DENZEL WASHINGTON, BONE COLLECTOR
PART 2

Washington subsequently gained further training and experience at the esteemed American Conservatory Theatre School in San Francisco where he had been granted a scholarship. Washington first attracted critical attention in 1982 after becoming a regular on the television medical drama St. Elsewhere before breaking into feature films later that year in Carbon Copy playing a white man's illegitimate black son. Washington next appeared in A Soldier's Story (1984) and another film after that, but he did not get his first real shot at movie stardom until he essayed real-life South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko in Richard Attenborough's Cry Freedom (1987). His powerful, realistic portrayal earned Washington an Oscar® nomination as Best Supporting Actor. Two years later, Washington received the coveted statuette for playing an embittered but brave runaway slave in Glory (1989). The Oscar® was a turning point in his life - and career. "For one thing, I got into Spago's [LA's ultra trendy restaurant to the stars]. One year, whenever it was, I came out to LA and there were the Academy Awards, so I went up to Spago, because that's where everyone flaunts their Oscar®, and there was a parking lot across the street. I pulled in and went up the block, looked down, and there were all these people lining up to get in. I said to myself: One day, it's going to be ME walking in there. I don't know how many years ago that was before I won, but I remember looking up there before I went in, and what an interesting feeling that was. Apart from that, I think everything changes, in terms of how the industry looks at you and it raises your stock, I guess you could say."

Since then he has steadily appeared in a wide variety of films ranging from comedies (Heart Condition [1990]) to thrillers (Ricochet [1991]), not all of which films were successful. In 1990 Washington played a talented, but self-cantered jazz musician in Spike Lee's Mo' Better Blues, and worked again with the hot young director two years later playing the lead in Lee's controversial biopic, Malcolm X., once again receiving an Oscar® nomination for his fine work. Other film credits include Courage Under Fire, The Preacher's Wife, Fallen and The Siege.

Washington has played mainly heroes, reflecting a positive role model for America's African-American community. For the actor, heroes are important in a community often in need of positive role models, he says, recalling those that influenced this actor. "When I was finally old enough to sneak out to the movies, I remember going to see Shaft, which was tremendously influential on me. I remember, As a young African-American teenager, never having seen, at that time, myself represented on the screen, this cool guy walks to the car wearing this leather jacket, and I started walking to the cars like him. I may have seen other movies, but never myself -suddenly there was this connection. Now I'M up there, and realised I could be like him. So it is important and I get letters all the time that show that. I once got a letter from a teenager who, after seeing Crimson Tide, talked about wanting to go in the navy. He never thought that was realistic, because he'd never seen a Black person in that position of authority. This is a powerful tool." It's a reflection of the way American cinema has developed and changed, it seems. "For me, I think the biggest development is the way that African-Americans have taken control over their own films. Apart from the Shaft experience, I remember seeing Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It, and noticing all these black people on the screen making love - and the central character even has three boyfriends at the same time. That was special."