Denzel Washington’s family

Denzel Washington is a popular actor, producer, and director, known for his performances in drama and action-packed films. He gained popularity from his breakthrough role in the TV show St. Elsewhere. His role in Glory (1989) earned him his 1st Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, marking a major achievement in his career. He later won two Best Actor Oscars for Training Day (2001) and Fences (2016).

He is best known for his work in Malcolm X (1992), Remember the Titans (2000), Man of Fire (2004), American Gangster (2007), Flight (2012), Fences (2016), Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017), The Equalizer trilogy (2014–2023), The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021), Gladiator II (2024), etc. He made his directorial debut with the film Antwone Fisher (2002).

Denzel Washington’s wife

Pauletta Washington is the wife of Denzel Washington. They met each other for the first time on the sets of his first film Wilma in 1977. They finally spoke to each other months later at a mutual friend’s party. In 2013, at the premiere of Denzel's film 2 Guns, in an interview with Access Hollywood, Pauletta shared that Denzel proposed to him 3 times and Denzel said, “She turned me down, she said no. And since it was three times, that means she turned me down twice." The couple eventually married in 1983 and have 4 children together.

Pauletta is a classically trained pianist and singer. She participated in piano competitions from the age of 10 and later studied at the North Carolina School of the Arts, The Juilliard School, and the University of North Texas. She also sang a song called It's In Your Eyes for Denzel’s film Philadelphia in 1993. She started her acting career by starring in Broadway plays, including Jesus Christ Superstar and Shakespeare's Cabaret.

She has worked in many TV shows and films, and her first on-screen role was in the film Wilma, where she met Denzel for the first time. From 2017 to 2019, she worked on the TV show She's Gotta Have It. In 2021, she played Aretha Franklin's grandmother in Genius: Aretha Franklin. She also continues to perform on Broadway in many different plays. She took a step back from acting and singing in the 1980s to take care of her children.

She is also a philanthropist and is one of the founding members of The Brain Trust of Cedars-Sinai. The organization spreads awareness and raises funds for research on brain tumors and the central nervous system.

Denzel Washington’s children

Denzel and Pauletta Washington have four children: John David (born in 1984), Katia (born in 1986), and twins Malcolm and Olivia (born in 1991). All of his children have careers in some form of entertainment. In an interview with The Guardian in 2010, Denzel talked about his children and said, “My children are good people. They are not perfect but they are generous and humble and kind. My wife did that."

John David Washington, their eldest son, had a brief career as a professional football and he later transitioned into acting. In an interview with People in 2018, Denzel talked about his son quitting football and said, “He's had I don't know how many concussions, a broken collar bone, a torn-up knee and Achilles [tendon]. No, I'm glad it's over." As an actor, John has worked in films like Ballers, Tenet, Malcolm & Marie, etc. He has also earned a Golden Globe nomination for his role in BlacKkKlansman in 2018.

Katia Washington, their 2nd child, graduated from Yale University in 2010. She works in the entertainment industry as a producer for Bron Studios and has produced films like Fences, Malcolm & Marie, Breaking, and Sharp Stick. Malcolm Washington, their second son, played basketball until university and studied film at the University of Pennsylvania. He works as a director and producer now. He made his directorial debut in 2024 with the film The Piano Lesson which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Olivia Washington, their 2nd daughter, graduated from Tisch School of the Arts in 2013 with a bachelor's degree in drama. She works as an actress and has worked in projects like Empire, Madoff and Mr. Robot, The Little Things, A Holiday in Harlem, and The Butler.

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