-Date of Birth: December, 28th 1954

 

-Place of Birth: Mount Vernon, New York

 

-Father of actor John David Washington

 

-Enrolled at Fordham UNiversity intent on a career in journalism. However, he caught the acting bug while appearing in student drama productions and upon graduation he moved to San Francisco and enrolled at the American Conservatory Theater.

 

-He left the theater after only one year to seek work as an actor.

 

-He made his first big screen appearance in Carbon Copy (1981) with George Segal.

 

-In 1989 he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Tripp, the runaway slave in Ed Swick's powerful historical masterpiece Glory.

 

-Throughtout the 90s Washington starred in many big budget films such as The Pelican Breif, Philadelphia, Crimson Tide, The Preachers Wife,  and Courage Under Fire.

 

-Currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and their four children.

 

-Made his debut as a director in 2002 with The Antwone Fisher Story.