Denzel Washington is more than just a legendary actor; he’s a source of profound wisdom and inspiration. His words resonate deeply, offering guidance and motivation to people from all walks of life. In this blog post, we’re sharing some of the most unforgettable Denzel Washington quotes that have inspired so many. Whether you’re looking for a boost in your career, personal growth, or just a bit of daily motivation, these Denzel Washington quotes are sure to uplift and inspire you. Let’s explore the powerful messages behind his timeless words together.
- Goals on the road to achievement cannot be achieved without discipline and consistency. – Denzel Washington
- Nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks. Fall forward. Every failed experiment is one step closer to success. – Denzel Washington
- The only reason I’m acting in films I direct is to get the money to make them, quite frankly, it’s not what I’m interested in doing. – 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
- I work hard for the audience. It’s entertainment. I don’t need validation. – Denzel Washington
- If you’re smart, you’ll have a back-up plan. If you don’t, you’ll succeed. – Denzel Washington
- I’ve always seen it to be a privilege to make movies. It’s a really expensive, creative medium. – Denzel Washington
- Have dreams, but have goals. Life goals. Monthly goals. Yearly goals. Daily goals. I try to give myself a goal every day. – Denzel Washington
- The lessons I learned in Sunday School have kept me on track. – Denzel Washington
- There are films that I don’t like, and then someone will come up to me and say it’s their favorite movie. The movies belong to the people. You make them and you put them out. For me, I love the process of making films. For me, my favorite film is always my next one. – Denzel Washington
- If you don’t fail, you’re not even trying. – Denzel Washington
- Hate put me in prison. Love’s gonna bust me out. – Denzel Washington
- I love research and being educated. It’s a great job being able to step into all kinds of professions and into other people’s shoes. – Denzel Washington
- I don’t look back, no. Maybe when I’m older; people say, ‘What’s your favorite film?’ I say, ‘My next one.’ I’m not interested in sitting around; I just don’t, never have. – Denzel Washington
- In my humble opinion, in the nuclear world, the true enemy is war itself. – Denzel Washington
- That’s what I tell young actors. You don’t have to compromise. Go do some theater and wait for an appropriate role. – Denzel Washington
- My mother used to tell me: You gotta smile more. Because if you don’t smile, the way you look at people, they’ll think you’re mad at them. – Denzel Washington
- I’m not a film buff. I don’t watch a lot of movies. – Denzel Washington
- I like talking. I like acting. – Denzel Washington
- For whatever reason, God has blessed me with the ability, put me in a position to make these leaps and bounds. I’m fulfilling my part of the bargain, which is to give back and be a positive influence on others. – Denzel Washington
- When my oldest boy was about 14, I started to talk to him about some of the mistakes I made in life, just to put a few dents in that shiny armor. – Denzel Washington
- If you don’t trust the pilot, don’t go. – Denzel Washington
- I think a role model is a mentor – someone you see on a daily basis, and you learn from them. – 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
- You have to grab moments when they happen. I like to improvise and ad lib. – Denzel Washington
- You have to work at it. Everyday! You have to plan. You’ve heard the saying, ‘We don’t plan to fail, we fail to plan.’ – Denzel Washington
- There’s racism everywhere. – Denzel Washington
- One of the most important lessons in life is to remember to have an attitude of gratitude. – Denzel Washington
- There’s things that I can do as an actor that I couldn’t do in any other form of life and I’ve got a strange personality. But film requires strange people, so I’ve got a nice comfy home. – Denzel Washington
- Talent comes from God. If you have been given some, then value it, cultivate it, work and develop it. – Denzel Washington
- If you take the time and put in the effort to write your own material and absolutely refuse to be denied the right to make your film it is difficult whatever color you are. – Denzel Washington
- I had a lot of success from the start. I never really was tested for long periods of time. I got my first professional job while I was a senior in college. I signed with the William Morris Agency before I graduated. – Denzel Washington
- A film is just like a muffin. You make it. You put it on the table. One person might say, Oh, I don’t like it. One might say it’s the best muffin ever made. One might say it’s an awful muffin. It’s hard for me to say. It’s for me to make the muffin. – Denzel Washington
- My ultimate life dream project is my kids. My family. My mother never gave up one me. I messed up in school so much they were sending me home, but my mother sent me right back. – Denzel Washington
- Hard work, works! Working really hard is what successful people do. – Denzel Washington
- I fought the good fight, I finished the race, I kept the faith. – Denzel Washington
- We’ve all received our share of good fortune, so that’s my definition of much. A single blessing is all the bounty in the world, and if you’ve been blessed at all you’re meant to pass some of that on. You’re meant to set a positive example. That’s our responsibility. – Denzel Washington
- Thank God in advance for what’s already yours. – Denzel Washington
- Bad guys need love too. – Denzel Washington
- I’m very proud to be black, but black is not all I am. That’s my cultural historical background, my genetic makeup, but it’s not all of who I am nor is it the basis from which I answer every question. – Denzel Washington
- I think that if there can be considered racism it’s to do with the lack of opportunities for writers and producers and the people behind the camera. – Denzel Washington
- I have a new respect for filmmakers, that’s for sure, ’cause it’s not easy. If I’m allowed to, I’ll be directing for the rest of my life. I love the process. – Denzel Washington
- Put God first in everything you do. – Denzel Washington
- I was a garbage man. I worked the back of the truck. 22 square blocks! That’s HARD! There’s nothing we do in the movies that is hard. – Denzel Washington
- If you don’t trust the pilot, don’t go. I’d be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I’d been given. I’d be more frightened by procrastination and laziness. – Denzel Washington
- Branding for an actor is being good, not being known. – Denzel Washington
- I’m a logic monster, if things don’t make sense I gotta make sense of them. – Denzel Washington
- I believe in God. I don’t fear man, I fear God. – Denzel Washington
- Writing is a weapon and it’s more powerful than a fist could ever be. – Denzel Washington
- I read the Bible every day. – Denzel Washington
- Michelle Pfeiffer hasn’t been finding a lot of work recently because she doesn’t like what a woman her age is offered. That’s a real double standard. You get Sean Connery, who gets older and older, still playing opposite young ladies, but it doesn’t work the other way around. – Denzel Washington
- A sociopath will do anything to win. Anything. – Denzel Washington
- I’ve worked with children all my life. – Denzel Washington
- I always say the time to worry about flying is when you’re on the ground. If you don’t trust the captain, don’t go. – Denzel Washington
- Be careful what you ask for because when you pray for rain, you have to deal with the mud as well. – Denzel Washington
- Remember, dreams without goals are just dreams. And they ultimately fuel disappointment. – Denzel Washington
- Man gives you the award but God gives you the reward. – Denzel Washington
- Do what you have to do, to do what you want to do. – Denzel Washington
- When I was a child I thought I saw an angel. It had wings and kinda looked like my sister. I opened the door so some light could come into the room, and it sort of faded away. My mother said it was probably my Guardian Angel. – Denzel Washington
- I’ve always felt protected. That’s the God’s honest truth. – Denzel Washington
- There’s a book called The Sociopath Next Door. I thought most sociopaths were violent. In fact, they aren’t. But almost all sociopaths want to win, no matter what. – Denzel Washington
- I’m a parent. I think we’re responsible for the problems that young people have. I believe that. I don’t blame them for any of it. I blame us for what we haven’t done as mothers and fathers, not sticking together as a unit. – Denzel Washington
- There’s always got to be room for what you might call benign corruption. Nobody blames a man who steals food to feed his starving children, but on the other hand, somebody who picks up a badge and takes an oath to serve and protect; we do expect a certain level of essential honesty. – Denzel Washington
- I am not going to bury my son! My son is going to bury me! – Denzel Washington
- I wasn’t allowed to go to movies when I was kid; my father was a minister. 101 Dalmatians and King of Kings, that was the extent of it. – Denzel Washington
- Acting, it’s not my life, my children and my family, that’s life. I’ll get up every morning, God willing, for that. – Denzel Washington
- Black or white good parts are hard to come by. A good actor with a good opportunity has a shot; without the opportunity it doesn’t matter how good you are. – Denzel Washington
- The last few years I’ve been saying I was ready to quit. It wasn’t that interesting to me. Now that I’m directing, it’s all new again. – Denzel Washington
- Money doesn’t buy happiness. Some people say it’s a heck of a down payment, though. – Denzel Washington
- As an actor in the theater you’re taught that you never play a bad guy. You have to love who you are. You can’t say, Oh, I’m a bad guy. How do you play that? – Denzel Washington
- For me, success is inner peace. That’s a good day for me. – Denzel Washington
- There is no UHaul behind the hearse. – Denzel Washington
- My role 14 years ago in Richard III – that was the first time I played a bad guy and learned a lot about it – they have all the fun! – Denzel Washington
- I always think it’s not what we know that’s terrifying; it’s what we don’t know. That’s sort of pervasive with everything in life. – Denzel Washington
- Fundamentally, the most important thing is to get the film made for me and to get as many people to see it as possible. And if I help that, then – I know I help that, let’s put it that way. I do know that I help that. It is called show business. – Denzel Washington
- You only live once. So do what you feel passionate about. Take chances, professionally. Don’t be afraid to fail. – Denzel Washington
- Just because you don’t share it on social media, doesn’t mean you’re not up to big things. Live it and stay low key. Privacy is everything. – Denzel Washington
- I read a ton of scripts. I read a lot of scripts, and you read one, and first of all, you felt like you read it in 14 minutes, because you’re turning the pages so fast you can’t wait to see what’s going to happen. – Denzel Washington
- I think we’re fascinated by gangsters and that whole lifestyle and crossing the line. We get sort of stuck in our normal lives, if you will, and you want to be bigger than life and I think people somehow live through these sorts of characters. – Denzel Washington
- To get something you’ve never had, you have to do something you never did.’ – Denzel Washington
- We do what we have to so we can do what we want to. – Denzel Washington
- We live in a time when people give up too easy. – Denzel Washington
- I’ve worked in a factory. I was a garbage man. I worked in a post office. It’s not that long ago. I like to think that I’m just a regular guy. – Denzel Washington
- I’m not a film buff. I don’t watch a lot of movies. – Denzel Washington
- Have goals. And understand that, to achieve these goals, you must apply discipline and consistency…not just on Tuesday and then miss a few days. – Denzel Washington
- The secret to a happy marriage? Do whatever your wife tells you. ‘Yes, dear.’ And breathe. – Denzel Washington
- I walk by faith, not by sight. – Denzel Washington
- I’ve worked in a factory. I was a garbage man. I worked in a post office. It’s not that long ago. I like to think that I’m just a regular guy. – Denzel Washington
- You never know how you’re going to affect people. – Denzel Washington
- I’m not interested in being a celebrity; I’m interested in being a better actor and a better director. – Denzel Washington
- As an actor, you’re a color of paint on someone else’s palette. But as a director, it’s your canvas and you make the painting you want to make. – Denzel Washington
- Don’t get all sentimental on me, Makes me think I’m gonna die. – Denzel Washington
- Bruce Lee, you know, studied many martial arts. And he always said, take what’s useful. So, I’ve taken from different styles. There is no one discipline. There is no one gospel, when it comes to acting. So, I take a little from this, take a little from that. – Denzel Washington
- Every punch that’s thrown is mine. Every punch that’s caught, I catch… – Denzel Washington
- Don’t aspire to make a living, aspire to make a difference. – Denzel Washington
- The poorest people are the sweetest people. – Denzel Washington
- It’s not what you know, it’s what you can prove. – Denzel Washington
- Don’t tell me what they said about me. Tell me why they were so comfortable to say it to you. – Denzel Washington
- Just because you are doing a lot more doesn’t mean you are getting a lot done. Don’t confuse movement with progress! – Denzel Washington
- I’m sure people have told you to make sure you have something to fall back on. Make sure you have something to fall back on, honey. But I never understood that concept; having something to fall back on. If I’m going to fall, I don’t want to fall back on anything, except my faith. I want to fall forward. I figured at least this way I’ll see what I’m going to hit. Fall forward! – Denzel Washington
- Don’t just aspire to make a living. Aspire to make a difference. – Denzel Washington
- I and haven’t been unemployed for 20 years. I’m an exception to the rule. – Denzel Washington
- Got to be who you are in this world, no matter what. – Denzel Washington
- You don’t pick black actors or black directors because they are black. You pick them because they are good. If you lend somebody 50 million dollars you want you’re money back. You don’t care if they are oppressed. You just want you’re money back. – Denzel Washington
- A part of me still says, ‘Maybe, Denzel, you’re supposed to preach. Maybe you’re still compromising.’ I’ve had an opportunity to play great men and, through their words, to preach. I take what talent I’ve been given seriously, and I want to use it for good. – Denzel Washington
- I just try to be honest and true to the character and play the part. – Denzel Washington
- If you don’t love your fellow man, women, person, then you don’t have anything. If you don’t treat your neighbor as you would want to be treated that to me is the fundamental message. – Denzel Washington
- One good thing about acting in film is that it’s good therapy. – Denzel Washington
- Old man’s gotta be the old man, fish has gotta be the fish. You gotta be who you are in this world, no matter what. – Denzel Washington
- I’m a positive person, so I don’t get bogged down with it. If you’re expecting that, if you wall in that, if you practice that, then you’ll attract what you fear. – Denzel Washington
- I’ve been fortunate. I don’t pick scripts. Scripts pick me. – Denzel Washington
- The Bible says faith without works is nothing so destiny is great, fate is great, faith is great – but you still have to work at it. I don’t just sit at home and wait for it all to unfold. – Denzel Washington
- I never really had the classic struggle. I had faith. – Denzel Washington
- If you have an enemy, then learn and know your enemy, don’t just be mad at him or her. – Denzel Washington
- Sometimes when you’re the good guy, you’re sort of trapped. Oh, he can’t say that. And even when you’re playing a real person like a Steven Biko, you’re sort of stuck within those confines. So yeah, bad guys do have more fun. – Denzel Washington
- Don’t be afraid to fail big, to dream big. – Denzel Washington
- Religion to me is when man gets ahold of spirituality: My god is right, yours is wrong. Religion to me is the human condition. If you’re a Muslim, you can’t be a Christian. That to me is religion. – Denzel Washington
- Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their demons. – Denzel Washington
- Any good piece of material like Shakespeare ought to be open to reinterpretation. – Denzel Washington
- Continue to strive. Continue to have goals. Continue to progress. – Denzel Washington
- Revenge is a meal best served cold. – Denzel Washington
- When people protest and are upset with a movie, it becomes a big hit. They hated Passion of The Christ, it worked out pretty well for the box office. So let’s get that going. – Denzel Washington
- One failed experiment is one step closer to Success. – Denzel Washington
- What’s a celebrity anyway? Paris Hilton’s a celebrity. I’m just a working actor. – Denzel Washington
- I’m from around Tennessee. I ran away when I was 12 years old and I ain’t never looked back. – Denzel Washington
- Dreams without goals, are just dreams and they ultimately fuel disappointment. – Denzel Washington
- Dakota Fanning is a child, but she is a wonderful actor. I don’t know what a child actor is. She’s an actor who’s a child. – Denzel Washington
- I say luck is when an opportunity comes along and you’re prepared for it. – Denzel Washington
- Don’t be afraid to go outside the box. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Don’t be afraid to fail big…to dream big! – Denzel Washington
- Hate, hatred for yourself, for other people, will confine you, but love can set you free. – Denzel Washington
- Cursed be the ground for our sake. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for us. For out of the ground we were taken, for the dust we are and to the dust we shall return. – Denzel Washington
- Everybody has a job to do. There are people in Iraq on both sides of this war who do what they do for religious reasons, and they feel with God on their side. Some people are good at annihilating people. Maybe that’s their gift. – Denzel Washington
- Acting is just a way of making a living, the family is life. – Denzel Washington
- There are two kinds of pain in this world. The pain that hurts, the pain that alters. – Denzel Washington
- Meryl and Katharine Hepburn are probably the two greatest actresses of this and the last century. – Denzel Washington
- It’s simple: You get a part. You play a part. You play it well. You do your work and you go home. And what is wonderful about movies is that once they’re done, they belong to the people. Once you make it, it’s what they see. That’s where my head is at. – Denzel Washington
- Without commitment, you’ll never start. But more importantly, without consistency, you’ll never finish. – Denzel Washington
- Keep working. Keep striving. Fall seven times; get up eight! – Denzel Washington
- I don’t concern myself with award. I’d been to the party enough times to know it really didn’t matter. – Denzel Washington
- I got on my knees and sort of communicated with the spirits. When I came out, I was in charge. I couldn’t have acted that, I couldn’t have written that. – Denzel Washington
- The greatest lesson I’ve learned in life is Who knows what’s good or bad? Things come along that you really want, and they turn out to be the worst thing in the world. And some of the worst tragedies that you can conceive turn out to be the best things, the exact medicine you need in that moment. – Denzel Washington
- It is very important to transcend the places that hold us. – Denzel Washington
- I don’t concern myself with award. I’d been to the party enough times to know it really didn’t matter. – Denzel Washington
- I’m very proud to be black, but black is not all I am. That’s my cultural historical background, my genetic makeup, but it’s not all of who I am nor is it the basis from which I answer every question. – Denzel Washington
- Raising the standard of the work, not complaining about somebody not voting. – Denzel Washington
- You don’t know when you’re being watched. That’s one of the weird things about celebrity. It’s my least favorite part of acting, celebrity. – Denzel Washington
- I’m not in the loop; I don’t know any actors, really, just the ones I work with. – Denzel Washington
- I’d be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I’d been given. I’d be more frightened by procrastination and laziness. – Denzel Washington
- I think the bottom of the totem pole is African-American women, or women of colour. I think they get the least opportunities in Hollywood. – Denzel Washington
- I played Othello, but I didn’t sit around thinking how Laurence Olivier did it when he played it. That wouldn’t do me any good. – Denzel Washington
- I still have my unemployment books and I remember when I worked for the sanitation department and the post office. – Denzel Washington
- Some said America took a step forward electing a black president. In light of the unconstitutional expansion of powers, lack of transparency and fueling the fires of unrest that clearly hasn’t been the case. Vote based on merits, not to fill a racial quota. – Denzel Washington
- I and haven’t been unemployed for 20 years. I’m an exception to the rule. – Denzel Washington
- When you make a movie it’s always interesting, because you end up in places you never would as a normal visitor or tourist. – Denzel Washington
- I ask you today. How many ghosts are going to be around your bed when your time comes? – Denzel Washington
- At your highest moment, be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you. – Denzel Washington
- In Los Angeles, everyone is a star. – Denzel Washington
- I’ve been fortunate. I don’t pick scripts. Scripts pick me. When I did A Soldier’s Story, I was very young and green and thought I knew everything-now I know I know everything! – Denzel Washington
- A wise woman knows the importance of speaking life into her man. If you love him; believe in him, encourage him and be his peace. – Denzel Washington
- If you want to be a warrior, you have to train. – Denzel Washington
- When people say What do you want people to get from this movie? I say, Well, it depends on what they bring to it. I don’t try to decide what people should get from it or why. I don’t do a part for those kinds of reasons. – Denzel Washington
- I’ve worked with children all my life. Growing up I didn’t watch movies. – Denzel Washington
- My mother used to tell me man gives the award, God gives the reward. I don’t need another plaque. – Denzel Washington
- Why do we close our eyes when we pray, cry, kiss, or dream? Because the most beautiful things in life are not seen but felt by the heart. – Denzel Washington
- I found that nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks. – Denzel Washington
- I made a commitment to completely cut out drinking and anything that might hamper me from getting my mind and body together. And the floodgates of goodness have opened upon me – spiritually and financially. – Denzel Washington
- I actually don’t hang out with any celebrities. My closest friends are old friends. And my real close friends, none of them are actors. – Denzel Washington
- I like the collaboration, I like seeing people do well, so I really plan to direct the rest of my days. – Denzel Washington
- My mother never gave up one me. I messed up in school so much they were sending me home, but my mother sent me right back. – Denzel Washington
- Fail big! Today’s the beginning of the rest of your life. – Denzel Washington
- Where I think the most work needs to be done is behind the camera, not in front of it. – Denzel Washington
- My faith helps me understand that circumstances don’t dictate my happiness, my inner peace. – Denzel Washington
- In any profession it gets to be a grind. – Denzel Washington
- You can’t break me because you didn’t make me. – Denzel Washington
- Ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship. So, keep moving, keep growing, keep learning! – Denzel Washington
- When I did A Soldier’s Story, I was very young and green and thought I knew everything-now I know I know everything! – Denzel Washington
- You pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too. That’s a part of it. – Denzel Washington
- People have said to me for a long time, Man you’re funny. I say, Well, I’m quick, but being funny on purpose, take after take – that’s why I said for me it was new territory, and so by improvising something might come out that might be good. And it’s film, so they can cut it if it isn’t. – Denzel Washington
- We’ll all retire from life at some point. The great thing about acting is you don’t necessarily have to retire. – Denzel Washington
- You don’t know when you’re being watched. That’s one of the weird things about celebrity. It’s my least favorite part of acting, celebrity. – Denzel Washington
- I’m not afraid to upset people. But I am not as upset because I understand what I’m up against. – Denzel Washington
- The time to worrying about flying is when you’re on the ground. When you’re up in the air, it’s too late. No point in worrying about it then. – Denzel Washington
- I get nervous when a picture goes beyond two hours. – Denzel Washington
- Success? I don’t know what that word means. I’m happy. But success, that goes back to what in somebody’s eyes success means. For me, success is inner peace. That’s a good day for me. – Denzel Washington
- A man once told me that you step out of your door in the morning, and you are already in trouble. The only question is are you on top of that trouble or not? – Denzel Washington
- Acting is like music and you improvise. It’s like jazz, there’s no rhyme or reason to it. It’s not a plan. You practice to music and you just play it. – Denzel Washington
- To protect the sheep, you gotta catch the wolf. And it takes a wolf to catch a wolf, you understand? – Denzel Washington
- What it taught me was forgiveness. It taught me that when people present themselves in a certain way, there’s probably some back story or issue or reason for the way that they are. It’s not you. It’s them. And a lot of times, its about something that’s completely out of their control. – Denzel Washington
About Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington is a celebrated actor, director, and producer whose career spans over four decades. Known for his captivating performances in films like “Training Day,” “Malcolm X,” and “Remember the Titans,” Denzel has left an indelible mark on Hollywood. Beyond his cinematic achievements, he’s also recognized for his eloquent and thought-provoking words. Whether he’s speaking about hard work, perseverance, or the importance of faith, Denzel’s quotes often reflect his own journey and the lessons he’s learned along the way. His ability to connect with audiences on a deeper level makes his words truly impactful and memorable.
Final Thoughts on Denzel Washington Quotes
As we wrap up this collection of unforgettable Denzel Washington quotes, we hope you’ve found some inspiration and motivation to carry with you. Denzel’s words remind us that success is a journey filled with ups and downs, but with determination, faith, and a positive mindset, we can overcome any challenge. Keep these quotes close, and let them serve as a reminder of the wisdom and strength you possess. Thank you for joining us, and may Denzel’s timeless wisdom continue to inspire you every day.