Denzel Washington Then & Now: Photos From His Young Days to Today

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Denzel Washington is one of Hollywood’s most beloved leading men. See his best photos of all time here.

Denzel Washington, born December 28, 1954, in Mount Vernon, New York, is one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation, known for his commanding presence on stage and screen. He began his career in theater and off-Broadway productions before landing his breakout role on the NBC medical drama St. Elsewhere (1982–1988). His rise to film stardom continued with his Academy Award–winning performance in Glory (1989), which earned him his first Oscar.

Washington went on to star in a string of iconic films, including Malcolm X (1992), The Pelican Brief (1993), Philadelphia (1993), The Hurricane (1999), Remember the Titans (2000), Training Day (2001), American Gangster(2007), Fences (2016) and The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021). Over the course of his career, he has earned two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, a Tony Award, and the Academy’s Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2022, he was also honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Joe Biden.

Most recently, Washington reunited with longtime collaborator Spike Lee for the crime thriller Highest 2 Lowest, which premiered in 2025 and marked a major late-career collaboration between the two. He is also set to star in the upcoming Netflix heist thriller Here Comes the Flood, continuing his run of high-profile projects well into his seventh decade in Hollywood.

Want to see more photos of Denzel? Scroll through our gallery here.

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