Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. has had one of the most enduring careers in Hollywood - making him one of the highest paid with a net worth of $280 million. Throughout his career, spanning over four decades, Washington has received numerous accolades. The 67-year-old is the proud recipient of a Tony, two Academy Awards and three Golden Globes. In 2022, Washington received the Presidential Medal of Freedom bestowed upon him by President Joe Biden.Washington graduated from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, California. But unlike some of its illustrious alumni, Washington does not prescribe to the method acting technique. Russian actor and director Konstantin Stanislavski developed the method that seeks to encourage sincere and expressive performances by embodying the character.For example, actor Jared Leto gained almost 70 pounds for his role in the Suicide Squad and ended up with gout. Washington acted alongside Leto in the film The Little Things. Washington admitted that he wouldn’t have the time or patience to deal with Leto when it came to getting into character on set. “He didn’t do any of that with me. Nah. He’d have been paid a visit. That wouldn’t happen," the Training Day actor said in an interview.Denzel Washington has a very different approach to getting into his character. The dad-of-four has been married to wife and fellow actor Pauletta for almost 40 years. According to Denzel, Pauletta has no problem standing in to help her man if he needs his tear ducts to open during a scene...
Denzel Washington And Pauletta Washington Met On Set
Denzel Washington and wife Pauletta have been married for nearly four decades, which by Hollywood standards is some feat. The couple met on the set of the 1977 TV movie Wilma, which was actually Denzel's first-ever on-screen acting role. “The first movie I ever did — TV movie — was about Wilma Rudolph and I played Wilma Rudolph’s boyfriend,” Denzel Washington said on Live with Kelly and Ryan in 2018. “Pauletta was one of the track stars,” he said. “I met her then, but I didn’t meet her then. I saw her then."
Months later, Denzel first properly met Pauletta. She later told Oprah Winfrey in 1996: “A mutual friend of ours, who was also in the film, had given a party. And Denzel and his friends came at the very end of the party," she explained. “We spoke again. We were reintroduced. The next night, I attended a play. I got there late, so I snuck in and just sat down. I didn’t look at who was around me, then at intermission, the lights came up, and we were sitting next to each other."
Denzel joked that Pauletta had actually planned to meet him at the play: “I had talked at that party, I talked about going to see a play. I went to see the play and at intermission the lights came up and she was sitting [there]. She said she just happened to go see the play, but… I’m getting in trouble as I speak!”
Denzel Washington Wife 'Slaps Him' On Set
In an interview with Variety, Denzel Washington was asked to play a quick answer game - revealing that he preferred his part in Magnificent Seven over his Oscar-winning performance in Training Day. When asks how he pulls of his famous crying scenes, Denzel joked: "My wife stands off camera and she slaps the taste out of my mouth right on action.”
He hilariously added: “They say 'rolling' and she starts winding up, speed camera. I lift my chin up like that and action [POW]. She slaps me I tear!” No, doubt Washington was having a little a giggle at his wife's expense!
Denzel Washington Proposed To His Wife Three Times
Speaking to Access Hollywood in 2013, Pauletta Washington revealed that Denzel proposed to her three times.
“Twice!” Denzel said, but Pauletta had the final word. “It was three times. I know with age sometimes things [go], the mind,” she joked. “I turned you down twice and the third time we did it.”
Denzel laughed: “You heard it here first: She turned me down, she said no. And since it was three times, that means she turned me down twice.”
The couple tied the knot in 1983. They have four children: John David, 38, is also an actor, most famous for his roles BlacKkKlansman and Malcolm and Marie. Katia, 34, graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts in 2010.
Malcolm, 31, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in film studies, while Olivia, 31, played a role in Lee Daniels's film The Butler.
In 1995, Pauletta and Denzel renewed their wedding vows in South Africa with the late Desmond Tutu officiating.