Should he win Best Actor for his performance in “Fences,” Denzel Washington will join an elite group of thespians who have triumphed three or more times at the Academy Awards for acting. As well, he would be the first African American to pull off this rare feat. Tour through our photo gallery to learn more about the Oscar histories for Ingrid Bergman, Walter Brennan, Daniel Day-Lewis, Katharine Hepburn, Jack Nicholson, and Meryl Streep.
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Washington directed himself in this big screen adaptation of August Wilson‘s Pulitzer Prize-winning play. He plays Troy, an African American father struggling to raise his family in 1950s Pittsburgh. The role already brought him a Tony Award for the 2010 Broadway revival, and he pulled off a surprise victory at the SAG Awards over frontrunner Casey Affleck (“Manchester by the Sea”). So the possibility of him adding a third Oscar to his shelf is getting better and better everyday.
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His two previous victories came for Best Supporting Actor in “Glory” (1989) and for Best Actor in “Training Day” (2001). He’s competed four additional times (his supporting role in “Cry, Freedom” in 1987 and his lead roles in “Malcolm X” in 1992, “The Hurricane” in 1999, and “Flight” in 2012). In addition to his Best Actor nomination, Washington also contends for Best Picture as one of the producers on “Fences.”
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