There is not an actor alive who has shown the complexity of black life through film like Denzel Washington. Washington has a knack for turning decent scripts into artistic masterpieces. Here are 10 reasons why Washington is undisputedly the best actor on the planet. –amir shaw
1. The Leader – In the 1992 film Malcolm X, it’s easy to forget that you are watching a portrayal of the civil rights leader of the 1960s. Washington captivated moviegoers by turning in one of the most gut-wrenching performances to ever be captured on film. Although the Academy Awards snubbed Washington that year, his role as Malcolm X invigorated the black community and introduced X’s ideology to a new generation.
2. The Defiant One – Washington’s portrayal in 1989’s Glory captured the essence of a rebellious soldier who would fight for his freedom at all costs. It was the first performance that catapulted him into the upper echelon of actors in Hollywood and it earned him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
3. The Stage Presence – Like a boxing champion training at his old gym, Washington has gone back to Broadway to prove that his live performances can be more mesmerizing than his work on film. He was a hit in 2005’s Julius Ceasar and could earn a Tony Award for August Wilson’s Fences, which is currently on Broadway.
4. The Bad Guy – Known mostly for playing guys with sterling moral character, Washington proved that he could get downright dirty in Training Day. Washington released his inner thug and magnificently showed us how desire, fear and lack of compassion can fuel a sociopath. Washington earned his second Oscar for the role.
5. The Educator – In The Great Debaters, Washington played Wiley College professor Melvin B. Tolson. Tolson led the school’s debate team to the national championship where they challenged Harvard in 1935. Washington will always be commended for bringing this powerful story to the big screen.
6. The Love Supreme – Washington was the quintessential lady’s man and jazz savant in Spike Lee’s Mo Betta Blues. From that moment on, he has remained the crowned prince and heartthrob for black women around the world.
7. The Giver – Washington and his wife, Pauletta, have been huge givers in the community for years. He has served as a national spokesman for the Boys & Girls Club and he recently gave The Steve Harvey Foundation a $1 million donation.
8. The Coach – In Remember the Titans, Washington molded teenage boys into respectable men by teaching them the value of being leaders on and off the football field. Several business schools have directed students to examine Washington’s leadership skills in the movie.
9. The Spiritual Messenger – In The Book of Eli, Washington’s character is the only man in the world with a copy of the Bible and he battles to protect the book from corrupt people who seek to use the book to manipulate others. Washington makes a bold statement by using art to show the power of religion and how it can be misused in the wrong hands.
10. The Biographer – Although Washington’s most known for his portrayal of Malcolm X, he has also played other powerful black men in history. In Hurricane, he played boxing champ Ruben “Hurricane” Carter; and anti-apartheid activist Steven Biko in Cry Freedom.
