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Despite his parents divorce, he credits a lot of his success to his unstable childhood. I've had an opportunity to play great men and, through their words, to preach. Denzel Washington grew up in New York, in a street that bordered both Westchester and the Bronx. Shes urban, raised in Harlem. So when he died in 1991, while Washington was filming Malcolm X, he did not feel a thing. Denzel Washington. They allowed lies to fester and if you look to your left and look to your right, this is where we are right now. There are few celebrities in Hollywood who are as humble, talented, and beloved by all as Denzel Washington. That decision changed my life, because I wouldnt have survived in the direction I was going, said Washington. Denzel Washington. Young Denzel Washington and his mom. In 2014, he starred in The Equalizer (2014), an action thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by Richard Wenk, based on the television series of same name starring Edward Woodward. When he was 10 years old, Washington learned to recite lines from his father's role in the Civil War drama "Glory," according to his younger sister, Katia. Women dont need to have babies, they say. Everyone I grew up with didn't have a father.

He made his feature film debut in the comedy A Carbon Copy (1981) and was cast on the .

The career paths of his parents certainly had an impact on the young Washington. Wanting the very best for him, she saved money for private school even when she could not afford it.. Who among us is not deeply and forever impacted by our relationships with our parents? ", COGIC -1946District Supt. My father was just this spirit-filled man until the day he died, a country boy raised on a farm in Virginia," he shared, according to Parade. Washington has served as the national spokesman for Boys & Girls Clubs of America since 1993[55] and has appeared in public service announcements and awareness campaigns for the organization. After graduating from high school, Denzel enrolled at Fordham University, intent on a career in journalism. Denzel Washington was born in New-York in a small town Mount Vernon.

The next cycle was the drug addiction, cocaine-fueled Hollywood parties, dissolution of male-female dancing and hedonistic entertainment culture that blurred all kinds of lines. The actor, one of the rare few recognized by his first name alone, is quicker than ever. I messed up in school so much they were sending me home, but my mother sent me right back!" They have four children: John David (born July 28, 1984), also an actor and a former football player,[47][48] Katia (born November 27, 1986) who graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts in 2010, and twins Olivia and Malcolm (born April 10, 1991). John David Washington (born July 28, 1984) is an American actor and former professional football player. Also that year, he established the production company Mundy Lane Entertainment. By: Erin. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC During the interview, host Sibley Scoles read John David's reaction to his father being named the best actor of the 21st century by the New York Times . In 2016, Washington directed the film Fences, co-starring Viola Davis and based on August Wilson's play of the same name, with a script by Wilson. Also that year, he appeared in the Disney film Remember the Titans which grossed over $100 million in the U.S.[27], Washington won an Academy Award for Best Actor for the 2001 cop thriller Training Day, where he played Detective Alonzo Harris, a corrupt Los Angeles cop. It starts with how you raise your children. It wasn't like it's been for our children, where you take them to all their events. I never did all through the funeral and all that. after only one year to seek work as an actor. [52][53] Washington says he reads the Bible daily.[54]. "Im more like my mother. Editors note: This article was originally published on November 26, 2021. "[51] In 1995, he donated US$2.5million to help build the new West Angeles Church of God in Christ facility in Los Angeles. That sounds like a book or a song. Nov. 28, 2017 7:10 pm ET. Thats the best part of life for mecontinue to try to be the best man. If a young man doesnt have a father figure, hell go find a father figure. But we didn't play ball, those types of things. Inspiring, Graduation, Fall. Even before the split, Washington Sr. was never around, and after the divorce, he hardly made any effort to meet his son. seated denzel washington jimmy fallon ed pills father Gallus. Photograph: Dana Scruggs/The New York Times . Was it because he was disappointed in his father? This split caused Washington's already strained relationship with his father to deteriorate even further. The actor noted, "I didn't think of it that way. The most recent numbers from the Census Bureau find that roughly a quarter of American children are growing up without a father. She's urban, raised in Harlem. Elsewhere (19821988). Denzel Washington, A Hand to Guide Me. The film was his fifth and final collaboration with director Tony Scott, following Crimson Tide (1995), Man on Fire (2004), Dj Vu (2006) and The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009). In 1996, he played a U.S. Army officer who investigates a female chopper commander's worthiness for the Medal of Honor in Courage Under Fire, opposite Meg Ryan. Victimization in the hands of Hollywood and Broadway is always an overexaggeration. In the summer, I wasnt looking to track him [my father] down.

After his parents split, between the ages of 14 and 18, he lived with his mother but he found it difficult. Denzel Washington is the proud father to two sons and two daughters. . He continued to define his onscreen persona as the tough, no-nonsense hero through the 2000s in films like Out of Time (2003), Man on Fire (2004), Inside Man (2006), and The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009). In 2010, Washington starred in The Book of Eli, a post-apocalyptic action-drama set in the near future. To this day, the 66-year-old actor acknowledges his mother for guiding him along the way. When he was 14, his parents divorced and his mother sent him to the private preparatory school Oakland Military Academy in New Windsor, New York. For his role as Private Silas Trip in the Civil War drama Glory (1989), he won his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Now we come to Denzel Washington and his contention that Black families (read: Black fathers) must shoulder much of the blame for mass incarceration. A player buried at denzel washington jimmy fallon ed pills St. Bennet sex with sex pills s, Gracechurch, 14 April all natural sex pills 1559. "Im more like my mother. [17], Shortly after graduating from Fordham, Washington made his screen acting debut in the 1977 made-for-television film Wilma which was a docudrama about sprinter Wilma Rudolph, and made his first Hollywood appearance in the 1981 film Carbon Copy. Through the 1980s, he worked in both movies and television and was chosen for the plum role of Dr. Philip Chandler in NBC's hit medical series St. WomenWorking.com is committed to supporting women to live fully, giving them tools, tips, and inspiration to move through challenges in every aspect of their lives. Shes urban, raised in Harlem. Denzel Washington attends a press conference for "The Tragedy Of Macbeth" on Sept. 24, 2021 in New York City. "My parents were like night and day," he has observed. He shared a 1982 Distinguished Ensemble Performance Obie Award for playing Private First Class Melvin Peterson in the Off-Broadway Negro Ensemble Company production A Soldier's Play which premiered November 20, 1981.[19]. Denzel Washington stars as an idealistic civil rights lawyer in "Roman J. Israel, Esq." At a red carpet screening for the film last night in NYC, Washington . His father, Denzel H. Washington, Sr, was a minister in the Pentecostal Church, a branch of Christianity. Washingtons mother, Lennis Washington, ran a beauty parlor. I was never asked to go here and preach, I was told, he laughs.

In 1989, Washington won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of a defiant, self-possessed ex-slave soldier in the film Glory. She enrolled her son in a private school and outside of term time, made sure that he attended a camp. Washington played a father serving a six-year prison term when the prison warden offers him a temporary parole to convince his top-ranked high-school basketball player son (Ray Allen) to sign with the governor's alma mater, Big State. Consider, as well, Glory. Mr. Washington won a 1990 Oscar for his portrayal of Private Silas Tripp, and while his acting was spot-on throughout, anyone who has seen the entire film knows that Mr. Washington won one of Hollywoods honored because of the scene where he was being whipped. Deborah Simmons can be contacted at dsimmons@washingtontimes.com. 2019 Creative Expansions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

He participated in a staff talent show for the campers and a colleague suggested he try acting. That father figure could be a pedophile, a gang leader or a neer-do-well who hangs out at the neighborhood park. That sounds like a book or a song. He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role in the Broadway revival of the August Wilson play Fences in 2010. Washington has been married to his wife Pauletta since 1983, and they have four children. For sure, Mr. Washington, a married father of four, did not say that Americas justice system is perfect and that blacks are an integral part of the prison-industrial complex, as its been called for sometime. Around the time his parents split, his mother sent him away to private school in upstate NY to keep him out of trouble. His father, Denzel Hayes Washington Sr., a native of Buckingham County, Virginia, was an ordained Pentecostal minister, who was also an employee of the New York . To Denzel, family means everything but the actor did not have an easy childhood. . Id dip my toe in the water.. He is the middle of three children of a beautician mother, Lennis, from Georgia, and a Pentecostal minister father, Denzel Washington, Sr., from Virginia. [pauses] I never shed a tear for my father. After graduating from high school, Denzel enrolled at Fordham University, intent on a career in journalism. Denzel Washington credits his talents to his faith. In Antoine Fuqua's acclaimed 2001 drama Training Day, Washington plays a crooked cop who memorably bellows, "King Kong ain't got . His oldest son John just starred in the new movie 'Amsterdam.' Find out more about all four of his kids here. Lady Macbeth pushes her husband into killing Duncan by taunting him . He next appeared in Tony Scott's 2009 film The Taking of Pelham 123 (a remake of the 1974 thriller of the same name), where he played New York City subway security chief Walter Garber opposite John Travolta's villain. That same year, he appeared in the film The Mighty Quinn; and in For Queen and Country, where he played the conflicted and disillusioned Reuben James, a British soldier who, despite a distinguished military career, returns to a civilian life where racism and inner city life lead to vigilantism and violence. Then he moved in with his father who kicked him out and said, "You're just bad," according to the actor. The actor, a first-time . Except for Denzel, there were two more children in their family. He didn't just star in it he also directed. As in all film noirs, the guy is a sap and the lady is trouble. Today, he is a doting father of four who puts his family before all else. Ihada father. Though he accepts that the separation of his parents likely did impact him, he believes it was Nothing special, and says his childhood was still Normal..

In his parenting style, Washington says that he and his wife drew on the wisdom of their parents. Thank you,Brigitte Nicole,Creator/Administrator of Lessons Learned In Life. Because they were working. All things in moderation. [1] Throughout his career spanning over four decades, Washington has received numerous accolades, including a Tony Award, two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and two Silver Bears. is the advice he will give to his 15-years-old self. The reality is, if it wasnt for his hard-ass mother looking out for his best interests (something he continually acknowledges to this day), he might not have become the Denzel Washington we know and love today. "It starts in the home," Washington told theGrio, at New York's Henry R. Luce Auditorium. But not many know that his relationship with his father was far from idyllic growing up.

But we didnt play ball, those types of things. Washington attended Pennington-Grimes Elementary School in Mount Vernon until 1968. The play was "Wings of the Morning", which is about the founding of the colony of Maryland (now the state of Maryland) and the early days of the Maryland colonial assembly (a legislative body). He's also a doting dad to four children whom he shares with his wife of nearly four decades, Pauletta. So 70 percent of the year, I was away. [49], Washington is a devout Christian,[50] and has considered becoming a preacher. Their separation caused his relationship with his father to deteriorate even further. [38] In The Magnificent Seven, Washington plays Sam Chisolm ("the Bounty Hunter"), a duly sworn warrant officer from Wichita, Kansas.

Blame the bad, Black father and not the fact which endless studies document that blacks are more likely to be arrested, prosecuted, imprisoned for drugs, detained for petty crimes (or . Denzel Washington wouldnt be the world renowned actor he is today if it were not for his upbringing. On June 25, 1983, Washington married Pauletta Pearson, whom he met on the set of his first screen work, the television film Wilma.

And he kicked me out, Washington told GQ. Like. As a teenager, he began spending more time in the streets and was Getting into all sorts of trouble. Some of his friends got into trouble with the law, but Washingtons mother recognized what was happening and took steps to avoid him reaching him the same fate as his peers. Denzel Hayes Washington Sr. [12] At Fordham, he played collegiate basketball as a guard[13] under coach P.J. But, young Washington was not . Once you make a movie, it belongs to the people, he says. Hes Denzel Washington, 65, beloved by all as humble, a man of substance who doesnt sell out and is committed to quality, morality, and, in short, doing both his life and his acting career right. He also directed and starred in the drama The Great Debaters with Forest Whitaker. And thank Mr. Washington for such a profound reminder about fatherhood. I saw it in my generation . Hes one of the biggest movie stars the world has known, yet he stops, jokes and takes pictures with fans. So you just kind of fade. Take responsibility. Thats life. "Also, I gotta thank Denzel Washington," the Elvis . In 2007, Washington co-starred with Russell Crowe for the second time (the first was 1995's Virtuosity) in Ridley Scott's American Gangster. Sinopsis 'The Equalizer 2'. "[10] After Oakland, he attended Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida, from 1970 to 1971. In mid-2004, Washington visited Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) at Fort Sam Houston, where he participated in a Purple Heart ceremony, presenting medals to three Army soldiers recovering from wounds they received while stationed in Iraq. "She taught us right from wrong. For Washington, his mother Lennis was the greatest influence in his life, and he thanks her to this day for the strength he has given him not his father. With his acting versatility and powerful presence, he had no difficulty finding work in numerous television productions.He made his first big screen appearance in Carbon Copy (1981) with George Segal.

Carlesimo. He co-starred with Ryan Reynolds in Safe House (2012), and prepared for his role by subjecting himself to a torture session that included waterboarding. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. "The things I did, like sports, he wasnt really [interested in]. Malcolm Washington, Katia Washington, Pauletta Washington, and Denzel Washington attend the American Film Institute's 47th Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute To Denzel Washington at Dolby Theatre on June 6, 2019 in Hollywood, California. It received a wide theatrical release on December 25, 2021[46] and received mixed reviews from critics. tags: life-lessons. Actor Denzel Washington, winner of two Oscars in the framework of ten nominations, should have made an appearance this Thursday at the White House to receive, from the hands of Joe Biden, the Presidential Medal of Freedom: the highest decoration that offers the head of state in the civil sphere.

Following his mothers comments, he took the decision to stop drinking alcohol. [6][7][8][9] His father, Denzel Hayes Washington Sr., a native of Buckingham County, Virginia, was an ordained Pentecostal minister, who was also an employee of the New York City Water Department, and worked at a local S. Klein department store. Denzel Washington Jr. was born on December 28, 1954, in Mount Vernon, New York, to Lynne Washington and Denzel Washington Sr. With several . January 28, 2022 The award-winning actor Denzel Washington is an icon in the movie biz. Speaker: Denzel WashingtonSpeaker: Denzel Washington#TheFatherEffect Watch The Father. Denzel Washington in "Fences." Paramount After playing the role on Broadway, Washington took August Wilson's play to the screen. She is the toughest woman." But although he has painstakingly created a life for himself that puts family and good parenting before all else, his own upbringing was far from idyllic, particularly when it came to his dynamic with his father, which many would call troubled. They say opposites attract, but my parents only grew apart. [pauses]I never shed a tear for my father. They were nice guys, but the streets got them. Let the sperm and eggs meet in a lab, and then, if necessary, hire a women to carry the baby. His father, Denzel H. Washington, Sr, was a minister in the Pentecostal Church, a branch of Christianity.

[45] He received universal acclaim for his performance and was nominated for several awards, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Satellite Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He stated in 1999, "A part of me still says, 'Maybe, Denzel, you're supposed to preach. Its . In 2021, Washington portrayed the titular character in the 2021 film adaptation of the William Shakespeare tragedy Macbeth. My father was just this spirit-filled man until the day he died, a country boy raised on a farm in Virginia," he shared. recalled the actor of his guardian angel of a mother, according to Closer Weekly. There was no connection." to build new West Angeles COGIC facility in Los Angeles", "Wiley College vs. USC: A debate rematch 77 years in the making", "Colombian rebels ask Denzel Washington to help broker hostage exchange", "COMMENCEMENTS: Fordham Graduates Urged to Defend the Poor", "Morehouse Celebrates an 'End of an Era' with a Special Commencement Message from Dr. Walter E. Massey", "Award-Winning Actor Denzel Washington Delivers Penn's 255th Commencement Address", "Denzel Washington is the US Army's newest (honorary) sergeant major", "President Biden Announces Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom", Denzel Washington interview with KVUE in Austin about Cry Freedom in 1987, Black Reel Award for Outstanding Director, Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor, Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor, DallasFort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor, San Sebastin International Film Festival, Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor Motion Picture, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor, MTV Movie & TV Award for Best Performance in a Movie, NAACP Image Award for Entertainer of the Year, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-series), New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor, San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play, Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor, Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Director, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Denzel_Washington&oldid=1134225940, Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (film) winners, Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners, Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (film) winners, Cecil B. DeMille Award Golden Globe winners, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners, African-American history of Westchester County, New York, Mount Vernon High School (New York) alumni, Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected biographies of living people, TCMDb name template using numeric ID from Wikidata, Internet Off-Broadway Database person ID same as Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 16:29. The Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama is a Golden Globe Award that was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951. The Oscar-winning actor is on his media rounds to promote Fences, the August Wilson play . She was a go-getter and wanted more for us. In 1996, he appeared with Whitney Houston in the romantic comedy The Preacher's Wife.[21]. It has since been updated. Known as one of the greatest actors of our generation, Denzel Washington has an incredible career that has spanned over four decades and produced some of the best movies ever committed to celluloid. The production, directed by George C. Wolfe, began regular performances April 26 and ran for 14 weeks.[35]. Shes urban, raised in Harlem. 2019 All of the posters created for this website are copyright of Lessons Learned in Life.

His career includes over 60 roles (and only one sequel, The Equalizer 2) as an actor and three films that he has both starred in and directed. Waterworks were flowing Wednesday on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert as Denzel Washington broke down while discussing his late mother, Lennis Washington, who died in June at the age of 97. What many people dont know is that Denzel had some early struggles, though he tends to keep his personal life largely out of the limelight. After attending Morehouse College, where he was a football star, Washington attempted to embark on a professional football career before tearing his Achilles tendon in 2013. The film premiered on September 8 at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival, and was released in the United States in conventional and IMAX theatres on September 23, 2016. Acting is not life to me. In 1977, Washington met fellow actor Pauletta and the two began a relationship. Denzel Washington in a scene from "Roman J. Israel, Esq." Photo: /Associated Press.

Let the men marry and adopt a family. Denzel Washington shared an intimate moment with T.D. Starring: Denzel Washington and Jovan AdepoFences Movie CLIP - Why Don't You Like Me? Denzel Washington is the son of Lennis Washington and Denzel H. Washington, Sr. His mother owned a beauty shop while his father worked as a minister. As a father himself, Washington instilled moral values in his children. The film was nominated for three other Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, and won Davis her first Oscar, in the Best Supporting Actress category. She's urban, raised in Harlem. Source: goodhousekeeping.com After dating for some years, the couple finally tied the wedding knot on 25th June 1983 . The images, quotes, photography, posted on this website are for informational and viewing purposes only and they are the property of the copyright holders. Once they were separated, I was in school. [pauses] I never shed a tear for my father. He then attended graduate school at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, California, where he stayed for one year before returning to New York to begin a professional acting career. Mr. Washingtons comments were made during a press junket for his just-released film, Roman J. Israel, Esq., which is about a lawyer, the law and Americas system of justice. His mother, Lennis Washington was a beautician and beauty parlor owner. When asked, What do you see of your father in you? Denzel responds, Im more like my mother. "Im more like my mother. Moreover, he and his siblings were barred from going to the cinema by his father, a minister in a church. [5] Washington has continued acting in diverse roles, such as football coach Herman Boone in Remember the Titans (2000), poet and educator Melvin B. Tolson in The Great Debaters (2007), drug kingpin Frank Lucas in American Gangster (2007) and an airline pilot with an addiction in Flight (2012). His stage credits include appearances in Broadway revivals of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun in 2014, and Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh in 2018. Next thing you know, you're at college. Indeed just one strong person is needed to steer young minds in the right direction. Denzel Washington Children, Father, Men My father was a minister for 50 years with Pentecostal Church of God in Christ. ", Denzel Washington tears up on Colbert while talking about his late mother: I didnt cry at her funeral https://t.co/MKlfb4Qa1X pic.twitter.com/x7rwXR2JEM, Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Frazer Harrison.

[25][26] My mother said to me when I was 59, 'Denzel, you do a lot of good. Although less successful at the box office than The Bone Collector, Hurricane had a better reception from critics. The Equalizer star acknowledged his mother's contribution to his success saying, "What would have happened to me had it not been for my mother?" Jakes in an upcoming episode of the pastor's show.. If a young man doesnt have a father figure, hell go find a father figure.. I never did all through the funeral and all that. [59], The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) named Washington as one of three people (the others being directors Oliver Stone and Michael Moore) with whom they were willing to negotiate for the release of three defense contractors the group had held captive from 2003 to 2008. Denzel Washington is mourning the death of his mom. After graduating from high school, Denzel enrolled at Fordham University, intent on a career in journalism. Elsewhere (1982), a role that he would play for six years. As for his own approach to fatherhood, Life is family, he says. Later that year, he starred as a veteran railroad engineer in the action film Unstoppable (2010), about an unmanned, half-mile-long runaway freight train carrying dangerous cargo. What Was Denzel Washingtons First Movie. Denzel Hayes Washington Sr. was a native of Buckingham County, Virginia, an ordained Pentecostal minister, and an employee of the New York City Water Department, as well as working at a local S. Klein department store. The actor added that he was "mischievous" and that his "three closest friends did quite a bit of time [in jail] decades," according to ABC News. Never let Gods messy details regarding Adam and Eve stand in the way. Washington lost his dad in 1991, while he was filming Malcolm X but it never affected him or bothered him. The movie follows a working-class father (Washington) trying to raise his family in the 1950s while also dealing with his own demons. They married in 1983 and have four children together named John David, Katia, and twins Olivia and Malcolm. Washington's parents, as people, were opposites. I had a father. My father was a decent man. "My father was a powerful, big guy, but really a gentle man." With his father a man of the church, Washington too was religious. [41][42] He did not view the original film in preparation, but has watched Seven Samurai. They grew up watching Biblical films instead, like King of Kings and The Ten Commandments, although he has said that he watched portions of the shows Rawhide and Bonanza. While appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Wednesday, the 66-year-old actor opened up about losing his mother Lennis Washington.. Austin Butler holds enormous respect for Denzel Washington, an actor the Elvis star considers "the godfather of acting." In a new feature interview with Backstage magazine published . Throughout the 1990s, he established himself as a leading man in such varied films as Spike Lee's biographical film epic Malcolm X (1992), Kenneth Branagh's Shakespeare adaptation Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Alan J. Pakula's legal thriller The Pelican Brief (1993), Jonathan Demme's drama Philadelphia (1993), and Norman Jewison's legal drama The Hurricane (1999). You have to do good the right way and you know what Im talking about.. Denzel Washington: I've never seen George's doctor. Washingtons parents were very different people. The heartwarming moment came during Denzel's appearance on Access Hollywood in January 2021. "That decision changed my life, because I wouldnt have survived in the direction I was going," he said. His upbringing has played a huge role in shaping the future that he is living today. Roger Ebert, film critic for The Chicago Sun-Times, wrote of Washington's performance, "This is one of Denzel Washington's great performances, on a par with his work in Malcolm X. Denzel Washington ad libbed one of his most famous lines. I dont drink anymore, I dont do any of those things, he says. The father of megastar actor and COGIC member Denzel Washington. Denzel Washington was raised in the town of Mount Vernon, in the state of New York. In 1991, he starred as Demetrius Williams in the romantic drama Mississippi Masala. Denzel Washington.