Denzel Washington (born on December 28, 1954) is an American actor who also works as a producer and director. Famed for his dramatic roles in film and theater, he is widely regarded as one of the best actors of his generation, with a declaration from The New York Times naming him the greatest 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 in addition to being nominated for two Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award. He received the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2016, 2019 AFI Life Achievement Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022. After studying at the American Conservatory Theater, he launched his career in theater, acting in performances off-Broadway. He was first recognized widely in the medical drama *St. Elsewhere* on NBC (between 1982 and 1988), and in the war film *A Soldier's Story* (in 1984). He has two Academy Awards to his name, his first for Supporting Actor for playing an American Civil War soldier in the war drama *Glory* (from 1989) and his second for Best Actor for playing a corrupt law enforcement officer in the crime thriller *Training Day* (in 2001). He was received Oscar nominations for his performances in *Cry Freedom* (from 1987), *Malcolm X* (released in 1992), *The Hurricane* (1999), *Flight* (released in 2012), *Fences* (2016), *Roman J. Israel, Esq.* (in 2017), and *The Tragedy of Macbeth* (released in 2021). A renowned leading man, Washington also acted in movies including *Mo' Better Blues* (released in 1990), *Mississippi Masala* (released in 1991), *Philadelphia* (1993), *Courage Under Fire* (in 1996), *Remember the Titans* (in 2000), *Man on Fire* (released in 2004), *Inside Man* (2006), *American Gangster* (released in 2007), and the *Equalizer* trilogy (2014–2023). Washington directed and starred in the films *Antwone Fisher* (in 2002), *The Great Debaters* (from 2007), and *Fences* (from 2016). On stage, he has performed in performances of *Coriolanus* (1979) and *The Tragedy of Richard III* (1990) at The Public Theater. His Broadway debut came in the Ron Milner play *Checkmates* (1988). He received a Tony Award for Best Actor in the Play category for his role as a disillusioned father from the working class in the Broadway revival of *Fences* by August Wilson (from 2010). He has also appeared in the Broadway revivals of the plays *Julius Caesar* (2005), *A Raisin in the Sun* (2014), and *The Iceman Cometh* (2018).