This Decade Is The Best In Denzel Washington’s 40+ Year Career

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Denzel Washington is widely considered one of the greatest actors of all time. For over 40 years, he’s delivered outstanding and impactful performances in a wide range of films. He’s a consistently popular star – his movies have earned nearly $5 billion worldwide – and he’s known for his talent and dedication to his craft, remaining as captivating today as he always has been.

Denzel Washington has starred in many beloved films, and fans often debate which is his best. Popular choices include classics like Glory, Malcolm X, Training Day, Fences, and The Tragedy of Macbeth. These films aren’t just critically acclaimed; they also showcase the different stages of his impressive five-decade career.

When considering Denzel Washington’s impressive career, the 1990s and 2000s stand out as his most successful periods. While he’s still working today, looking at his overall impact, popularity with audiences, and awards shows that these two decades are the strongest. Ultimately, only one can be considered his best.

The 1990s Established Denzel Washington As A Legitimate Box Office Draw

The 1990s were a turning point for Denzel Washington, solidifying his status as a popular Hollywood star. It was during this decade that he truly became a draw for moviegoers, with audiences actively seeking out his films.

Throughout the 1990s, he starred in several hugely successful films. Six of them earned over $100 million at the global box office: Philadelphia ($201M), The Pelican Brief ($187M), Crimson Tide ($159M), The Bone Collector ($151M), The Siege ($116M), and Courage Under Fire ($100M).

As a movie fan, I was looking at Denzel Washington’s filmography, and it’s amazing how much success he’s had! In the ’90s alone, his movies brought in around $741 million domestically and $1.2 billion worldwide. But surprisingly, that wasn’t even his most profitable decade! His films in the 2010s earned $839 million domestically and $1.44 billion worldwide, and the 2000s were even bigger with $847 million domestically and $1.46 billion globally. It just shows you how consistently popular he’s been for years.

As a film buff, when I really look at Denzel Washington’s box office numbers, the 90s stand out as his strongest decade. When you adjust for inflation, his domestic total shoots up to $1.9 billion in the 90s – that’s even better than the $1.5 billion he earned in the 2000s! What makes it really impressive is that he achieved this mostly with powerful dramas and thrillers, not the big-budget action films he became known for later on.

The 1990s Are Formative For Denzel Washington’s Oscar History

Denzel Washington didn’t just become a major movie star in the 1990s – he also became a regular at the Academy Awards. He actually won his first Oscar that decade, receiving the Best Supporting Actor award for Glory in 1990, even though the movie came out in late 1989.

Despite a strong start to his career, Denzel Washington only received two Oscar nominations for films released in the 1990s: Malcolm X and The Hurricane (recognized at the 2000 awards show, though released in 1999). He didn’t win either award, so he didn’t secure an Oscar during that decade.

It’s pretty strange when you consider that Malcolm X features what many believe to be the best performance of Denzel Washington’s career. Despite this, Al Pacino won Best Actor for Scent of a Woman, a decision Spike Lee, the director of Malcolm X, has called unfair and a way for Oscar voters to finally give Pacino an award after overlooking him in the past.

Despite not winning an Oscar for his portrayal of human rights activist Malcolm X, the film remains a defining achievement for Denzel Washington. It’s often considered one of his most memorable and powerful performances. Interestingly, the film may be even more appreciated today because it didn’t receive the awards recognition it deserved initially. Denzel Washington himself later explained to Ethan Hawke that the lack of an Oscar win was actually a positive thing.

This likely explains why Denzel Washington became a consistently popular choice for awards over the years. By the end of the 1990s, he had already been nominated for an Oscar three times and won once. In the 2000s, his performance in Training Day earned him another nomination and ultimately, his second Oscar win. He continued to receive critical acclaim in the following decades, with three Best Actor nominations (and one for Best Picture) in the 2010s, and another nomination so far in the 2020s.

Looking back at Denzel Washington’s career, while he had some amazing roles before, the 90s were huge for him with the Academy. That’s really where he started building the reputation and the awards momentum that would eventually lead to him becoming one of the most frequently nominated actors of all time. It feels like everything clicked for him during that decade.

The 1990s Influenced The Rest Of Denzel Washington’s Career

The 1990s were a great time for Denzel Washington because his successful movies paved the way for future opportunities. He became a reliable lead actor who could both draw large audiences and also star in films that were likely to be recognized with awards.

A defining feature of Denzel Washington’s 1990s was the start of his important working relationships with directors Spike Lee and Tony Scott. He collaborated with Lee on three films during the decade—Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, and He Got Game—and these projects were crucial for both of their careers, paving the way for future successes like 2006’s Inside Man.

Although both actors had successful careers, Tony Scott became a frequent collaborator with Denzel Washington after they first worked together on Crimson Tide in 1995. Over the next decade, they made three more films together—Man on Fire, Déjà Vu, and The Taking of Pelham 123—and reunited for a final project, Unstoppable, in 2010. This successful partnership likely wouldn’t have happened if their initial collaboration hadn’t gone well.

The 1990s were undoubtedly Denzel Washington’s most successful years. His films did incredibly well in theaters, he received numerous awards, and he strengthened his connections in Hollywood and with fans, setting the stage for continued success in the 2000s.

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2026-02-03 23:51