Profile Text
Washington in 2010, photo by Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr.
Place of Birth: Mount Vernon, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: December 28, 1954
Ethnicity: African-American
Denzel Washington is an American actor, director, and producer. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Glory (1989), and the Academy Award for Best Actor for Training Day (2001). His roles also include the films Carbon Copy , A Soldier’s Story , Power (1986), Cry Freedom , For Queen and Country , The Mighty Quinn , Heart Condition , Mo’ Better Blues , Mississippi Masala , Ricochet , Malcolm X (1992), Much Ado About Nothing , The Pelican Brief , Philadelphia (1993), Crimson Tide , Virtuosity , Devil in a Blue Dress , Courage Under Fire , The Preacher’s Wife , Fallen , He Got Game , The Siege (1998), The Bone Collector , The Hurricane (1999), Remember the Titans , John Q. , Antwone Fisher , Out of Time (2003), Man on Fire , The Manchurian Candidate (2004), Inside Man , Déjà Vu (2006), American Gangster , The Great Debaters , The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009), The Book of Eli , Unstoppable (2010), Safe House , Flight (2012), 2 Guns , The Equalizer (2014), and its two sequels; The Magnificent Seven , Fences (2016), Roman J. Israel, Esq. ; The Little Things , The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021), Gladiator II , and Highest 2 Lowest ; the shows St. Elsewhere and Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child ; the made-for-tv movies License to Kill (1984) and The George McKenna Story ; and the documentaries The Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II and The March (2013). He also directed his Antwone Fisher , The Great Debaters , and Fences , as well as the film A Journal for Jordan .
Denzel is the son of Lennis (Lowe), who owned and operated a beauty parlor, and Denzel H. Washington, a Pentecostal preacher, who also worked for the New York City water department. His father was born in Virginia. His mother was born in Georgia. Denzel is married to actress and singer Pauletta Pearson Washington (born Pauletta Rachelle Pearson), with whom he has four children, actor and professional football player John David Washington ; film producer Katia Washington; and twins, director, writer, and producer Malcolm Washington and actress Olivia Washington.
Denzel was selected People Magazine’s “ Sexiest Man Alive ” in 1996. He is the first man of significant African ancestry, and the first non-white man, to have been given this title by the magazine ( Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson , in 2016, is the second, and Idris Elba , in 2018, John Legend , in 2019, and Michael B. Jordan , in 2020, are the others, fitting both criteria).
Denzel’s paternal grandfather was William Washington (the son of William Washington, Sr. and Margaret Johnson). Denzel’s grandfather William was born in Virginia. Denzel’s great-grandparents William and Margaret were born into slavery.
Denzel’s paternal grandmother was Virginia Page (the daughter of Herod “Harry” Page and Lucia “Louise”/”Louesa”/Louisa Rain/Rayn/Rayne). Denzel’s grandmother Virginia was born in Virginia.
Denzel’s maternal grandfather was named Tillman/Tilman Lowe/Low. Tillman was born in Georgia.
Denzel’s maternal grandmother was named Eliza Jackson (the daughter of William Jackson and Rachel). Eliza was born in Georgia. William and Rachel were born into slavery.
Sources: Article about Denzel’s family history – http://archive.is
Genealogy of Denzel Washington (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.geni.com
Denzel’s father on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Denzel’s paternal great-grandparents, William Washington, Sr. and Margaret Johnson, on the 1870 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Denzel’s paternal grandmother, Virginia Page, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Denzel’s mother on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org