| Category | Richest Celebrities › Actors |
|---|---|
| Net Worth | $280 Million |
| Salary | $60 Million |
| Date of Birth | Dec 28, 1954 (68 years old) |
| Place of Birth | Mount Vernon |
| Gender | Male |
| Height | 6 ft (1.85 m) |
| Profession | Actor, Film Producer, Film Director, Spokesperson, Voice Actor |
| Nationality | United States of America |
Denzel Washington, the American actor, screenwriter, producer, and director, has a net worth of $280 million. In his active years in acting and producing, Denzel easily earns between $60 to $80 million.
Early Life: Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. was born on December 28, 1954, in Mount Vernon, New York. His parents, Lennis, who owned a beauty salon, and Denzel Washington, Sr., a Pentecostal minister and municipal worker, divorced when Denzel was 14.
After the divorce, Denzel’s mother sent him to Oakland Military Academy in New Windsor, New York. This decision proved to be life-changing for Denzel, as he later credited it with saving his life. Before attending military school, he and his closest friends were headed down a troubled path. In an interview with Parade Magazine, Washington revealed that these friends eventually spent a collective 40 years in prison.
Denzel went on to attend Fordham University in New York City, where he played collegiate basketball. Taking a semester off to reflect on his future and choose a major, he worked at a YMCA camp during that time. His performance in a camp talent show impressed both campers and colleagues, leading to a suggestion that he pursue acting. Upon returning to Fordham, he began studying drama and graduated with a BA in drama and journalism in 1977.
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Early Career: Denzel Washington began his career with a full scholarship to the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. After a year, he returned to New York to pursue acting professionally. Although he had already been in several stage shows, his first on-screen role was in the TV movie Wilma in 1977. He then secured a breakthrough role in 1982 on the medical drama St. Elsewhere, playing Dr. Phillip Chandler for the entire six-year run of the show.
Box Office Hits: Washington’s fame soared with remarkable performances in films like Malcolm X, The Pelican Brief, Philadelphia, and Courage Under Fire. His talent translated into substantial paychecks, with a notable $7.5 million for the science fiction film Virtuosity in 1995. The 1998 movies Fallen and The Siege, along with his Oscar-winning role in Training Day (2001), brought in impressive earnings of $12 million each. Today, Denzel Washington earns over $60 million annually.
Awards and Honors: In 1988, Washington received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in the anti-Apartheid film Cry Freedom, and in 1989, he won the award for his role in Glory.
In 1992, he earned a Best Actor nomination for Malcolm X, and in 1999, he received another nomination, winning a Golden Globe for The Hurricane. In 2002, he made history by winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in Training Day, becoming only the second African-American actor to achieve this. The same year, he starred in the Disney football drama Remember the Titans, earning over $100 million at the box office and receiving a Black Reel Award and an NAACP Image Award, both for Best Actor. In 2016, Denzel was honored with the Cecil B. Demille Lifetime Achievement Award at the Golden Globe Awards.
Denzel Washington is among the eight actors who have been nominated for an Academy Award in five different decades (’80s, ’90s, ’00s, ’10s, ’20s).
Although he didn’t finish graduate school, the actor holds three honorary doctorate degrees. The first, in 1991 from Fordham University, recognized his “impressive exploration of the edge of his multi-faceted talent.” In 2007, Morehouse College awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Humanities, and in 2011, the University of Pennsylvania bestowed an honorary Doctor of Arts degree upon him.
In July 2022, Denzel Washington was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Directing and Producing Career: In 2002, Denzel Washington took on the role of a director with “Antwone Fisher,” followed by “The Great Debaters” (2007) and “Fences” (2016). He has also produced several movies, including “The Book of Eli” and “The Equalizer,” along with various television programs. His upcoming project as a producer is the film “The Piano Lesson.”
Personal Life: Denzel’s first film, the TV sports drama “Wilma,” not only marked a career breakthrough but also led him to meet his future wife. He married Pauletta Pearson in 1983, and they have four children: John David, Katia, and twins Olivia and Malcolm.
As a devout Christian, Washington has contemplated becoming a preacher, considering leaving acting for a life in the church. Fortunately for his fans, he chose to remain in Hollywood, but he emphasizes that he reads the Bible every day.
In 2006, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia sought help from American artists and intellectuals, including Denzel Washington, regarding a hostage situation. They urged the group to convince then-president George W. Bush to release imprisoned rebels in exchange for hostages held in Colombia.
Philanthropy: Denzel Washington extends his fame and fortune to support various organizations. Since 1993, he has been the spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Club of America and has served on its board since 1995. He has made significant contributions to Nelson Mandela’s Children’s Fund, Fordham University, the Fisher House Foundation, and Wiley College.
Real Estate: In the late 1990s, Denzel and his wife built a massive mansion in the exclusive Beverly Park community in Beverly Hills. The main mansion covers 30,000 square feet, with an additional 5,000 square-foot guest house. In April 2022, they purchased an 8,000 square-foot, 6-bedroom condo in Century City, California.
Summary: Denzel Washington, with a net worth of $280 million, is a versatile American actor, director, and producer. His career spans stage and screen since the late 1970s, with notable roles in Hollywood films like “Glory,” “Malcolm X,” “Training Day,” “The Equalizer” films, and “Remember the Titans.”
