Looking for famous quotes from the popular actor Denzel Washington? We have rounded up the best collection of Denzel Washington quotes, sayings, captions, and status (with images and pictures) about life, dreams, hard work, success, relationships, God, and more to inspire you big time.
Denzel Washington is known as one of the most charismatic and talented method actors. Born in New York, his father was a Pentecostal minister and his mother was the owner of a beauty parlor.
Denzel being a prolific Hollywood actor has depicted a huge number of characters and is known for his wide variety of work stretching from biopics, socially conscious dramas, and crime thrillers.
Washington first came to prominence in the long-running medical drama series St. Elsewhere (1982-1988).
Since then, he has starred in many movies and became a huge success in the world of acting for his role in ‘The Iceman Cometh’, for which he also won a Tony Award.
He won his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for ‘Glory’ and Best Actor for ‘Training Day’ (which is considered his best movie).
A Hand to Guide Me – In his debut book as an author, Denzel Washington shares his personal story of the mentors who helped guide his life.
In his book he highlights the importance of everyday mentorship and introduces the life-changing stories of more than seventy of America’s leading personalities.
He is not only known for his onscreen acting but also for his humble nature off-screen.
These inspiring Denzel Washington quotes and sayings will give you a reflection of his life and will inspire you to learn from his life experiences.
Also, check our collection of Georgia O’Keeffe quotes and Keanu Reeves quotes to inspire and motivate you.
Top Denzel Washington Quotes
- “Claim your dream.” – Denzel Washington
- “There’s racism everywhere.” – Denzel Washington
- “In Los Angeles, everyone is a star.” – Denzel Washington
- “If you don’t trust the pilot, don’t go.” – Denzel Washington
- “In any profession, it gets to be a grind.” – Denzel Washington
- “If you don’t fail, you’re not even trying.” – Denzel Washington
- “Don’t be afraid to fail big, to dream big.” – Denzel Washington
- “If you want to be a warrior, you have to train.” – Denzel Washington
- “Never help an ungrateful person get on their feet.” – Denzel Washington
- “Ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship.” – Denzel Washington
- “You never know how you’re going to affect people.” – Denzel Washington
- “Do what you have to do, to do what you want to do.” – Denzel Washington
- “Got to be who you are in this world, no matter what.” – Denzel Washington
- “My ultimate life dream project is my kids. My family.” – Denzel Washington
- “Say “Thank You” in advance for what is already yours.” – Denzel Washington
- “Are you using your device or is your device using you?” – Denzel Washington
- “I just try to be honest and true to the character and play the part.” – Denzel Washington
- “You won’t always be motivated. You must learn to be disciplined.” – Denzel Washington
- “Faith is the confidence, the assurance, the enforcing truth, the knowing.” – Denzel Washington
- “Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their demons.” – Denzel Washington
- “Without commitment, you’ll never start. Without consistency, you’ll never finish.” – Denzel Washington
- “Money doesn’t buy happiness. Some people say it’s a heck of a down payment, though.” – Denzel Washington
- “Goals on the road to achievement cannot be achieved without discipline and consistency.” – Denzel Washington
- “The secret to a happy marriage? Do whatever your wife tells you. ‘Yes, dear.’ And breathe.” – Denzel Washington
- “Don’t tell me what was said about me. Tell me why were they so comfortable to say it to you?” – Denzel Washington
- “I think a role model is a mentor – someone you see on a daily basis, and you learn from them.” – Denzel Washington
- “My faith helps me understand that circumstances don’t dictate my happiness, my inner peace.” – Denzel Washington
- “To protect the sheep you gotta catch the wolf. And it takes a wolf to catch a wolf, you understand.” – Denzel Washington
- “I’m not interested in being a celebrity; I’m interested in being a better actor and a better director.” – Denzel Washington
- “Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a new way to stand.” – Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington Quotes On Religion & God
- “I never really had the classic struggle. I had faith.” – Denzel Washington
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“Talent comes from God. If you have been given some, then value it, cultivate it, work and develop it.” – Denzel Washington
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“My mother used to tell me man gives the award, God gives the reward. I don’t need another plague.” – Denzel Washington
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“True desire in the heart for anything good is God’s proof to you sent beforehand to indicate that it’s yours already.” – Denzel Washington
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“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
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“Put God first in everything you do. Everything that I have is by the grace of God, I understand that. It’s a gift. I didn’t always stick with Him, but He stuck with me.” – Denzel Washington
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“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
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“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
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“I pray that you all put your shoes way under the bed at night so that you gotta get on your knees in the morning to find them, and while you’re down there thank God for grace and mercy and understanding.” – Denzel Washington
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“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
Denzel Washington Quotes About Success & Dreams
- “Dreams without goals remain dreams.” – Denzel Washington
- “Every failed experiment is one step closer to success.” – Denzel Washington
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“For me, success in inner peace. That’s a good day for me.” – Denzel Washington
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“Don’t aspire to make a living, aspire to make a difference.” – Denzel Washington
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“I say luck is when an opportunity comes along and you’re prepared for it.” – Denzel Washington
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“Nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks. Fall forward. Every failed experiment is one step closer to success.” – Denzel Washington
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“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
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“Never confuse movement with progress. Because you can run in place and not get anywhere.” – Denzel Washington
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“The only thing stopping you from achieving your dreams are the stories you keep telling yourself that you can’t. Don’t wait- act now. Regret nothing.” – Denzel Washington
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“Dreams are great. In fact, dreams are necessary in life or no one would ever go anywhere! But a dream without a goal, and without action, has no opportunity to come true.” – Denzel Washington
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“There is a lot of joy to be found in reflecting upon your experiences as you work towards your dreams. Learn to laugh at your failures, smile at your wins and don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself.” – Denzel Washington
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“Don’t be afraid to fail big, to dream big, but remember, dreams without goals are just dreams. And they ultimately fuel disappointment… I try to give myself a goal every day, sometimes it’s just not to curse somebody out.” – Denzel Washington
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“Faith will get you to a point. Luck will get you to a point. But to achieve the kind of success you dream about, you need to work. There are no shortcuts, you can’t cheat life, just get to work and don’t stop until you reach your highest potential.” – Denzel Washington
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“When you do good, you get good! Fulfilment comes from serving others, not just hustling to serve yourself. On the path to success, there is always going to be an opportunity to help someone else be successful too. Take that opportunity, and be the kind of person who makes a difference in the lives of others.” – Denzel Washington
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“Give other peoples opinions their right significance. Take advice if it is constructive, and learn from it. But do not build your life based around the opinions of others. Trust yourself and trust your choices.” – Denzel Washington
Best Denzel Washington Quotes About Love & Life
- “Acting is just a way of making a living, the family is life.” – Denzel Washington
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“In order to change your life, you must change your thoughts.” – Denzel Washington
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“If you don’t read the newspaper you’re uninformed. If you do read it, you’re misinformed.” – Denzel Washington
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“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
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“Start your day with prayer. Ask for wisdom. Ask for understanding. Don’t aspire to make a living, aspire to make a difference.” – Denzel Washington
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“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
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“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
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“Give thanks for blessings everyday. Every day. Embrace gratitude. Encourage others. It is impossible to be grateful and hateful at the same time.” – Denzel Washington
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“Life is a melting pot of knowledge and experience, both your own and that of everyone around you. Don’t be afraid to learn from others mistakes, and take bits of useful information or ideas that help you get better at what you do. Wisdom is there at your fingertips, use it.” – Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington Quotes From His Movies and Interviews
- “Fall forward!” – Denzel Washington, Best Speech Ever
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“When you don’t understand something, you label it and condemn it.” – Denzel Washington
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“You pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too. That’s a part of it.” – Denzel Washington
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“I work hard for the audience. It’s entertainment. I don’t need validation.” – Denzel Washington
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“You have to grab moments when they happen. I like to improvise and ad lib.” – Denzel Washington
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“If you have an enemy, then learn and know your enemy, don’t just be mad at him or her.” – Denzel Washington
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“A man is supposed to take care of his family.” – Denzel Washington as Troy Maxson in the movie “Fences (2016)”
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“Everything you have, you lose. Mother, father, good looks, loved ones.” – Denzel Washington as Doug Carlin in the movie “Deja Vu (2006)”
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“I mean colored soldiers can stop a bullet as good as white. And for less money, too.” – Denzel Washington as Trip in the movie “Glory (1989)”
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“The loudest one in the room is the weakest one in the room.” – Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas in the movie “American Gangster (2007)”
More Denzel Washington Quotes And Sayings
- “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
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“A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on thr branch nut on it’s own wings.” – Denzel Washington
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“My mother never gave up on me. I messed up in school so much they were sending me home, but my mother sent me right back.” – Denzel Washington
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“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
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“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
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“So you never know who you touch. You never know how or when you’ll have an impact, or how important your example can be to someone else.” – Denzel Washington
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“Never compromise on who you are. You are born with the capacity to achieve greatness if you so desire. Learning to say no is a critical element to accessing that greatness. Your choices will define you; so make them the right ones.” – Denzel Washington
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“At the end of the day, it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished. It’s about what you’ve done with those accomplishments. It’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back.” – Denzel Washington
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“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
More About Denzel Washington
Being a celebrity and having an estimated net worth of around $250 million, Denzel Washington born December 28, 1954) still is a very humble and grounded human being.
He strongly holds on to his values and beliefs, especially his love for his family and his faith in God.
He received the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022 from President Joe Biden.
Throughout his career spanning over four decades, Denzel Washington established himself as a leading man in various films including Malcolm X, Much Ado About Nothing, The Pelican Brief, Philadelphia, The Hurricane, and Courage Under Fire (a successful war drama film).
Throughout his amazing acting career, Washington has received numerous awards and accolades, including a Tony Award, two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and two Silver Bears.
Apart from acting Washington also created outstanding movies in collaboration with directors Spike Lee, Tony Scott, and Antoine Fuqua.
These Denzel Washington quotes about faith provide insight into those values and beliefs.
Which of these quotes by Denzel Washington resonated with you best? Do you have any other inspirational quotes to add? Tell us in the comment section below.
Don’t forget to check out our collection of Steel Magnolias quotes and It’s A Wonderful Life quotes that will help you change your perspective on life.
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