Denzel Washington (born on 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 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 one Grammy Award. He received the 2016 Cecil B. DeMille Award, 2019 AFI Life Achievement Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022. After studying at the American Conservatory Theater, Washington began his career in theater, with roles in off-Broadway productions. He gained early fame in the NBC drama *St. Elsewhere* (between 1982 and 1988), and in the war film *A Soldier's Story* (released in 1984). He won two Oscars, his first for the Best Supporting Actor category for playing a Union soldier in the war drama *Glory* (released in 1989) and his second for Best Actor for playing a corrupt police officer in the crime thriller *Training Day* (released in 2001). He was nominated for an Oscar for his performances in *Cry Freedom* (from 1987), *Malcolm X* (from 1992), *The Hurricane* (1999), *Flight* (released in 2012), *Fences* (2016), *Roman J. Israel, Esq.* (2017), and *The Tragedy of Macbeth* (from 2021). A prominent leading man, Washington starred in movies including *Mo' Better Blues* (in 1990), *Mississippi Masala* (in 1991), *Philadelphia* (from 1993), *Courage Under Fire* (1996), *Remember the Titans* (from 2000), *Man on Fire* (from 2004), *Inside Man* (in 2006), *American Gangster* (2007), and the *Equalizer* films (from 2014 to 2023). Washington both starred in and directed the films *Antwone Fisher* (in 2002), *The Great Debaters* (in 2007), and *Fences* (from 2016). In theater, he has performed in performances of *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* (released in 1988). He received a 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 (2010). He has also acted in the Broadway revivals of William Shakespeare's *Julius Caesar* (2005), Lorraine Hansberry's play *A Raisin in the Sun* (2014), and Eugene O'Neill's play *The Iceman Cometh* (2018).