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Denzel Hayes Washington Jr., or Denzel Washington, began his career in the 70s with television. Slowly, he moved into films and created a name for himself. Since then, he has come a long way in the show business. Now, he is all over the news for his new movie,Gladiator II.
Washington not only earned popularity with his amazing acting skills, but has also done a fair share of directing and producing movies like Antwone Fisher and Fences. The actor has won two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Tony Award so far. But there’s more to it. Here are ten little-known facts about him!
1Denzel Washington had strict restrictions at home
Denzel Washingtonnever had a liberal family. Even though he made his name in the acting industry, in his childhood, his father was too strict about the kind of content he watched on TV. So much so, that in his days growing up, Washington was only allowed to watch two movies.
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In an interview withFar Outmagazine, theTraining Dayactor opened up about it and said,
My father was a minister, so we grew up in a church and we didn’t go to the movies…King of Kings and The Ten Commandments and that was it. Appearing in a Western wasn’t like some childhood dream.
The Western movie that Washington referred to here was Antoine Fuqua’sThe Magnificent Seven,where he played Sam Chisholm, a warrant officer.
2Denzel Washington wanted to become a doctor or a lawyer
Before becoming a seasoned actor, Washington wanted to become a doctor while growing up. In a conversation withABC News, the 69-year-old actor shared that he was a pre-med and thought about college and becoming a doctor. But that didn’t work out and he moved his focus to becoming a lawyer. He explained,
I went into political science, pre-law…I found out I wasn’t doctor material, I found out I wasn’t lawyer material.
However, after trying his hand at medicine and law, Denzel Washington went on to study journalism. He even earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in Drama and Journalism from Fordham University in 1977. Not only does the actor have an outstanding filmography, but his academic credentials are also quite impressive. He also became one of the top 100 sexiest stars byEmpire magazinein 1995.
3Denzel Washington is named after his father
Born in 1954, the Hollywood star’s parents were Lennis “Lynne” Washington and Denzel Hayes Washington. This technically makes the actor named after his father but as perIMDb, Denzel Sr. had named his son after Doctor Denzel who had delivered him.
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Although both of them have the same first names, they pronounce it slightly different. While the original holder of the name focuses on the first syllable – ‘DEN’zel, the actor pronounces it as Den’ZEL’.
4Washington named his son after one of his popular character
Apart from being a great actor onscreen, Washington is a family man through-and-through offscreen. He shares his four kids with his wifePauletta Washington, John David, Katia, and twins Olivia and Malcolm. However, naming his youngest son after one of his popular characters, Malcolm X, is like giving a tribute to his legacy.
Since 1983 he has been married to Pauletta and often talks about his family. He is a devoted father and a loving husband and always prioritizes his family.
5Denzel Washington’s ‘magic’ finger
Well, ‘magic’ finger or no, Washington’s kids call it so. His millions of fans often noticed his weirdly angled pinky finger. During an interview onThe Graham Norton Show, the actor explained how he sustained an injury while playing football as a kid. Even though he fixed it, the finger still bends abnormally sometimes.
When Graham Norton showed a picture of him withMeryl Streep, the actor burst out in laughter. Revealing the secret behind his pinky finger, Denzel Washington said,
I had it rebuilt. I had injured it so many times playing American football but it is fine now. It’s like a gummy bear in there, like a little piece of rubber candy…I went up for a pass playing American football and dislocated it and it’s happened so many times over the years.
Well, it’s unique in its own way.
6Denzel Washington received a prophetic message about his career
In past interviews, Washington has often talked about this incredible story of his life. But in case you haven’t heard – well, the actor received a prophecy when he was a college student. A woman gave him that message while he was at his mother’s parlor.
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While talking about it, he toldParade,
I’ve felt the hand of God on my life, no doubt about it. I remember sitting in my mother’s beauty parlor in Mount Vernon, New York, on June 07, 2025, and in the mirror I kept seeing this woman looking at me. I was doing so bad in school, and this woman said, ‘Somebody give me a piece of stationery! I’m having a prophecy!’ I still have that piece of paper. ‘You’re going to speak to millions of people,’ she said to me. ‘You’re going to do great things!’ And I thought, ‘Yeah, right. When’s that going to start? On Monday? I’m flunking out of school.’
Thanks to that prophecy, Denzel Washington is now a legendary actor.
7Missing out onSe7enandDreamgirls
Many of you might have watchedBrad Pitt‘sSe7enbut did you know that Denzel Washington was first offered the role that he turned down? Yes, that’s right. However, later in an interview withOff Script, the actor admitted that he regretted his decision. He said,
I thought the script was too demonic. Then, I saw the movie and thought, ‘Oh. I blew it.’
Se7enbecame a huge success and grossed over $328 million worldwide at the box office, as perThe Numbers. However, not only that film, Washington missedDreamgirlsas well. Je was offered to play Curtis Taylor Jr in the 2006 film. But for some reason, it didn’t work out and later, the role went toJamie Foxx.
8Denzel Washington left his first Oscars event early for a reason
The two-time Academy Award winner, Denzel Washington attended his first Oscar ceremony in 1988. At that time, he was nominated for Best Supporting Role for his performance inCry Freedom. However, he predicted from the crowd’s response that he lost the award toSean Conneryand decided to leave the award show early. He shared the incident viaOff Script,
[Connery] was up for The Untouchables. He comes out to present an award and got a three-minute standing ovation—for presenting an award. I said, ‘Well, I’ll get the coats, ‘cause I know I ain’t winning tonight.’
Denzel Washington Shows a Picture Proving He Saw God’s Face When He Prayed For It
But that’s not the end of the story. Although he couldn’t win the trophy, he didn’t go home empty-handed. Washington revealed that he helped himself to a good platter of food before leaving and said,“I see a big tray, and I’m like, ‘I’m leaving here with something.’…Then my mother told me to get the flower arrangement. True story.”
9Denzel Washington played a huge role in the late Chadwick Boseman’s career
Chadwick Bosemanwill always be remembered asBlack Panther. But the actor couldn’t have gotten this iconic opportunity if not for Washington. When the late actor was attending the British American Drama Academy’s Midsummer program,The Equalizeractor paid for his tuition. When Boseman received the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement in 2019, he said in his speech,
There is no Black Panther without Denzel Washington. And not just because of me, but my whole cast—that generation—stands on your shoulders.
He further continued,“As fate would have it, I was one of the students that he paid for. Imagine receiving the letter that your tuition for that summer was paid for and that your benefactor was none other than the dopest actor on the planet.”
10John Brolin almost got into a fight with Washington once
Josh Brolinwho is popularly known for playing Thanos in Avenger movies, almost got into a fight with Denzel Washington. On appearing on theIn Depth with Graham Bensinger, he shared the anecdote. Brolin and Washington shared screen on Ridley Scott’sAmerican Gangster. While the legendary actor got the lead as Frank Lucas, Brolin played a detective. In their very first scene, Washington changed the structure of their lines last moment.
So, as he was trying to memorize the structure and rehearsing with Washington, he forgot a line. He had to look confident as Brolin was just starting out while Denzel Washington was a big name in the industry. Explaining what happened, Josh Brolin said,
I put my hand on his shoulder and I said, ‘What’s the line?’ and he hit my hand off and he said, ‘Don’t ever f—ing put your hand on me,’ And I was like, ‘Holy s—, I’m gonna scrap with Denzel Washington. This is crazy.’ We’re not actors anymore … at least in my mind. In his mind, he was just doing his job. He was that guy. He was Frank Lucas, period. But I didn’t know,” he said. “And then we got through that moment. I said, ‘Are you okay?’ He said, ‘Yeah. You?’ I said, ‘Yeah. Can I get my line?’ He said, ‘Go for it.’ It’s like he’d said what he needed to say.
But now the two actors get along very well and share a beautiful friendship.
Denzel Washington Can be a Therapist and His 10 Rules of Acting Will Convince You
These are the ten little-known facts about the great actor Denzel Washington. Recently the actor opened up about his 15-year-old pattern of alcohol addiction which was not known to his fans to date. However, now Washington has opened up about how he has been sober for a decade and revealed that he will continue to do so as he doesn’t want to damage his body anymore.
The actor’s recent movieGladiator IIis receiving rave reviews from the critics and audience. Released on July 13, 2025, the film is now running in the theatres.
Ankita Mukherjee
Articles Published :61
Ankita Mukherjee is a movie buff and a K-drama lover. After being in the entertainment genre for more than 3 years, her knack for digging up breaking news and writing featurish articles about her favorite celebs have become her most preferred job and now she is working as an author in FandomWire. But, when it comes to MCU, you might find her go a little nuts.
