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Few actors have defined American cinema the way Denzel Washington has. For more than four decades, he’s commanded the screen with performances that are as magnetic as they are versatile, from righteous heroes to deeply flawed anti-heroes, from Shakespearean tragedy to street-level grit.
With his upcoming fifth collaboration with Spike Lee, Highest Washington once again reminds us why his name has become synonymous with excellence. The two have built a creative partnership that has produced some of the most enduring films of the past 30 years, and their latest film Highest 2 Lowest only reinforces what we already know: there’s no one quite like Denzel.
To celebrate his new chapter with Lee and to honor his remarkable career, our staff came together to share our personal picks for our favorite Denzel Washington performances. Not a definitive ranking, but a conversation, a chance to revisit the roles that shaped us, moved us, and reminded us just how compelling an actor he is.
LB: "Mo' Betta Blues" is my all-time favorite Denzel Washington movie (Spike Lee Joint) for multiple reasons. First, when I was introduced to the movie, I was a trumpet player in the Morehouse College House of Funk Marching Band, and we learned the title song to start the tradition of ending all of our games with it. Of course, Spike Lee being a Morehouse alum made the song and tradition even more impactful to my experience in the band. But then I saw the movie, and it stuck with me ever since. Denzel Washington as "Bleek Gilliam" is a professional trumpet player who spends his nights playing the jazz clubs of New York alongside saxophonist "Shadow Henderson" (Wesley Snipes). The movie is a great tale of ego, hubris, success, and love. The lesson I received from the movie and carry till this day is to never let your hunger for success overshadow your character and ability to love those who love you. Also, I would argue it's Denzel's best acting performance due to this one fact: every valve (button) Denzel hits when "playing" a note in the movie is the correct valve. It shows Denzel's attention to detail and authenticity as an actor.
LB: Malcolm X is my second favorite Denzel Washington movie (Spike Lee Joint) for a multitude of reasons, but its storytelling is top tier. It is also the best biopic of a civil rights leader ever created, in my opinion. The authenticity and historical accuracy of the characters' image, set design, wardrobe, music, and speech puts it in an elite tier of Black biopics ever created. This tier includes "The Jacksons: An American Dream," "The Temptations," "The Five Heartbeats" (though fictional), and "What's Love Got to Do with It." Honestly, the only civil rights biopic that comes close to Malcolm X is the Fred Hampton biopic "Judas and the Black Messiah," starring Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield, directed by Shaka King, Ryan Coogler, and Charles King.
CR: I just want to add that this may be the best biopic ever. It’s one of those films where it was just perfectly casted, let alone for a political figure. He’s most famous for this role and for good reason. From Malcom’s mannerisms, personality, and cadences, he was undeniably convincing. Denzel just shows that he’s enviable, compelling and knows how to embody a character.
DB:Flight doesn't come to mind for a lot of people, but for me it was a great story we hadn't seen before. First of all, a Black man as a pilot is not a common occurrence, let alone portrayed in a movie. But to see him play this character of "Whip" who was relatable with his alcohol and cocaine addiction, becomes a hero, then judged while desperately fighting the addiction, truly shows the versatility of Denzel as an actor. No surprise it was nominated for best actor and best original screenplay. It's not a true story, but it does draw inspiration from the 2000 crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261, where the pilot performed several mid-air moves to save lives.
DB: Based on the '80s TV show with the same title, Denzel took it to another level as a retired marine and ex-DEA officer who was forced back into action. Living a normal life at a hardware store, he happens to befriend a teenage sex worker who was trafficked by the Russian mob. Denzel learns the trafficking is part of a larger crime syndicate led by a Russian oligarch. Denzel reluctantly comes back to action, doing what vigilantes do by killing anybody in his way, blowing up oil tankers and being an overall badass! For anybody like me that as a kid wished to be a detective, FBI or CIA agent, this movie let us all visualize our fantasies seeing a Black hero do so much damage. This 2014 release was the precursor to part 2 that was released in 2018 and part 3 in 2023.
CR: In 2010, both Denzel Washington and Viola Davis won Tonys for their Broadway performance in the revival of August Wilson’s play Fences, a riveting yet daunting story capturing the essence of black life in the 1950s. They would soon reprise their roles for a more directorial view for the big screen in 2016 with impeccable acting, really bringing these characters to life. Washington takes the role of Troy Maxson, a former ballplayer now, sanitation worker in Pittsburgh whose bitterness is fueled by missed opportunities and racial injustice.
We’ve seen Denzel play villains before but there’s a stark contrast where he breathes new life into this character by making it painstakingly human. Troy’s harshness towards his son, his inability to express love without control, mirrors the complicated relationships many of us have seen in our own lives. At times it can hit a little too home because he’s a character we see in our everyday lives, an individual who sacrificed dreams for survival, the father who loves feels like discipline, the embodiment of resentment that lingers in so many households.
Washington taps into that pain and makes it unforgettable.
CR: Denzel is no stranger to theater, as he prides himself on partaking in such an unforgiving and vulnerable craft where every word and gesture must land in real time. Stage plays and Broadway is what helped mold the Oscar-winning actor we know today. It’s always fascinating to see these renowned actors pick up Shakespearean roles, where it takes them into another place. Denzel’s role here showcases his versatility in ways his other roles do not. Not to say, he doesn’t bring these characters to life, but in A24’s reimagining of Macbeth, it puts Denzel in a different element where those Denzel mannerisms that we see take place in many of his roles, don’t show up here - you know the charismatic and commanding warmth, we know him for.
Washington’s role in Tragedy of Macbeth is one of the true standouts of his career, although it remains underrated in his filmography. Director Coen’s stylistic choice of making the film into Black and white adaptation enhances the dramatic tension and emotional attachment to these characters.Denzel’s role as Macbeth is such a fun watch, as he takes those cadences from Training Day into this role and it’s captivating to say the least.
CR: It’s Training Day. Seriously, what more is there to say? It’s the film that won Washington’s second Oscar and perhaps what turned Denzel into Denzel Washington that we know today. Washington takes on the role as Alonzo Harris, a street-smart veteran LAPD cop, who partners up with rookie Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawkes). At first, it seems that Harris was teaching the young bull a few things about patrolling the streets of LA, in the form of a hazing ritual but things become uncertain as the movie progresses.
Alonzo is unpredictable, part mentor, definitely a crooked cop, where we don’t understand his true intentions right away. That’s what makes this performance riveting. He kept us on edge, wondering where he’s taking us next, while charming us on this hell of a rollercoaster ride through LA. Before this role, Denzel played more positive-noble roles so seeing that contrast, you notice he was enjoying this moment. He’s great at playing a villain while making them human, and he should do this more.
Training Day a quintessential film in his career, crowned by one of the most famous lines in cinema history: “King Kong Aint Got Shit On Me!” And by the way, this may be the best film set entirely within 24-hours.
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