Denzel Washington has been one of the most influential powerhouse figures in the Film and Entertainment Industry over the past five decades. The two-time Academy Award-winning, NAACP Image Award-winning, and Golden Globe recipient has transformed the American cultural landscape with extraordinary performances that honor and bring to life both real and fictional characters, shaping stories that inspire and contribute to profound, lasting cultural narratives. This year, President Biden will award Washington the highest U.S. civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in recognition of his remarkable contributions to American culture, history, and the arts.

Washington’s career spans theater, television, and film, establishing him as one of the most versatile and talented people in the entertainment industry. In 1976, early in his career, he performed in the play Wings of the Morning at a summer stock theater in St. Mary’s City, Maryland, following his one-year tenure at the American Conservatory Theater. The next year, Washington starred in NBC’s Wilma, a docudrama about the life of Olympic sprinter Wilma Rudolph. Four years later, he made his big-screen debut in Carbon Copy (1981) opposite George Segal. That same year, he returned to the stage with the Negro Ensemble Company’s (NEC) production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, A Soldier’s Play, earning him an Obie Award in 1982 for his role as Private Peterson. During this time, Washington’s television career flourished as well, with his portrayal of Dr. Philip Chandler on NBC’s St. Elsewhere (1982–1988). He closed out the decade with notable film roles in A Soldier’s Story (1984), Hard Lessons (1986), Power (1986), Cry Freedom (1987), For Queen and Country (1988), The Mighty Quinn (1989), and Glory (1989), the latter of which earned him his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Since then, Washington has become a dominant force in the film industry, delivering transformative performances that have driven cultural change and reshaped the landscape of cinema. During the 1990’s, he continued to deliver powerful performances in both theatre and film with his roles in King Richard III (1990), Spike Lee’s Mo’ Better Blues (1990), Mississippi Masala (1991), Malcolm X (1992), and Philadelphia (1993)—with the latter three films pushing the nuanced conversation surrounding race, desire, and Black pride forward. During this decade, Washington received critical acclaim for his inspiring performances, which resonated deeply with Black audiences and vulnerable communities who saw their struggles, triumphs, and humanity reflected on screen. Some of his other notable appearances occur in The Pelican Brief (1993) opposite Julia Roberts, Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Crimson Tide (1995), and Courage Under Fire (1996). He also stars in The Preacher’s Wife (1996) opposite the late Whitney Houston and Courtney B. Vance, Spike Lee’s He Got Game (1998), Fallen (1998), The Bone Collector (1999), and The Hurricane (1999) among other projects.

In 2000, Washington won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his role in The Hurricane, marking a pivotal moment that set the stage for his continued success and thriving career in the new millennium. He went on to star in Remember the Titans (2000), Antoine Fuqua’s Training Day (2001), which earned him his second Academy Award, John Q. (2002), and Antwone Fisher (2002), with the latter marking his directorial debut. Some of his other noteworthy projects include his roles in Man of Fire (2004), The Manchurian Candidate (2004), the Broadway revival of Julius Caesar (2005), Inside Man (2006), Déjà vu (2006), American Gangster (2007), The Great Debaters (2007), and The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009).

In the years that followed, Washington further solidified his place in history, leaving an enduring legacy through his groundbreaking performances and career. Some of his key roles include his Broadway performance in the revival of August Wilson’s play Fences (2010) opposite Viola Davis, which earned him the Tony Award for Best Actor in A Play. He also stars in The Book of Eli (2010), Flight (2012), 2 Guns (2013), the 2014 Broadway production of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, The Equalizer (2014), and The Equalizer 2 (2018) among other projects. His more contemporary works include his production of the 2020 film adaptation of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, co-starring the late Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis, The Equalizer 3 (2023), and Gladiator II (2024). Washington co-produced the film adaptation of the The Piano Lesson (2024), directed by his son Malcolm Washington, co-starring his other son John David Washington and Danielle Deadwyler. These are among his notable past and forthcoming projects.

The longevity of Washington’s career and his unmatched talent have earned him widespread critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, a Tony Award, three Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award, a New York Film Critics Circle Award, a BET Humanitarian Award, and several NAACP Image Awards among others. Denzel Washington has consistently pushed the boundaries of his craft with extraordinary and versatile performances throughout his decades-long career, and TheBlkScript is honored to celebrate one of the most beloved actors of our generation.

Congratulations to Denzel Washington on being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom!

—Dominique Young