exactly. But the true seismic shift, 00:18:46.059 --> 00:18:48.779 the moment where he broke his heroic mold, came 00:18:48.779 --> 00:18:51.400 with Training Day in 2001. Playing Detective 00:18:51.400 --> 00:18:54.559 Alonzo Harris, a corrupt, charismatic, yet terrifying 00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:57.190 L .A. cop. This is the rare villainous turn, 00:18:57.349 --> 00:18:59.829 and it redefined his career. He wasn't the victim 00:18:59.829 --> 00:19:02.069 or the righteous hero or the historical figure. 00:19:02.150 --> 00:19:04.609 He was the monster. And that performance led 00:19:04.609 --> 00:19:07.470 to his second Academy Award, this time for Best 00:19:07.470 --> 00:19:10.160 Actor. The significance of that win truly cannot 00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:12.900 be overstated. He was only the second African 00:19:12.900 --> 00:19:15.700 -American actor to ever win the Best Actor category, 00:19:15.980 --> 00:19:18.859 again following Sidney Poitier. And in a beautiful 00:19:18.859 --> 00:19:21.440 convergence, Poitier received an Honorary Academy 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:25.079 Award that very same night. It was this unofficial 00:19:25.079 --> 00:19:28.660 yet deeply felt passing of the torch. An incredible 00:19:28.660 --> 00:19:32.099 moment. Critics devour the darkness. Ebert described 00:19:32.099 --> 00:19:34.039 the performance as being like a monster from 00:19:34.039 --> 00:19:37.480 a horror film, unkillable and implacable. Washington 00:19:37.480 --> 00:19:40.740 took his immense natural charisma and just inverted 00:19:40.740 --> 00:19:43.220 it, making Alonzo Harris one of the most frightening 00:19:43.220 --> 00:19:45.519 and seductive villains in recent film history. 00:19:45.720 --> 00:19:48.039 And following that career high, he strategically 00:19:48.039 --> 00:19:50.299 leveraged his standing to immediately step into 00:19:50.299 --> 00:19:52.359 the director's chair. This is where we need to 00:19:52.359 --> 00:19:54.900 spend more time. What did the sources tell us 00:19:54.900 --> 00:19:57.160 about Denzel Washington, the director? Well, 00:19:57.180 --> 00:19:59.359 his first venture was the critically praised 00:19:59.359 --> 00:20:02.640 drama in On Cone Fisher in 2002. It's a film 00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:05.099 about a young, troubled Navy sailor forced to 00:20:05.099 --> 00:20:07.910 confront his past. And Washington not only directed, 00:20:08.069 --> 00:20:10.369 but he also co -starred as the Navy psychiatrist 00:20:10.369 --> 00:20:13.130 who mentors Fisher. And the critical response 00:20:13.130 --> 00:20:16.390 wasn't just polite. It was genuinely enthusiastic. 00:20:17.390 --> 00:20:20.349 Stephen Holden of The New York Times was effusive, 00:20:20.549 --> 00:20:23.250 praising his direction for showing a confident 00:20:23.250 --> 00:20:25.990 grasp of cinematic narrative in a hearty meat 00:20:25.990 --> 00:20:28.690 and potato style. It's fascinating how his acting 00:20:28.690 --> 00:20:30.589 experience informed his directing philosophy. 00:20:31.309 --> 00:20:33.230 Holden noted that Washington's own performance 00:20:33.230 --> 00:20:35.609 in the film was so sensitively reactive that 00:20:35.609 --> 00:20:38.069 his performance seems more live than active. 00:20:38.250 --> 00:20:40.109 He was clearly creating an environment where 00:20:40.109 --> 00:20:43.309 actors felt safe to inhabit roles deeply, favoring 00:20:43.309 --> 00:20:46.349 subtle internal reactions over broad, dramatic 00:20:46.349 --> 00:20:48.490 gestures. So he wasn't just checking off a box. 00:20:48.549 --> 00:20:50.450 He was proving himself a thoughtful filmmaker. 00:20:50.849 --> 00:20:53.549 Absolutely. Committed to complex, redemptive 00:20:53.549 --> 00:20:56.049 narratives. He followed that up later by directing 00:20:56.049 --> 00:20:58.890 The Great Debaters in 2007, starring alongside 00:20:58.890 --> 00:21:01.240 Forrest Whitaker. Meanwhile, his acting career 00:21:01.240 --> 00:21:04.180 doubled down on commercial reliability. He entered 00:21:04.180 --> 00:21:06.759 what we might call his thriller king phase. He 00:21:06.759 --> 00:21:10.299 did. Between 2003 and 2006, he anchored a string 00:21:10.299 --> 00:21:12.799 of commercially successful high -octane films. 00:21:13.019 --> 00:21:15.279 We're talking about Tony Scott's Man on Fire. 00:21:15.539 --> 00:21:17.579 Where he played that grief -fueled protector 00:21:17.579 --> 00:21:20.819 archetype, a persona that became incredibly popular 00:21:20.819 --> 00:21:23.980 with audiences. He also starred in Inside Man 00:21:23.980 --> 00:21:27.460 with Spike Lee, Deja Vu, and the 2004 remake 00:21:27.460 --> 00:21:30.009 of The Manchurian Candidate. The appeal of the 00:21:30.009 --> 00:21:32.150 Thriller King phase is simple, isn't it? His 00:21:32.150 --> 00:21:34.549 presence guaranteed quality and intense focus, 00:21:34.650 --> 00:21:37.210 elevating standard genre fare. His name on the 00:21:37.210 --> 00:21:39.609 marquee meant guaranteed dramatic intensity and 00:21:39.609 --> 00:21:42.710 box office success. This reliability is what 00:21:42.710 --> 00:21:45.289 makes him such a valuable star. His work with 00:21:45.289 --> 00:21:48.089 Tony Scott, which culminated in five films total, 00:21:48.230 --> 00:21:51.730 including the taking of Pelham 123 in 2009, really 00:21:51.730 --> 00:21:54.589 solidified this market position. But even with 00:21:54.589 --> 00:21:57.240 all this Hollywood clout, He maintained his spiritual 00:21:57.240 --> 00:22:00.119 connection to the stage. In 2005, he returned 00:22:00.119 --> 00:22:02.420 to Broadway to play Brutus in the revival of 00:22:02.420 --> 00:22:04.319 Julius Caesar. And this is a perfect example 00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:06.559 of that dynamic tension between the celebrated 00:22:06.559 --> 00:22:09.279 artist and the Hollywood star. The sources note 00:22:09.279 --> 00:22:11.299 the production received mixed critical reviews. 00:22:11.500 --> 00:22:13.579 Right. One critique mentioned that despite his 00:22:13.579 --> 00:22:16.200 inescapable fame, he sometimes got lost amid 00:22:16.200 --> 00:22:18.759 the wandering mismatched crowd. So his presence 00:22:18.759 --> 00:22:21.339 didn't necessarily guarantee artistic success 00:22:21.339 --> 00:22:24.019 in that specific classical setting. Not always. 00:22:24.140 --> 00:22:27.559 But here's the crucial flip side. The run was 00:22:27.559 --> 00:22:30.980 a consistent sellout. His stardom, even if it 00:22:30.980 --> 00:22:33.119 didn't fully translate to a specific critical 00:22:33.119 --> 00:22:35.640 performance in that production, was enough to 00:22:35.640 --> 00:22:38.710 make classical theater A massive commercial draw 00:22:38.710 --> 00:22:41.150 for an audience that might never have seen Shakespeare 00:22:41.150 --> 00:22:43.890 otherwise. He was bringing new eyes to the classics. 00:22:44.170 --> 00:22:46.789 That star power continued to anchor major dramatic 00:22:46.789 --> 00:22:49.490 films, like Ridley Scott's American Gangster 00:22:49.490 --> 00:22:52.450 in 2007. Co -starring Russell Crowe, which earned 00:22:52.450 --> 00:22:55.089 him yet another Golden Globe nomination. And 00:22:55.089 --> 00:22:57.210 he wrapped the decade reinforcing his action 00:22:57.210 --> 00:22:59.269 credentials with The Book of Eli and Unstoppable 00:22:59.269 --> 00:23:02.650 in 2010, his final collaboration with Tony Scott. 00:23:02.890 --> 00:23:05.369 That seamless transition brings us into the last 00:23:05.369 --> 00:23:08.130 decade plus. The August Wilson in action era 00:23:08.130 --> 00:23:10.509 is defining his work from 2010 to the present. 00:23:10.670 --> 00:23:13.750 If the 90s were about Malcolm X, the 2010s were 00:23:13.750 --> 00:23:16.230 defined by August Wilson. This deep connection 00:23:16.230 --> 00:23:18.670 to August Wilson's template Pittsburgh cycle 00:23:18.670 --> 00:23:21.329 is, without question, the most artistically defining 00:23:21.329 --> 00:23:24.450 aspect of his later career. It is his soul food. 00:23:24.670 --> 00:23:27.210 In 2010, he returned to Broadway to play Troy 00:23:27.210 --> 00:23:30.170 Maxson in the revival Offenses. Opposite Viola 00:23:30.170 --> 00:23:33.650 Davis. And the contrast with the mixed Julius 00:23:33.650 --> 00:23:37.299 Caesar reviews was stark. This time, he won the 00:23:37.299 --> 00:23:40.019 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play, Broadway's 00:23:40.019 --> 00:23:42.660 highest honor. Critics were overwhelmingly positive, 00:23:43.019 --> 00:23:46.059 praising his fluid naturalness. It was a perfect 00:23:46.059 --> 00:23:49.039 marriage of actor and material. But he wasn't 00:23:49.039 --> 00:23:52.019 done with Wilson. In 2016, he brought Fences 00:23:52.019 --> 00:23:54.119 to the screen, directing and starring in the 00:23:54.119 --> 00:23:56.579 film adaptation. It was critically praised for 00:23:56.579 --> 00:23:59.240 its joyful ferocity. And that adaptation had 00:23:59.240 --> 00:24:02.000 a massive industry impact, most notably securing 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:04.640 Viola Davis her first Academy Award for Best 00:24:04.640 --> 00:24:06.700 Supporting Actress. So his commitment to these 00:24:06.700 --> 00:24:08.640 productions wasn't just for himself. He was creating 00:24:08.640 --> 00:24:11.240 platforms for world -class, critically important 00:24:11.240 --> 00:24:13.880 work. And while immersing himself in Wilson's 00:24:13.880 --> 00:24:16.240 dramatic works, he simultaneously launched his 00:24:16.240 --> 00:24:18.599 late career action star status, transitioning 00:24:18.599 --> 00:24:21.759 to franchise work. The Equalizer Trilogy, directed 00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:25.250 by Antoine Foucault, spanning 2014 to 2023. And 00:24:25.250 --> 00:24:27.410 this is a massive strategic shift because the 00:24:27.410 --> 00:24:30.250 sources specify this marks his first film sequels. 00:24:30.250 --> 00:24:33.210 For an actor who spent 30 years avoiding franchises, 00:24:33.269 --> 00:24:36.369 this pivot is telling. It shows he found a character, 00:24:36.589 --> 00:24:39.970 Robert McCall, the highly moral, retired black 00:24:39.970 --> 00:24:42.789 ops operative that aligned with his personal 00:24:42.789 --> 00:24:45.049 sense of justice and allowed him to maintain 00:24:45.049 --> 00:24:48.049 a massive commercial footprint without compromising 00:24:48.049 --> 00:24:50.069 his integrity. But he never stopped challenging 00:24:50.069 --> 00:24:53.200 himself dramatically. Flight in 2012, for example, 00:24:53.359 --> 00:24:56.319 garnered him yet another Best Actor Oscar nomination 00:24:56.319 --> 00:24:59.319 for his raw, complex portrayal of an alcoholic 00:24:59.319 --> 00:25:02.460 airline pilot who saves a plane but faces moral 00:25:02.460 --> 00:25:04.730 judgment. a truly multi -layered performance. 00:25:05.150 --> 00:25:07.470 And then there was Roman J. Israel Esquire in 00:25:07.470 --> 00:25:10.869 2017. That role earned him high praise for inhabiting 00:25:10.869 --> 00:25:13.750 a truly complicated and tricky character, the 00:25:13.750 --> 00:25:16.369 highly specific, socially awkward defense attorney. 00:25:16.569 --> 00:25:19.130 And it resulted in his ninth overall Oscar nomination. 00:25:19.549 --> 00:25:22.250 Six for Best Actor, three for Supporting. That 00:25:22.250 --> 00:25:24.750 sustained level of excellence across five decades 00:25:24.750 --> 00:25:27.849 is the definition of a titan. In 2016, he also 00:25:27.849 --> 00:25:30.609 tackled a genre he had largely ignored, the Western, 00:25:30.829 --> 00:25:33.210 with the Magnificent Seven remake. This leads 00:25:33.210 --> 00:25:35.150 us back to that interesting personal anecdote 00:25:35.150 --> 00:25:38.049 about his conservative upbringing. Right. Since 00:25:38.049 --> 00:25:40.470 his minister father forbade cinema, favoring 00:25:40.470 --> 00:25:42.789 biblical epics, Washington admitted he didn't 00:25:42.789 --> 00:25:45.009 grow up watching many Westerns. He'd only catch 00:25:45.009 --> 00:25:48.269 portions of TV shows like Rawhide and Bonanza. 00:25:48.680 --> 00:25:50.640 That cultural foundation against conventional 00:25:50.640 --> 00:25:53.140 Hollywood forms makes his ultimate success in 00:25:53.140 --> 00:25:56.140 the very heart of that industry so remarkable. 00:25:56.480 --> 00:25:58.920 He didn't have the standard cinematic frame of 00:25:58.920 --> 00:26:01.319 reference, yet he became the frame of reference. 00:26:01.539 --> 00:26:04.660 He even mentioned he prepared for The Magnificent 00:26:04.660 --> 00:26:07.460 Seven not by watching the original 1960 film, 00:26:07.599 --> 00:26:10.299 but by watching the film it was based on, Akira 00:26:10.299 --> 00:26:12.920 Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. Which speaks to his 00:26:12.920 --> 00:26:15.500 intellectual approach to acting. He's always 00:26:15.500 --> 00:26:18.400 going to the source. Always. His late career 00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:21.299 stage work continued its deep dives. In 2018, 00:26:21.559 --> 00:26:24.019 he returned to Eugene O 'Neill, playing Theodore 00:26:24.019 --> 00:26:26.359 Hickey Hickman in The Iceman Cometh. And the 00:26:26.359 --> 00:26:28.339 reviews were analytical, noting the production 00:26:28.339 --> 00:26:31.160 was most exciting in the moments when his irrepressible 00:26:31.160 --> 00:26:33.740 charm faltered, showing something uglier and 00:26:33.740 --> 00:26:36.039 more ravaged underneath. He continues to search. 00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:38.720 for The Darkness Beneath the Surface. And he 00:26:38.720 --> 00:26:41.339 followed that up with Universal Acclaim and another 00:26:41.339 --> 00:26:44.339 Oscar nomination for the title role in Joel Cohen's 00:26:44.339 --> 00:26:46.779 stylized adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tragedy 00:26:46.779 --> 00:26:50.380 of Macbeth in 2021. He brings gravitas to every 00:26:50.380 --> 00:26:52.839 single line. And this journey brought him full 00:26:52.839 --> 00:26:55.759 circle in 2025 with his return to Othello on 00:26:55.759 --> 00:26:59.980 Broadway, a role he played in college. This revival... 00:27:00.170 --> 00:27:02.829 opposite Jake Gyllenhaal as Iago, has, however, 00:27:02.869 --> 00:27:05.170 received mixed critical reception. What were 00:27:05.170 --> 00:27:06.869 the sources saying about the mixed response? 00:27:07.089 --> 00:27:09.109 It's rare for a Washington performance to be 00:27:09.109 --> 00:27:11.829 anything less than highly praised. Well, critics 00:27:11.829 --> 00:27:14.230 acknowledged his immense Hollywood magnetism 00:27:14.230 --> 00:27:16.910 and swaggering authority, but some lamented a 00:27:16.910 --> 00:27:19.029 lack of the driving force behind his performance, 00:27:19.250 --> 00:27:21.630 suggesting that maybe the sheer weight of Denzel 00:27:21.630 --> 00:27:24.390 Washington, the icon, occasionally overshadowed 00:27:24.390 --> 00:27:26.430 the character's internal tragedy. That tension 00:27:26.430 --> 00:27:28.950 icon versus character is always present when 00:27:28.950 --> 00:27:31.410 a star of his magnitude tackles classical work. 00:27:31.549 --> 00:27:34.750 It is. Yet the sources confirm his influence 00:27:34.750 --> 00:27:37.730 is strategically multigenerational, particularly 00:27:37.730 --> 00:27:40.269 through his dedication to August Wilson. He's 00:27:40.269 --> 00:27:42.349 not just starring in and directing Wilson's work. 00:27:42.509 --> 00:27:45.690 He has become a key producer, ensuring the legacy 00:27:45.690 --> 00:27:48.750 continues. He produced Ma Rainey's Black Bottom 00:27:48.750 --> 00:27:52.089 in 2020. And in 2024, he produced the Netflix 00:27:52.089 --> 00:27:54.910 adaptation of The Piano Lesson. And this production 00:27:54.910 --> 00:27:57.690 connects directly to his family legacy. The Piano 00:27:57.690 --> 00:28:00.190 Lesson was directed by his son, Malcolm Washington, 00:28:00.470 --> 00:28:03.069 and starred his other son, John David Washington. 00:28:03.250 --> 00:28:05.670 This is not just artistic commitment. It's a 00:28:05.670 --> 00:28:08.549 familial legacy being cemented in American theater. 00:28:08.769 --> 00:28:10.849 And the sources also provide an astonishing look 00:28:10.849 --> 00:28:13.390 into his immediate future, which is packed. He 00:28:13.390 --> 00:28:15.309 is showing no sign of slowing down. None at all. 00:28:15.549 --> 00:28:18.069 He's reuniting with Spike Lee for a fifth time 00:28:18.069 --> 00:28:20.609 in Highest to Lowest, a remake of Kurosawa's 00:28:20.609 --> 00:28:23.089 High and Low, and he's starring in Ridley Scott's 00:28:23.089 --> 00:28:26.710 massive historical epic, Gladiator II. And even 00:28:26.710 --> 00:28:29.529 amid the giant spectacle of Gladiator II, the 00:28:29.529 --> 00:28:31.869 sources describe his performance as scene -stealing 00:28:31.869 --> 00:28:34.150 and the standout aspect of the film. That's competitive 00:28:34.150 --> 00:28:36.569 praise among giants. It's just his command of 00:28:36.569 --> 00:28:39.250 the screen remains absolute. And then... The 00:28:39.250 --> 00:28:41.630 announcement that shocked the pop culture landscape, 00:28:42.009 --> 00:28:45.769 he publicly announced in November 2024 that he 00:28:45.769 --> 00:28:48.230 would be starring in Black Panther 3. Joining 00:28:48.230 --> 00:28:51.490 the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This move signals 00:28:51.490 --> 00:28:54.109 a willingness to engage with the very biggest 00:28:54.109 --> 00:28:57.809 global franchises, even late in his career. It 00:28:57.809 --> 00:29:00.069 shows a strategic understanding of modern media. 00:29:00.349 --> 00:29:02.569 We must also address the most controversial casting 00:29:02.569 --> 00:29:05.529 choice detailed in the sources. His role as the 00:29:05.529 --> 00:29:07.769 Carthaginian General Hannibal in an upcoming 00:29:07.769 --> 00:29:10.430 Netflix film. Yeah, this casting has caused controversy 00:29:10.430 --> 00:29:12.930 in Tunisia, where Hannibal is a foundational 00:29:12.930 --> 00:29:16.009 national figure. The debate stems from historical 00:29:16.009 --> 00:29:18.789 and cultural identity concerns regarding the 00:29:18.789 --> 00:29:20.910 casting choice for the ancient general. It highlights 00:29:20.910 --> 00:29:23.049 that every decision he makes now is viewed through 00:29:23.049 --> 00:29:25.789 a global lens of history, culture, and representation. 00:29:26.210 --> 00:29:28.250 Yeah, underscoring the immense scrutiny that 00:29:28.250 --> 00:29:30.500 comes with being a global icon. So we've traced 00:29:30.500 --> 00:29:32.480 the professional arc, but now we must transition 00:29:32.480 --> 00:29:34.740 to the critical anchor for his entire career, 00:29:34.900 --> 00:29:38.279 his faith, his family, and his massive philanthropic 00:29:38.279 --> 00:29:40.960 influence. And the way he involved his children 00:29:40.960 --> 00:29:45.079 in his work provides a seamless bridge. His marriage 00:29:45.079 --> 00:29:47.240 to Pauletta Pearson, whom he met on the set of 00:29:47.240 --> 00:29:50.460 Wilma and married in 1983, is a testament to 00:29:50.460 --> 00:29:53.180 stability. They renewed their vows in South Africa 00:29:53.180 --> 00:29:57.109 in 1995, officiated by Desmond Tutu. That detail 00:29:57.109 --> 00:30:00.089 links his most intimate moments with global figures 00:30:00.089 --> 00:30:02.630 of moral authority. And his four children are 00:30:02.630 --> 00:30:05.069 carrying forward the legacy. John David, the 00:30:05.069 --> 00:30:07.710 actor and former football player, Katya, who 00:30:07.710 --> 00:30:10.690 earned a B .A. from Yale, and the twins, Malcolm, 00:30:10.849 --> 00:30:13.529 who directed The Piano Lesson, and Olivia, an 00:30:13.529 --> 00:30:15.809 actress who appeared in The Butler. It is a family 00:30:15.809 --> 00:30:17.990 committed to the arts. But the deepest thread 00:30:17.990 --> 00:30:20.230 running through his non -career life is his faith. 00:30:20.289 --> 00:30:23.150 He's an active Pentecostal evangelical Christian. 00:30:23.410 --> 00:30:25.450 And this faith wasn't just a quiet background 00:30:25.450 --> 00:30:28.890 detail. It was a competing vocational call. He 00:30:28.890 --> 00:30:31.670 stated back in 1999, at the height of his fame, 00:30:31.849 --> 00:30:35.450 a part of me still says, maybe, Denzel, you're 00:30:35.450 --> 00:30:37.910 supposed to preach. Maybe you're still compromising. 00:30:38.220 --> 00:30:40.200 I've had an opportunity to play great men and 00:30:40.200 --> 00:30:42.519 through their words to preach. I take what talent 00:30:42.519 --> 00:30:44.220 I've been given seriously and I want to use it 00:30:44.220 --> 00:30:46.380 for good. And the sources show that sense of 00:30:46.380 --> 00:30:49.519 calling has now been formally realized. A significant 00:30:49.519 --> 00:30:52.019 recent development is that he was baptized and 00:30:52.019 --> 00:30:53.839 received his ministry license from the Kelly 00:30:53.839 --> 00:30:56.740 Temple Church of God in Christ on December 21st, 00:30:56.759 --> 00:31:00.339 2024. He also confirms he reads the Bible daily. 00:31:00.799 --> 00:31:02.859 That is a massive commitment, formalizing his 00:31:02.859 --> 00:31:05.099 faith journey into a licensed role. It shifts 00:31:05.099 --> 00:31:07.440 the entire context of his public work. And his 00:31:07.440 --> 00:31:09.359 financial commitment has been equally steadfast, 00:31:09.579 --> 00:31:13.920 donating U .S. $2 .5 million in 1995 to help 00:31:13.920 --> 00:31:16.039 build the West Angeles Church of God in Christ 00:31:16.039 --> 00:31:19.720 facility in L .A. This deep faith clearly drives 00:31:19.720 --> 00:31:22.680 his extensive activism and service, particularly 00:31:22.680 --> 00:31:25.079 his focus on guiding youth and supporting military 00:31:25.079 --> 00:31:27.700 families. His dedication to the Boys and Girls 00:31:27.700 --> 00:31:29.880 Clubs of America is remarkable. He's been the 00:31:29.880 --> 00:31:32.259 national spokesman since 1993 and a board member 00:31:32.259 --> 00:31:34.859 since 1995. That's over three decades of dedicated 00:31:34.859 --> 00:31:37.279 service. For the organization's 100th anniversary, 00:31:37.599 --> 00:31:39.819 he collaborated on the book A Hand to Guide Me. 00:31:39.940 --> 00:31:42.299 It collected stories about mentorship from figures 00:31:42.299 --> 00:31:45.140 like Presidents Carter and Clinton, Colin Powell, 00:31:45.400 --> 00:31:48.500 Muhammad Ali. core message reflects his own trajectory. 00:31:49.000 --> 00:31:51.619 If you want to change the world, start by changing 00:31:51.619 --> 00:31:54.059 the life of a child. His military support is 00:31:54.059 --> 00:31:57.460 equally profound. In 2004, he visited the Brook 00:31:57.460 --> 00:31:59.779 Army Medical Center, personally presenting Purple 00:31:59.779 --> 00:32:02.539 Hearts to soldiers wounded in Iraq. And critically, 00:32:02.819 --> 00:32:06.099 that visit led to a sustained commitment. Upon 00:32:06.099 --> 00:32:08.339 visiting the Fisher House facilities at the fort, 00:32:08.460 --> 00:32:10.720 which provide free homes for military families 00:32:10.720 --> 00:32:13.380 receiving medical care, he learned they had exceeded 00:32:13.380 --> 00:32:16.190 their capacity. He responded with a substantial 00:32:16.190 --> 00:32:19.069 donation. This dedication earned him a truly 00:32:19.069 --> 00:32:22.509 unique honor. In 2021, the U .S. Army made him 00:32:22.509 --> 00:32:24.569 the Honorary Sergeant Major of the Army for his 00:32:24.569 --> 00:32:27.190 humility, dedication, and respect for the Army. 00:32:27.349 --> 00:32:29.970 We also see his global and educational generosity. 00:32:30.289 --> 00:32:33.089 A million dollars to Nelson Mandela's Children's 00:32:33.089 --> 00:32:36.089 Fund in 95, and another million to Wiley College 00:32:36.089 --> 00:32:39.009 to resuscitate its debate team. His influence 00:32:39.009 --> 00:32:41.630 is so widely recognized that even antagonistic 00:32:41.630 --> 00:32:45.230 groups respected his stature. In 2006, the FARC 00:32:45.230 --> 00:32:48.069 in Colombia named Washington, along with Oliver 00:32:48.069 --> 00:32:50.509 Stone and Michael Moore, as one of three people 00:32:50.509 --> 00:32:52.250 with whom they would negotiate for the release 00:32:52.250 --> 00:32:54.490 of hostages. Although the effort was unsuccessful, 00:32:54.910 --> 00:32:57.069 the fact that a global terrorist group viewed 00:32:57.069 --> 00:33:00.369 him as a trusted, impartial figure, it speaks 00:33:00.369 --> 00:33:02.960 volumes about his moral credibility. And that 00:33:02.960 --> 00:33:05.299 influence extends most dramatically to his peers. 00:33:05.539 --> 00:33:08.000 He's become the godfather of acting for an entire 00:33:08.000 --> 00:33:10.240 generation of performers. The list is extraordinary. 00:33:10.700 --> 00:33:13.720 Chadwick Boseman, Mahershala Ali, Michael B. 00:33:13.799 --> 00:33:16.980 Jordan, Will Smith, Jade Gyllenhaal, Austin Butler. 00:33:17.259 --> 00:33:20.380 Butler openly called him the godfather of acting. 00:33:20.559 --> 00:33:23.400 He also never fails to credit his own inspirations. 00:33:23.539 --> 00:33:26.750 He cited James Earl Jones saying, He is who I 00:33:26.750 --> 00:33:28.869 wanted to be. And of course, the enduring connection 00:33:28.869 --> 00:33:32.369 to Sidney Poitier, whom he called a mentor, needless 00:33:32.369 --> 00:33:35.450 to say, an example, a friend. This direct lineage 00:33:35.450 --> 00:33:38.410 provides a clear historical context for his achievements. 00:33:38.509 --> 00:33:41.009 That deep well of influence and achievement brings 00:33:41.009 --> 00:33:43.029 us to summarizing the scope of his recognition 00:33:43.029 --> 00:33:45.890 and the enduring meaning of his legacy. The sources 00:33:45.890 --> 00:33:48.670 confirm the nine Academy Award nominations, six 00:33:48.670 --> 00:33:51.789 for Best Actor, three for Best Supporting, with 00:33:51.789 --> 00:33:54.849 the wins for Glory and Training Day. This consistency 00:33:54.849 --> 00:33:57.569 is virtually unheard of. And his recognition 00:33:57.569 --> 00:34:02.269 is sustained. He is a 13 -time NAACP Image Award 00:34:02.269 --> 00:34:05.390 winner, including a remarkable four consecutive 00:34:05.390 --> 00:34:08.070 wins for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture 00:34:08.070 --> 00:34:10.469 across two different stretches. He's also accumulated 00:34:10.469 --> 00:34:12.650 honorary degrees, reinforcing his connection 00:34:12.650 --> 00:34:15.760 to education. Fordham, Morehouse College, the 00:34:15.760 --> 00:34:18.340 University of Pennsylvania. And finally, those 00:34:18.340 --> 00:34:21.539 major lifetime honors confirm his absolute peak 00:34:21.539 --> 00:34:24.760 status. The Cecil B. DeMille Award, the AFI Life 00:34:24.760 --> 00:34:27.320 Achievement Award, the Honorary Palme d 'Or, 00:34:27.460 --> 00:34:30.360 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. But the 00:34:30.360 --> 00:34:33.019 ultimate key to understanding his choices, his 00:34:33.019 --> 00:34:35.880 endurance, it lies in his own self -identification. 00:34:36.239 --> 00:34:38.900 He has repeatedly stated, I consider myself a 00:34:38.900 --> 00:34:41.619 stage actor and not a Hollywood star. And that 00:34:41.619 --> 00:34:44.179 explains everything. He views the stage as his 00:34:44.179 --> 00:34:46.380 professional core, the place where he returns 00:34:46.380 --> 00:34:48.920 to sharpen his instrument. That deep connection 00:34:48.920 --> 00:34:52.019 explains the recurring August Wilson plays, the 00:34:52.019 --> 00:34:54.440 Shakespearean roles, and his continual pursuit 00:34:54.440 --> 00:34:56.860 of dramatic integrity over pure commercial gain, 00:34:57.079 --> 00:34:59.019 even when he could have just settled into being 00:34:59.019 --> 00:35:00.780 the most lucrative action star on the planet. 00:35:01.070 --> 00:35:04.010 His career is a strategic masterpiece, balancing 00:35:04.010 --> 00:35:05.849 the commercial necessity of the Thriller King 00:35:05.849 --> 00:35:08.250 with the artistic passion of the Troy Maxson. 00:35:08.409 --> 00:35:11.230 It's a textbook example of using massive fame 00:35:11.230 --> 00:35:14.210 as a tool to pursue deeper, more challenging 00:35:14.210 --> 00:35:16.769 artistic endeavors. So as we conclude this deep 00:35:16.769 --> 00:35:19.090 dive, we are left with a massive question mark 00:35:19.090 --> 00:35:22.210 regarding his future. We have this icon still 00:35:22.210 --> 00:35:25.550 taking on major film roles, Marvel, Gladiator 00:35:25.550 --> 00:35:29.429 II, but who has just formally received his ministry 00:35:29.429 --> 00:35:32.039 license. And this is the perfect point to leave 00:35:32.039 --> 00:35:34.219 you, the listener, with a provocative thought. 00:35:34.719 --> 00:35:37.000 Given Denzel Washington's parallel existence 00:35:37.000 --> 00:35:40.000 as a globally celebrated artist and now a newly 00:35:40.000 --> 00:35:42.619 licensed Pentecostal minister, what does this 00:35:42.619 --> 00:35:44.699 new chapter mean for the stories he will choose 00:35:44.699 --> 00:35:46.980 to tell? He speculated two decades ago about 00:35:46.980 --> 00:35:49.219 compromising his true path, wondering if he was 00:35:49.219 --> 00:35:52.039 supposed to preach. Now that the license is official, 00:35:52.239 --> 00:35:54.960 is his extraordinary transformative acting talent 00:35:54.960 --> 00:35:57.570 now explicitly a tool for his faith? Will his 00:35:57.570 --> 00:36:00.190 next directorial choices move away from the darkness 00:36:00.190 --> 00:36:03.070 of characters like Alonzo Harris and exclusively 00:36:03.070 --> 00:36:06.150 toward redemptive, explicitly moral narratives? 00:36:06.469 --> 00:36:10.150 Or will he, as a seasoned storyteller, continue 00:36:10.150 --> 00:36:13.570 to see complex, even villainous characters as 00:36:13.570 --> 00:36:16.320 essential tools for moral examination? It raises 00:36:16.320 --> 00:36:18.440 profound questions about the intersection of 00:36:18.440 --> 00:36:21.880 artistic vocation and formal faith that few contemporary 00:36:21.880 --> 00:36:24.980 figures have ever faced. Which Denzel Washington 00:36:24.980 --> 00:36:27.880 do you find most impactful? The Oscar -winning 00:36:27.880 --> 00:36:30.320 actor, the celebrated director, the passionate 00:36:30.320 --> 00:36:33.320 mentor, or the newly licensed minister? We encourage 00:36:33.320 --> 00:36:35.519 you to reflect on his incredible body of work 00:36:35.519 --> 00:36:38.400 and consider how his enduring dedication to both 00:36:38.400 --> 00:36:40.800 the stage and his faith have shaped his truly 00:36:40.800 --> 00:36:43.139 unparalleled legacy. Thank you for joining us 00:36:43.139 --> 00:36:44.539 for this deep dive. We'll see you next time.