Denzel Washington Honored at Golden Globes, Receives Cecil B. DeMille Award [VIDEO]

Denzel Washington

Congrats to Denzel Washington! At Sunday night’s Golden Globes, the 61-year-old actor received the Cecil B. DeMille Award — which honors extraordinary contributions to the entertainment world. Washington was introduced and presented the award by Tom Hanks (who he co-starred with in Philadelphia):

A single name can define an artist who is a peer and equal of all the legends. And if ‘Washington’ doesn’t ring out loud enough, then let that first name carry all the weight: That name is ‘Denzel.’

Washington was joined on stage by his wife and family, but joked he forgot his glasses.

See his full acceptance speech.

Washington has received three Golden Globe awards, a Tony Award, and two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for the historical war drama film Glory (1989) and Best Actor for his role as a corrupt cop in the crime thriller Training Day (2001). He has received much critical acclaim for his film work since the 1990s, including his portrayals of real-life figures such as South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko in Cry Freedom (1987), Muslim minister and human rights activist Malcolm X in Malcolm X (1992), boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter in The Hurricane (1999), football coach Herman Boone in Remember the Titans (2000), poet and educator Melvin B. Tolson in The Great Debaters (2007), and drug kingpin Frank Lucas in American Gangster (2007). He has been a featured actor in the films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and has been a frequent collaborator of directors Spike Lee and the late Tony Scott.

He is only the third African-American recipient in the history of the Cecil B. DeMille Award, which was established in 1952; Sidney Poitier was honored in 1982, and Morgan Freeman in 2012. Congrats to him!

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