Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (with a birthdate of December 28, 1954) is an American actor, producer, and director. Recognized for his powerful performances on stage and screen, he is often seen as one of the top actors of his generation, with The New York Times declaring him the top actor of the 21st century in the year 2020. Throughout his career, Washington has garnered numerous awards, including two Oscars, three Golden Globes, a SAG Award, and a Tony Award along with nominations in two Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award. He has been awarded the Cecil B. DeMille Award (2016), AFI Life Achievement Award in 2019, and the 2022 Presidential Medal of Freedom. After studying at the American Conservatory Theater, he started his acting career in theater, with roles in off-Broadway productions. He was first recognized widely in the NBC medical drama series *St. Elsewhere* (from 1982 to 1988), and in the war film *A Soldier's Story* (in 1984). He won two Academy Awards, his first for Supporting Actor for playing a soldier during the Civil War in the war drama *Glory* (1989) and his second for the Best Actor category for playing a corrupt cop in the crime thriller *Training Day* (in 2001). He was nominated for an Oscar for his performances in *Cry Freedom* (released in 1987), *Malcolm X* (from 1992), *The Hurricane* (in 1999), *Flight* (released in 2012), *Fences* (2016), *Roman J. Israel, Esq.* (2017), and *The Tragedy of Macbeth* (released in 2021). A renowned leading man, Washington starred in movies including *Mo' Better Blues* (released in 1990), *Mississippi Masala* (1991), *Philadelphia* (from 1993), *Courage Under Fire* (in 1996), *Remember the Titans* (in 2000), *Man on Fire* (from 2004), *Inside Man* (in 2006), *American Gangster* (from 2007), and the *Equalizer* trilogy (released from 2014 to 2023). Washington starred in and directed the films *Antwone Fisher* (2002), *The Great Debaters* (in 2007), and *Fences* (in 2016). In live theater, he has performed in productions of both Coriolanus (1979) and The Tragedy of Richard III (1990) at New York’s Public Theater. His first appearance on Broadway in the Ron Milner play *Checkmates* (1988). He earned the Tony Award for Best Actor on Broadway for his role as a disillusioned father from the working class in the Broadway revival of *Fences* by August Wilson (from 2010). He has also appeared in the Broadway revivals of the plays *Julius Caesar* (2005), *A Raisin in the Sun* (2014), and *The Iceman Cometh* (2018).