Densel Washington

Cool, calm and collected, Denzel Washington has always been a model of poise. It is almost impossible to envision him out of control or nervous; he exudes such confidence. It is also impossible to see his work and not notice him and take him seriously.

Before making his meteoric rise to Hollywood stardom, Denzel grew up watching his father, a minister, perform weekly at church. Young Denzel thrilled at the sight of his dad working the audience and began to nurture dreams of showmanship himself. Washington was born in Mount Vernon, New York, on December 28th, 1954. His mother was a hairdresser and during the week Denzel would hang around there, listening to the gossip and the storytelling. The mix of his dad's Sunday showmanship and his mom's salon stories would eventually form the basis for Denzel's dreams of acting and performance.

At age 14, things took a turn for the worse in the Washingtons' marriage. Denzel and his older sister were sent away to a private boarding school so that they wouldn't be exposed to the ongoing problems, and his parents would eventually divorce. After high school was over, Denzel enrolled at New York's Fordham University, where he studied Journalism. Washington had not given up on his dreams though, and found time to perform in drama productions throughout his stay at the school. He received his Bachelor of Arts in 1977, and then continued an education in Theater in San Francisco. Denzel won a scholarship to the American Conservatory Theater, at which he fine tuned his acting abilities.