DENZEL WASHINGTON: From a Red Raiders wannabe to Hollywood icon

In an industry where fame is hard to come by and rarely lasts long Denzel has certainly made an indelible mark, working his way from zero to hero, with three Golden Globe and two Academy awards as worthy feathers for his legendary cap. Notable as the second African American to win an Oscar, for best actor, his works have earned him critical acclaim especially his portrayal of a variety of real life figures including South African freedom fighter Steve Biko, Malcolm X, boxer Robin “Hurricane” Carter, Melvin B. Tolson, Frank Lucas, Hernan Boone and himself in the Lorreta Clairborne story movie. Born Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. to Lennis “Lyne”, a beauty parlor owner and Rev. Denzel Washington Sr. a Pentecostal minister who also worked for the local Water Department and a local department store “S. Klein” Denzel is quoted to have said “I grew up the Boys Club in Mt. Vernon & we were the Red Raiders. So when I was in high school, I wanted to go to Texas Tech just because they were called the Red Raiders and their uniforms looked like ours”. Nonetheless Denzel completed a B.a. in Drama and Journalism from Fordham university, where he played basketball as a freshman guard, after a turbulent period of bouncing from major to major and dropping out of school for a semester. It was while working as a counselor at an overnight summer camp and participating in a staff talent show, that a friend suggested that he try acting: A star was born. Returning to Fordhham that fall, with a renewed vision, he enrolled at the Lincoln Center campus to study acting. He earned rave reviews for his role as title character in Eugene O’Neill’s The Emperor Jones and Shakespeare’s Othello. Upon graduation, he attended graduate school, on scholarship, at the American Conservative Theater in San Francisco. He stayed in San Francisco for a year, before returning to New York to begin a pro career that has seen him grow into one of Hollywood’s true legends, featuring in several Box Office hits along the line. A devout Christian, Denzel is one of a few Hollywood stars to stay married to a single spouse for over two decades. He married actress Pamela Washington (Nee Pearson) in 1983, whom he met on the set of his first screen role, Wilma. The couple renewed their marriage vows in South Africa in 1995, with the Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu officiating. Recipient of an honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Morehouse college in 2007, Denzel has won a number of awards including Academy Awards for best supporting actor in 1990 and best actor in 2000, BET Awards for best actor in 2001 & 2004, best actor in Berlin International Film Festival 1993 & 2000, Golden Globe awards for best actor in a drama motion picture 1990 &2000 amongst countless other nominations for different prestigious awards. He was also voted the people’s sexiest man alive in 1996, succeeding Brad Pitt and succeeded by George Clooney. Aside from discovering his talent Denzel has also strived to make a difference in society. He made a sizeable donation to the Fisher Houses, small hotels that provide rooms for soldiers families while the soldiers are hospitalized. He also wrote a bestseller, entitled A Hand to Guide Me, for The Boys and Girls Club of America’s centennial anniversary. The book featured a number of public figures recalling their childhood mentors. A testimonial of his broad acceptance was his being named as one of the three people, by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia whom they were willing to negotiate with for the release of three US defense contractors held captive since 2003.