Turned down the role of Cinque in Amistad (1997).

In a Newsweek cover story about the biological basis of the perception of beauty, he was used as a key example in a scientific explanation why he is considered an extremely handsome man.

As of 2006, he is the most Oscar-winning (two) and most nominated (five) black actor/actress in Academy history.

Though his first theatrical film was a comedy (Carbon Copy (1981)), he has only done three more since. Has mentioned that he's always wanted to do a great one.

His daughter, Katia Washington, currently attends Yale University.

December 2007 - According to Forbes, for each dollar he got paid, his movies averaged $10 of gross income.

Ranked #59 on VH1's 100 Hottest Hotties

Denzel is named after his father who was in turn named after the doctor, Doctor Denzel, who had delivered him.

Met his wife Pauletta Washington in 1977 when both had small roles in the TV-movie Wilma (1977) (TV) (she was billed as Pauletta Pearson), the story of runner Wilma Rudolph. They wed five years later.

Has worked with both Fanning sisters. He worked with Dakota Fanning in Man on Fire (2004); he worked with (although did not have any scenes with) Elle Fanning in Deja Vu (2006).

Ranked #28 in Premiere's 2003 annual Power 100 List. Had ranked #40 in 2002.

Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world [1990]

Only the second actor of color (after Sidney Poitier) to win the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (for Training Day (2001)). Poitier received the honorary Academy Award that same year.

Is a spokesperson for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, having been a member of the Boys Club once himself.

Tom Hanks said working with Washington on Philadelphia (1993) was like "going to film school". Hanks said he learned more about acting by watching Denzel than from anyone else.

Attended Fordham University, receiving a B.A. in Journalism.

Has played two soldiers who have suffered traumatic, life-changing experiences while fighting in the 1991 Persian Gulf War: Lt. Col. Nathaniel Serling in Courage Under Fire (1996) and Maj. Ben Marco in The Manchurian Candidate (2004).

He was presented with the honorary degree Doctor of Humane Letters from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia on May 20, 2007.

Because of his pay-or-play deal on the doomed 2005 "American Gangster" project (which was to be directed by Antoine Fuqua), he was paid $20 million even though the film did not move ahead.

Claims his personal favorite performances are his works in Cry Freedom (1987), Glory (1989), Malcolm X (1992), and Training Day (2001).

Turned down Se7en (1995). He opted to do another detective thriller that year, Devil in a Blue Dress (1995).

First African-American actor to receive two Academy Awards

First studied Biology in hopes of becoming a doctor, then switched to Political Science then to a Journalism/Drama major in college.

Has worked with both Ridley Scott and Tony Scott. Ridley will direct him in the upcoming American Gangster (2007). He has worked with Ridley's brother, Tony, on three films, which are: Crimson Tide (1995), Man on Fire (2004), and Deja Vu (2006).

Named one of E!'s "top 20 entertainers of 2001."

He spent months on the beat with Washington Post reporters to prepare for The Pelican Brief.

In the early 1980s, years before he portrayed Malcolm X in the Spike Lee film Malcolm X (1992), Washington portrayed Malcolm in the off-Broadway production of "When the Chickens Came Home to Roost", at the Henry Street Theatre in NYC.

According to a 1995 Premiere magazine article, Denzel confronted director Quentin Tarantino when he visted the set of Crimson Tide (1995). Quentin had done an uncredited rewrite of the script. Denzel lambasted Tarantino about his use of racial slurs in his films. Tarantino got embarrassed and wanted to move the conversation to a more private area. Denzel said, "No, if were going to discuss it, let's discuss it now." Denzel later said he still felt that Quentin was "a fine artist".

Frequent collaborator of Spike Lee.

Almost every summer he and his family go to Italy on vacation.

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#77). [1995]

Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2002.

Son of Lennis Washington, a beautician and former Gospel singer.

In 2006, he donated $1 million to Save Africa's Children.

Good friends with actress Julia Roberts.

Cites star-athletes like Jim Brown and Gale Sayers as the role models of his youth.

Has worn some kind of military uniform in at least six of his films.

His father was a Pentecostal minister; his mother a beautician and former gospel singer. They divorced when he was 14.

At one point, was to star as Dr. Alex Cross in Kiss the Girls (1997), had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts.

Son, Malcolm, was named in honor of Malcolm X.

Often works with director Edward Zwick.

He and his family are members of the same church as actors Dwayne Winstead, Sy Richardson, Marvin Wright-Bey, and Fitz Houston.

Children: John David (b. July 28, 1984), Katia (b. 1987), and twins Malcolm and Olivia (b. 1991).

Chosen as People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive [1996]

When Washington won the Best Actor Oscar for Training Day (2001), Halle Berry won the Best Actress Oscar for Monster's Ball (2001), and Sidney Poitier won the Honorary award (2001), 2002 marked the first time in Academy Awards history that 3 African-Americans so dominated the Oscar ceremonies. [2002]

Is the second of three children.

Has two films on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time. They are: Glory (1989) at #31 and Philadelphia (1993) at #20.

Cousin is CBS anchorman Ukee Washington.

Supports charities such as the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, and the Gathering Place (an AIDS hospice).

To prepare for his attorney role in Philadelphia, he met with two lawyers who were about to become celebrities in their own right: Johnny Cochran and Carl Douglas.

He and his family visited the troops at Brook Army Medical Center, in San Antonio, Texas (BAMC). There are some buildings there called Fisher Houses. The Fisher House is a Hotel where soldiers' families can stay, for little or no charge, while their soldier is staying in the Hospital. BAMC has quite a few of these houses on base, but as you can imagine, they are almost filled most of the time. He was given a tour of one of the Fisher Houses and subsequent to his visit sent them one of the largest donations they've ever received.

When he was very young he was at a barber's shop with his mother and a nice old lady sitting in the corner asked his mother to write his full name down. When his mother asked why she said "Because he's going to entertain millions one day". His mother gave the old lady his name and it wasn't until later that they found out she was rumored to be some kind of local fortune teller.

Was awarded the title of "Police Chief for a Day" when he was a member of The Boys and Girls Club of America as a child. The photo was shown during his latest appearance on "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee" (1989).

His performance as Malcolm X in Malcolm X (1992) is ranked #17 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

1996 Harvard Foundation Award

To prepare for his role as boxer Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter in The Hurricane (1999), Washington worked out for a year with L.A. boxing trainer Terry Claybon.

For Courage Under Fire, he trained at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin in California, where he qualified on the M1A1 tank and the 120mm gun, participated in battle games and listened to audiotapes of tank battles in Desert Storm.

Premiere Magazine ranked him as #39 on a list of the Greatest Movie Stars of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005).

Son John David Washington recently signed as a running back with the St. Louis Rams (May 2006).

Voted as America's Favorite Movie Star in the 2006 and 2007 Harris Polls.

He is a big fan of the TV show "Monk" (2002). He requested Ted Levine to play a part in American Gangster (2007) because he was a fan of the series. He also worked with Tony Shalhoub in The Siege (1998/I).

Turned down the role of Detective David Mills in Se7en (1995).