Early Life
Washington attended Fordham University and trained at the American Conservatory Theater before breaking through on the television drama St. Elsewhere.
Career
He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Glory (1989) and Best Actor for Training Day (2001). Other roles include Malcolm X (1992), The Hurricane (1999), Remember the Titans (2000) and Fences (2016), which earned him an Oscar nomination as actor and a Best Picture nomination as a producer. He has also directed films including Antwone Fisher and The Great Debaters.
Legacy
Washington received the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 2016 Golden Globes and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022.
Sources and further reading
Last updated: 2026-09-24