8 Milestones in the Evolution of Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington returns to the big screen this weekend with his new unstoppable train movie called, well, Unstoppable. But how did Washington get to the point of bankable action star after his film debut in something called Carbon Copy in 1981? You can always trace a direct line through a handful of roles (not necessarily his best roles, mind you) to illustrate what led to an actor's current success, and with Washington, that line has recently had quite a few more dramatic explosions than it used to. Let's look at eight performances -- including his very first -- that trace the evolution of one Denzel Hayes Washington.

Carbon Copy (1981)

Two words: "Hi, Daddy."

St. Elsewhere (1982)

St. Elsewhere was to Denzel Washinton what ER was to George Clooney; the NBC hospital drama that made him. Washington's role in A Soldier's Story and his Oscar-nominated turn in Cry Freedom don't happen without the help of Dr. Phillip Chandler. And like Clooney, Washington honored his television contract and stayed on St. Elsewhere for all six seasons. (Clooney would leave when his contact expired after season five of ER.) Miraculously or not, Washington found future acclaim despite acting alongside Howie Mandel and the guy who was the voice of KITT on Knight Rider.

Glory (1989)

Denzel Washington's first Oscar win. Washington plays Trip, an escaped slave who fights alongside the reunion during the Civil War. Washington became only the fourth African-American to win an Academy Award for acting, following Hattie McDaniel, Sidney Poitier and Louis Gossett Jr.

Malcolm X (1992)

The second of four Denzel Washington-Spike Lee collaborations (after Mo' Better Blues and before He Got Game and Inside Man), and, of the four, the most culturally relevant. People forget the crossover that this movie had in 1992 (and the amount of people at my Midwestern high school wearing baseball caps with an "X" as the logo was testament to that), and without Washington playing the lead, it's difficult to imagine that happening otherwise. Al Pacino would beat out Washington for Oscar's top acting prize.

Pages: 1 2



Comments

  • The Winchester says:

    For what it's worth, I really enjoy Deja Vu.
    Coolest car chase I've seen in a movie in years.

  • Martini Shark says:

    For what it's worth, I really enjoy Deja Vu.
    Coolest car chase I've seen in a movie in years.

  • The Winchester says:

    Well played.

  • Sam says:

    He was outstanding in Malcolm X. I was in school in Milwaukee during that time and yes, many people, young and old were wearing those X hats. Very influential and meaningful role for Denzel.

  • Lucas says:

    No Book of Eli mention. I would think that one was worthy of a mention

  • Waterlily says:

    God, that carbon Copy movie looks bad!
    Interesting list.

  • This permits running different 3rd party programs as well as switching from one
    app to the other is a breeze. The i - Phone 5C was meant originally to be a budget phone, but reviews have said that it
    is not as cheap as they were expecting. When everything is working correctly you can easily connect your i -
    Phone to a Bluetooth device.

  • When you have your main shape, tear up strips of old newspaper
    and soak it in a water and flour mix - you can use a water and pva mix also - then
    lay the strips over your balls of newspaper. My life is now in Christ Jesus, my Lord,
    and I am forever set free from all of these curses now on this earth.
    Plus paste melting produces unusual bait movement and added dimensions to a curious
    fish.

  • To lighten driveways made of asphalt in the entirety will be a bit more difficult or
    expensive, for this a die is added in the initial mixture in order to give it a discolored look, but if
    you wait a few years, the driveway will lighten by itself.

    Using a special sealing coat on the asphalt will help to create a barrier that stops the gas or other petroleum products from
    reacting with the asphalt and weakening it. Asphalt is extremely durable and can be used for both
    low and high traffic conditions.

  • Myrna says:

    Hanging With Friends Cheat doesn't seem to be like other cheats that you can find
    on the internet. There are many other kinds of benefits
    which you can feel after owning a website for your website.

    Apple will not assist you or suggest any method of recovering lost data
    on the i - Phone.

  • Daisy says:

    Shifting to the underside of the left earcup, you may find a
    3. By viewing a map of the campground, you may find that the perfect camping spot
    is located next to the water or perhaps you
    would prefer one that is closer to a hiking trail.
    Philippines is a tropical country and is endowed with many
    beach resorts perfect for summer vacations and pleasures.

  • The most common of these three will be the channel catfish.
    Players must use the candy bar names listed to write a story about the bride and groom's wedding night.
    Three years ago, the visual difference between a console
    game and an online game was staggering.

  • Available Back Cover Cases are made with different type of material like
    TPU Gloss Cases, Soft Silicon Case, Hard Case, Wooden Case
    etc. Right now in market only back cover cases are available but
    with the time all other types like Flip Cases, Side Cover Cases and Slip in Pouch Cases etc.
    Therefore, I question whether I need a faster chip or
    fingerprint recognition.

  • youtube.com says:

    The story line was much the same though, you played
    the role of a criminal who's free to roam the city and cause mayhem by destroying cars,
    robbing banks and running over people. Trapster is one of the best free i - Phone apps because it just may
    save you from getting a speeding ticket. The good part of the game is that you can undergo different experiences while playing it
    such as being a first person shooter, a third person shooter,
    and you can ride your car and what not.

  • Some of these games have a simple setting and an even simpler gameplay, but some
    of them require more time and concentration, and of course patience here is the key virtue, these games tend to have complicated rules which cannot be broken under any circumstances.
    There has been much speculation in the press about
    whether this version of the game will be called "Skyrim" as Bethesda first trademarked the
    name in 2006. 00 an hour, this is certainly cheaper than clubbing.

  • In fact, as in the 64-bit processor, A7, and a coprocessor movement M7 great future.
    One of the major upgrades to the new i - Phone is the fingerprint scanner.
    The new software will be available for download via i - Tunes on the i
    - Phone 4, i - Phone 4S, i - Phone5, and the upcoming i -
    Phone 5S and i - Phone 5C.

  • Jacki says:

    It's going to be finish of mine day, however before ending I
    am reading this wonderful paragraph to improve my know-how.