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What is Denzel Washington’s net worth?

Introduction

Denzel Washington is an American professional actor with an estimated net worth of $280 Million.

Washington has not only been one of the highest-paid actors throughout his four-decade career but also the most consistently paid. For the past twenty years, he has consistently commanded $20 million per film. Denzel’s movies have grossed $3.84 billion at the global box office, the most notable being American Gangster (2007), grossing $270 million and providing him with a $40 million payday.

Washington continues to earn high salaries in recent years through The Equalizer trilogy, which has paid him $60 million. In 2017, his estimated lifetime earnings surpassed $270 million, and with the addition of The Little Things (2021) and The Equalizer 3 (2023), that figure is now likely closer to $350 million.

Quick Facts

• Earned $60 million from The Equalizer Trilogy
• Paid twice for American Gangster, earning $40 million, after the project was initially scrapped
• Has consistently commanded $20 million per film
• Lifetime earnings are estimated between $350-$400 million

Early Life

Denzel Washington was born in Mount Vernon, New York, on the 28th of December, 1954.

The actor was raised in a primarily African-American area and watched many of his young peers get involved with drugs and crime. Luckily, his mother, a single parent with a low income, could send him to the Oakland Military Academy to educate and discipline him.

He later attended Fordham University and received a B.A. in Drama and Journalism. After graduating in 1977, he discovered his passion for acting and participated in the American Conservatory Theater. After spending a year at the theater, he returned to New York.

Career

Denzel Washington made his Hollywood debutin 1981 in the film alongside George Segal in the comedy-dramaCarbon Copy.However, his big break came in 1982 when he was cast in the NBC hospital drama series St. Elsewhere. While on that show, Washington continued appearing in films, including A Soldier’s Story, Hard Lessons, and Power.

In 1989, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor after appearing with Matthew Broderick in Glory.

Rising To Stardom

Denzel Washington was cast in the romantic drama Mississippi Masala in 1991 and landed one of his most acclaimed roles the following year. In 1992, Washington was cast as the title character in Malcolm X, and his performance earned him another Academy Award nomination. After that, he joined Tom Hanks in Philadelphia and Julia Roberts in The Pelican Brief, and both films were well received.

By the late 90s, Washington had no shortage of roles and was cast in The Preacher’s Wife, He Got Game, Fallen, and The Bone Collector. At the turn of the century, Washington won the Golden Globe for Best Actor for his work in the 1999 boxing film The Hurricane.

In 2001, he was cast opposite Ethan Hawke in Training Day and won another Academy Award for his performance. From 2003 to 2004, Washington appeared in several thrillers, including Out of Time, Man on Fire, and The Manchurian Candidate.

A World Famous Actor

In 2007, Denzel Washington co-starred with Russell Crowe in American Gangster and earned another Golden Globe nomination.

He appeared on Broadway in 2010 in a revival ofFencesand won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. That same year, he starred inThe Book of Eliand the action film Unstoppable, his fifth collaboration with director Tony Scott.

Washington joined Ryan Reynolds in Safe House in 2012 and then played opposite Mark Wahlberg in the action comedy 2 Guns.

In 2014, he was cast in The Equalizer and reprised his role in The Equalizer 2 (2018) and The Equalizer 3 (2023).He then starred in The Magnificent Seven with Chris Pratt anddirectedFences, which co-starredViola Davis and Stephen McKinley Henderson.

Starting in 2018, Washington starred as Theodore Hickman in the Broadway revival of The Iceman Cometh, which critics praised.

Washington’s Recent Projects

Denzel Washington produced the Netflix adaptation of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom in 2020 with Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis.The following year, he was cast alongside Rami Malek and Jared Leto in the thriller The Little Things, which debuted on HBO Max.

At the same time, he played the titular character in the film adaptation of Macbeth, earninghim another Academy Award nomination.Washington then directed the drama A Journal for Jordan, based on the memoir by Dana Canedy, though it received mixed reviews.

In 2023, he was cast in Ridley Scott’s historical epic Gladiator 2, a sequel to the 2000 film Gladiator.He was also cast in the upcoming film The Piano Lesson, a Netflix adaptation of August Wilson’s play.

Earnings & Salary

Acting Salaries

Washington has commanded a minimum of $10 million per movie for the last three decades and a minimum of $20 million for the last two. His earliest recorded salary was $7.5 million for 1995’s Virtuosity, and since then, it’s been nothing but 8-figure paydays.

In the late 1990s, Washington earned $12 million apiece for The Siege and Fallen and $10 million forThe Hurricane. By the mid-2000s, he was earning $20 million per film, including from the likes of Out of Time and Man on Fire. In 2006, Forbes listed Denzel as one of the highest-paid actors that year, earning an estimated $38 million, primarily from Deja Vu and Inside Man. While we don’t have the specific breakdown, we can assume this was a relatively even split. Forbes also listed him as the highest-paid actor in 2023, earning $24 million.

American Gangster Earnings

One of the more interesting salaries of Washington’s career was technically two paydays but from one movie. In 2004, he landed the lead role in American Gangster, for which he received an upfront salary, likely in the $20 million range. Before filming began, the project was scrapped, with Washington keeping the money due to signing a pay-or-play contract. He was paid again when it was resumed two years later, earning an estimated $40 million.

The Equalizer Trilogy Salaries

The Equalizer trilogy has produced some of Washington’s highest-grossing movies, and he was reportedly paid a $20 million salary per installment, totaling $60 million between 2014 and 2023.

The Little Things Compensation

According to a 2021 Variety article, Washington earned $40 million from The Little Things. He was initially set to receive an upfront salary for the film plus an additional percentage of the backend profits. However, Warner Bros. decided to debut all their movies during the pandemic on HBO Max and in theaters at the same time, knowing that box office numbers would be significantly lower than usual. Denzel was paid a reported $40 million to compensate for the low backend.

Estimated Net Worth

In 2024, Denzel Washington’s net worth is roughly $280 Million.

Highest-Grossing Movies

Washington typically performs in R-rated movies, so while $270 million at the box office for 2007’s American Gangster might seem low, it’s pretty impressive. Denzel was most active in the 90s and 2000s, with most of his top ten box office hits produced in that period.

This includes 1993’s Philadelphia and The Pelican Brief, grossing $207 million and $195 million, respectively. Another good year for Washington was in 2006, with Inside Man and Deja Vu grossing $186 million and $181 million at the global box office.

His most successful franchise was The Equalizer trilogy, which has consistently performed well. All three movies are in his top ten highest-grossing. They earned nearly identical amounts at the box office and remain his fifth, sixth, and seventh highest-grossing films of all time.

Here’s a complete list of Denzel Washington’s ten highest-grossing movies:

1. American Gangster – $270 Million (2007)
2. Safe House – $208 Million (2012)
3. Philadelphia – $207 Million (1993)
4. The Pelican Brief – $195 Million (1993)
5. The Equalizer – $192 Million (2014)
6. The Equalizer 3 – $191 Million (2023)
7. The Equalizer 2 – $190 Million (2018)
8. Inside Man – $186 Million (2006)
9. Deja Vu – $181 Million (2006)
10. Unstoppable – $168 Million (2010)

Favorite Quotes from Denzel Washington

“You pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too. That’s a part of it.” – Denzel Washington

“My mother never gave up on me. I messed up in school so much they were sending me home, but my mother sent me right back.” – Denzel Washington

“Man gives you the award but God gives you the reward.” – Denzel Washington

“I never really had the classic struggle. I had faith.” – Denzel Washington

“If I am a cup maker, I’m interested in making the best cup I possibly can. My effort goes into that cup, not what people think about it.” – Denzel Washington

“I say luck is when an opportunity comes along and you’re prepared for it.” – Denzel Washington

“The chances you take, the people you meet, the people you love, the faith that you have. That’s what’s going to define you.” – Denzel Washington

“Acting is just a way of making a living, the family is life.” – Denzel Washington

View our larger collection of the best Denzel Washington quotes!

Summary

Denzel Washington is a phenomenal actor who has delivered many memorable performances.

Despite his background, He pushed himself and fulfilled his dream of becoming a world-famous actor.

What do you think about Denzel Washington’s net worth? Leave a comment below.