Denzel Washington movies in order

In 1977, acclaimed actor Denzel Washington made his movie debut in the television film, Wilma. From here he followed up his acting work with appearances in films such as Flesh & Blood, Carbon Copy, and License to Kill.

With each new movie, Denzel Washington’s presence on screen increased. And with bigger, more substantial parts, this caught the attention of audiences and soon made him a firm favourite.

Over the years, Denzel Washington appeared in films such as Cry Freedom, Glory, and Malcolm X. He also starred in The Preacher’s Wife, American Gangster, the critically acclaimed Philadelphia, and he took on the role of Robert McCall in multiple Equalizer movies.

But how familiar are you with Denzel Washington’s back catalogue of movies? If you wanted to check out his work, where would you begin and what would you be looking out for?

Well, don’t worry, because help is at hand. In this post you will find a list of all of Denzel Washington’s movies, presented in chronological order, starting with minor roles and bit parts in his early pictures, and running through to more prominent roles in later life.

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A list of every Denzel Washington movie in order

The 1970s and 1980s

During the 1970s and 1980s, Denzel Washington appeared in a range of movies, including Cry Freedom and The Mighty Quinn. He was a little known actor at the time, but he worked as consistently as possible, building up a collection of screen appearances in the process.

Denzel Washington’s movies during the ’70s and ’80s included:

• Wilma (1977)
• Flesh & Blood (1979)
• Carbon Copy (1981)
• License to Kill (1984)
• A Soldier’s Story (1984)
• Power (1986)
• The George McKenna Story (1986)
• Cry Freedom (1987)
• For Queen & Country (1988)
• The Mighty Quinn (1989)
• Glory (1989)

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The 1990s and 2000s

Into the ’90s and through to the 2000s and this is when things really began to change. Denzel Washington starred in a collection of high-profile pictures, including Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, The Pelican Brief, and Remember the Titans, which pushed him into the big leagues.

Denzel Washington’s movies during the ’90s and ’00s included:

• Heart Condition (1990)
• Mo’ Better Blues (1990)
• Mississippi Masala (1991)
• Ricochet (1991)
• Malcolm X (1992)
• Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
• The Pelican Brief (1993)
• Philadelphia (1993)
• Crimson Tide (1995)
• Virtuosity (1995)
• Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)
• Courage Under Fire (1996)
• The Preacher’s Wife (1996)
• Fallen (1998)
• He Got Game (1998)
• The Siege (1998)
• The Bone Collector (1999)
• The Hurricane (1999)
• Remember the Titans (2000)
• Training Day (2001)
• John Q (2002)
• Antwone Fisher (2002)
• Out of Time (2003)
• Man on Fire (2004)
• The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
• Inside Man (2006)
• Deja Vu (2006)
• American Gangster (2007)
• The Great Debaters (2007)
• The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)

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The 2010s and 2020s

And finally, into the 2010s and 2020s, and Washington remains one of the most recognisable and respected actors of all-time. The actor maintains his consistency on screen and continues to appear in a collection of notable pictures.

Denzel Washington’s movies during the ’10s and ’20s include:

• The Book of Eli (2010)
• Unstoppable (2010)
• Safe House (2012)
• Flight (2012)
• 2 Guns (2013)
• The Equalizer (2014)
• The Magnificent Seven (2016)
• Fences (2016)
• Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017)
• The Equalizer 2 (2018)
• The Little Things (2021)
• Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)
• The Equalizer 3 (2023)
• Gladiator 2 (2024)

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Above are all of Denzel Washington’s movie appearances, but which are your favourites? Is The Equalizer your No.1 film? Perhaps John Q is more to your liking? 

Whichever Denzel Washington movie is your favourite, sound off in the comments below and let everyone know.

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Editor/writer/film watcher

Alex Wiggan

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Thank you for taking the time to read this post about Denzel Washington’s movies on It’s A Stampede!. For more movie posts, be sure to check out the recommended reads below.