Accomplished actor Denzel Washington, 63, will be the 47th American Film Institute (AFI) Life Achievement Award recipient, AFI announced on Oct. 5.
“Denzel Washington is an iconic leading man whose career spans five decades—an esteemed repertoire ranging from screen to stage, in works defined by his towering presence as heroic everymen, troubling antiheroes and real-life figures with complicated, often controversial histories,” AFI wrote in its
blog.
Washington has won two Oscar Awards, several Golden Globes, a Tony, and a SAG Award, among many other wins and nominations.
Some of his most popular movies include war drama “Glory” (1989) and crime thriller “Training Day,” (2001), which earned him the Oscars for best supporting actor and best actor. He was also given six other Oscar nominations for “Cry Freedom,” “The Hurricane,” “Flight,” “Roman J. Israel, Esq.,” “Fences,” and “Malcolm X.”
“As an actor, he stands tall as a heroic, stoic embodiment of the best in all of us, and he does so with heart, humanity and one of the brightest smiles to ever light up the screen,” Howard Stringer, chair of the AFI Board of Trustees, said in a
statement.
Washington’s top performances have also won him top dollars. He was
paid $40 million to star in “American Gangster” (2007), and $20 million in “2 Guns” (2013), “The Equalizer” (2014), and more.
The AFI Life Achievement Award was established in 1973 and is considered one of the highest honors in the entertainment industry. Clint Eastwood, Jane Fonda, Sean Connery, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, and George Clooney are some past honorees.
Washington will receive the award at a gala tribute in Los Angeles on June 6, 2019, and it will
broadcast on TNT.
If you enjoyed reading this article, please continue to read more stories here. Sign up for our free newsletters here. 
