All 9 Oscar-Nominated Denzel Washington Roles, Ranked Worst To Best

Although Denzel Washington‘s career is full of impressive performances, nine Academy Award-nominated roles stand apart from the rest. Following his first nomination in 1987’s Cry Freedom, Washington’s career has been punctuated by frequent recognition from the Academy – with two of the nine nominations resulting in wins. However, while it would be easy to assume that Washington’s Oscar-winning roles rank as his best, the truth is actually much more complicated.

One of the many things that marks Denzel Washington out as an actor is the diversity of the roles he takes on. His Oscar nominations, for example, encompass everything from biopics (such as Cry Freedom and Malcolm X), to gritty crime thrillers like Antoine Fuqua’s Training Day. In many cases, Washington uses his skills to explore the inherent light and dark within everyone, creating complex, nuanced characters whose motivations aren’t always clear-cut. Yet while every Denzel Washington Oscar-nominated performance is worthy of recognition, some are more impressive than others.

9 Flight (2012)

A complex portrait of addiction

Like all of Denzel Washington’s Academy Award-nominated performances, Flight showcases the 69-year-old’s incredible versatility and on-screen magnetism. However, while there’s no doubt that Washington’s depiction of a man wrestling with inner demons is impressive and powerful, the source material arguably makes things easier for him than other, less explosive roles. As a result, Flight is perhaps Washington’s most straightforward Oscar-worthy role.

As William “Whip” Whitaker Sr., Washington expertly veers between a savior and an unhinged tragic hero, cracking under the pressure of the public eye. While nothing about acting of this caliber is easy, Whip’s personal issues provide clear points of dramatic interest for the audience, with the script creating as much of the drama as Washington himself. Although his performance is incredibly impressive, it arguably lacks the subtlety of other roles.

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8 Training Day (2001)

Washington creates a charismatic and dangerous villain

Training Day

Training Day

Director

Antoine Fuqua

Release Date

October 5, 2001

Runtime

122 minutes

is notable both for being one of Denzel Washington’s true villain roles and for securing him his second Academy Award – this time in the Best Actor category. And yet, despite these factors, his performance as Alonzo Davis is arguably not as complex as some of his other career high points. For this reason, it actually ranks below some more understated roles.

As Davis, Washington is a portrait of satanic temptation, laying out a corruptive path for Ethan Hawke’s fresh-faced trainee. He clearly relishes the part, delivering some of the movie’s most iconic lines (such as the infamous King Kong speech) with genuine glee. Yet while Davis remains one of Washington’s most beguiling characters to date, there is also a cartoonish quality to his villainy – not helped by the movie’s occasionally questionable script. While Washington elevates Training Day to new heights, his Oscar-winning performance is not his best.

7 Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017)

A riveting performance elevates a substandard drama

It is a testament to Denzel Washington’s skills that he is capable of creating something remarkable in what is otherwise a fairly mediocre environment. Roman J. Israel, Esq. holds an unimpressive 54% on Rotten Tomatoes and was criticized for its pacing and muddled plot. However, despite these difficult circumstances, Denzel Washington still manages to turn the titular protagonist into a magnetic screen presence.

Playing a civil rights lawyer, Washington perfectly captures the conflict at the heart of the character, going through one of the most expansive arcs of any of his Oscar-nominated roles. At various points, Israel changes from a diligent behind-the-scenes worker to a corrupted and downcast conspirator – a journey that would be difficult for any actor to pull off. Roman J. Israel, Esq. may have its drawbacks, but Washington’s performance is undoubtedly a highlight.

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6 Cry Freedom (1987)

Denzel Washington’s first Academy Award nomination

Cry Freedom (1987)

Director

Richard Attenborough

Release Date

November 6, 1987

Cast

Kevin Kline , Denzel Washington , Penelope Wilton , Kate Hardie , John Matshikiza

Runtime

157 Minutes

Washington’s first Oscar-nominated role, Cry Freedom also represents one of the actor’s most atypical performances. As his career has developed, Washington has arguably become best known for playing domineering leading men, more often than not dominating the limelight and stealing most scenes he’s in. In Cry Freedom, however, the actor has the perfect opportunity to showcase his subtlety.

As Steve Biko, Washington is simultaneously soft-spoken, determined, commanding, authoritative, and humble – a contradictory cocktail of character traits that requires real skill to balance. His performance helps bring the South Africa-set legal drama to life, providing a focal point for the film’s central conflict between oppression and the fight for liberty. Despite coming early in his career, Cry Freedom is a real point of difference for Washington.

5 The Tragedy Of Macbeth (2021)

Washington helps elevate an eerie contemporary Shakespeare adaptation

The Tragedy of Macbeth

Joel Coen presents The Tragedy of Macbeth, a film based on the classic play written by William Shakespeare, starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand. The film retells the story of Macbeth, which entails ambitious goals that result in a usurpers plot and murder that shakes the kingdom to its core.

Director

Joel Coen

Release Date

December 25, 2021

Cast

Frances McDormand , Harry Melling , Corey Hawkins , Bertie Carvel , Brendan Gleeson , Moses Ingram , Alex Hassell , Denzel Washington , Kathryn Hunter

Runtime

105 minutes

Although Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth is far from the only adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic story, Washington’s performance helps make the movie one of the most successful. As the ambitious and murderous monarch, the actor is the embodiment of ruthless hubris – vying to keep his throne by any means necessary. Yet within this context, Washington also displays sorrow, uncertainty, and despair, making Macbeth a surprisingly sympathetic figure – for all his villainy.

The strengths of Washington’s performance are highlighted by numerous other accolades, beyond an Academy Award nod. He was also nominated for Golden Globe, AACTA, Critics Choice, and Screen Actors Guild awards in the Best Actor category. Coupled with the general acclaim enjoyed by the movie itself, The Tragedy of Macbeth ranks as a career highlight.

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4 Fences (2016)

Denzel Washington and Viola Davis bring Broadway to the big screen

Fences

Release Date

December 25, 2016

Cast

Mykelti Williamson , Stephen Henderson , Russell Hornsby , Denzel Washington , Christopher Mele , Saniyya Sidney , Viola Davis , Jovan Adepo

Runtime

139 Minutes

Reprising their roles from the Tony Award-winning play of the same name, both Denzel Washington and Viola Davis prove that – despite the material’s theatrical origins – Fences‘ story is well worthy of cinematic treatment. Following the successful revival of the Pulitzer Prize-winning 80s play in 2010, Washington personally campaigned for a movie version after decades of failed attempts. The result is one of the most powerful dramas in the actor’s resume.

As Troy Maxson, Washington is weighed down by the pressures of suburban life, frustrated by his personal failings, and flawed to the point of losing those closest to him. Yet through all this, he remains an empathetic presence, whose problems are as much a reflection of wider society as they are his individual circumstances. While Washington’s previous involvement in the play makes Fences less revelatory than it might have been, his performance is a powerful reminder of his skill as an actor.

3 Glory (1989)

A historical drama made more powerful by stellar performances

Glory (1989)

Director

Edward Zwick

Release Date

December 15, 1989

Runtime

122 Minutes

While Glory would rank as an impressive cinematic achievement without Washington’s involvement, his performance as Private Silas Trip transforms the movie from an effective war drama to major landmark in the history of Civil War movies. As Trip, Washington is the tragic embodiment of the stakes involved in the fight. A former slave, he is haunted by his past and skeptical of the future the Union forces can deliver. In a movie that could easily become mawkish, he is a grounding presence that makes the story become immediately more human.

Among the many highlights from Washington’s Glory performance is an emotional speech that he delivers on the eve of battle. Where similar soliloquies can be over-the-top and unrealistic, Washington’s is filled with authenticity, complexity, and humanity. Considering his effectiveness in delivering many of Glory‘s most powerful moments, it’s no surprise that the movie earned Washington his first Oscar.

2 The Hurricane (1999)

An underrated biopic with a towering central performance

Although many Denzel Washington movies have made use of the actor’s impressive physicality, The Hurricane takes things to a whole new level. As Rubin “The Hurricane” Carter, the actor is electric in the movie’s fight sequences. But it is the combination of his physical power and emotional turmoil and vulnerability that makes him such a potent screen presence – and the film as a whole especially powerful.

Wrongly convicted of a triple homicide, Carter finds himself imprisoned after a gross miscarriage of justice. While the film ultimately ends on a positive note, it effectively explores the juxtaposition between Carter’s desire to fight and his despair at what’s been done to him. Balancing these two contradictions, without ever falling into melodrama, Washington succeeds in transforming The Hurricane into an unconventional and uplifting sports movie.

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1 Malcolm X (1992)

A confluence of Denzel Washington’s greatest strengths as an actor

Every Denzel Washington performance showcases aspects of the actor’s skill. Whether it’s his dangerous charm in Training Day, his quiet rage in The Hurricane, or his quiet authority in Cry Freedom, he is capable of adapting to almost any script and story. What makes his performance as Malcolm X in Spike Lee’s seminal biographical epic, however, is the way it seemingly distills everything that makes Washington such a success.

From his roguish charisma in the movie’s early scenes to his dangerous and passionate rhetoric as the film progresses, Malcolm X exemplifies all Washington’s greatest strengths. Factoring in the pressure that comes with playing one of the most significant and legendary figures in American history, his ability to play the part so effortlessly is nothing short of astonishing. Although he missed out on the Academy Award (controversially beaten by Al Pacino for Scent of a Woman), Malcolm X remains the best performance of Denzel Washington‘s career.