He’s the hero we admire, and he’s the villain that we condone. His roles have brought tears to our eyes, and they’ve filled our hearts with hope. He is Hollywood personified, but is Denzel Washington everything we thought he was? When figures emerge to speak from the shadows, perhaps we should start listening.
Childhood
Denzel Washington was born on December 28th, 1954 in Mount Vernon, New York. His mother worked at a beauty parlor while his father, Denzel Hayes Washington, Sr. was a preacher. Along with his older sister and younger brother, his childhood would seem like any other child’s.
Denzel, Denzel, Denzel
He got his name from his dad, who was actually named after the doctor who delivered him as a baby. There is a difference in the pronunciation of their names though. Denzel Senior is pronounced DEN-zel, whereas Junior’s is pronounced with an emphasis on the end, den-ZEL.