Washington (born on December 28, 1954) is a celebrated American actor, producer, and filmmaker. Famed for his dramatic roles in film and theater, he is widely regarded as one of the best actors of his generation, with a declaration from The New York Times naming him the best actor of the 21st century in the year 2020. Over his career he has received several accolades, including two Oscars, three Golden Globes, a SAG Award, and a Tony Award as well as nominations for Emmys and a Grammy. Washington has been honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award (2016), 2019 AFI Life Achievement Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2022). After training at the American Conservatory Theater, he started his acting career in theater, starring in off-Broadway shows. He was first recognized widely in the NBC drama *St. Elsewhere* (from 1982 to 1988), and in the war film *A Soldier's Story* (in 1984). He won two Academy Awards, his first for Supporting Actor for playing an American Civil War soldier in the war drama *Glory* (1989) and his second for the role of Best Actor for playing a corrupt police officer in the crime thriller *Training Day* (in 2001). He was received Oscar nominations for his performances in *Cry Freedom* (released in 1987), *Malcolm X* (released in 1992), *The Hurricane* (1999), *Flight* (released in 2012), *Fences* (2016), *Roman J. Israel, Esq.* (2017), and *The Tragedy of Macbeth* (from 2021). A prominent leading man, Washington appeared in movies including *Mo' Better Blues* (released in 1990), *Mississippi Masala* (1991), *Philadelphia* (1993), *Courage Under Fire* (from 1996), *Remember the Titans* (in 2000), *Man on Fire* (2004), *Inside Man* (released in 2006), *American Gangster* (released in 2007), and the *Equalizer* trilogy (released from 2014 to 2023). Washington directed and starred in the films *Antwone Fisher* (in 2002), *The Great Debaters* (in 2007), and *Fences* (2016). In live theater, he has performed in productions like *Coriolanus* (1979) and *The Tragedy of Richard III* (1990) at The Public Theater. He made his Broadway debut in the Ron Milner play *Checkmates* (1988). He won the Tony Award for Best Actor on Broadway for his role as a disillusioned working-class father in the Broadway revival of the play *Fences* by August Wilson (released in 2010). He has also appeared in the Broadway revivals of William Shakespeare's *Julius Caesar* (2005), Lorraine Hansberry's play *A Raisin in the Sun* (2014), and Eugene O'Neill's play *The Iceman Cometh* (2018).