
To coincide with the release of “The Magnificent Seven” this weekend, here’s my list of the seven most influential films of Denzel Washington’s career:
“GLORY” (1989) – Academy Award No. 1 came for Washington’s supporting role in the Civil War drama co-starring Matthew Broderick and Morgan Freeman.
“MALCOLM X” (1992) – Washington played the legendary Black Movement Leader in director Spike Lee’s 3 hour, 22-minute biopic.
“PHILADELPHIA” (1993) – Tom Hanks won the Best Actor Oscar, but Washington was right alongside him every step of the way in Jonathan Demme’s “inspired by a true story” drama as lawyer, Joe Miller.
“REMEMBER THE TITANS” (2000) – Arguably one of his most memorable roles, Washington played high school football coach, Herman Boone, in Disney’s inspiring sports drama.
“TRAINING DAY” (2001) – Washington and Halle Berry (“Monster’s Ball”) made Oscar history in ’02 by becoming the first African American man and woman to win Best Actor and Actress honors in the same year.
“AMERICAN GANGSTER” (2007) – Washington’s most successful film to date at the box office ($130M) paired him with Russell Crowe in Ridley Scott’s crime drama. Ruby Dee (who played Washington’s mom) earned a Best Supporting Actress SAG Award for a role that had less than ten minutes of screen time.
“FLIGHT” (2012) – “We’re gonna roll it.” That’s what Washington’s alcoholic airplane pilot, William “Whip” Whitaker, said as he inverted SouthJet Flight 227 in the Robert Zemeckis action/drama.
Plus there’s one film, set for a prime Christmas Day ’16 release, that could turn this list into Denzel’s Great Eight: “FENCES”. Washington both directs and stars in the theatrical adaptation of the award-winning stage play. Paramount is positioning the film, and Washington and Viola Davis’s performances, for Awards Season attention.