We are getting ready for the premiere of The Equalizer 3 this weekend by reflecting on Denzel Washington’s Top Five Roles

Denzel Washington, a two-time Academy Award winner, is a national treasure. In anticipation of his upcoming turn as Robert McCall in the last part of The Equalizer, we present his top five film roles. The Equalizer 3 hits theaters on September 1.

TRAINING DAY

“It’s not about what you know; it’s what you can prove.” Alonzo Harris

Denzel Washington stars as narcotics officer Alonzo, while Ethan Hawke as Jake Hoyt, a rookie cop on his first day working with the Los Angeles Police Department’s tough inner-city narcotics squad. Both men will be changed by the end of the day. The film got several award nominations and Denzel Washington won his second Academy Award for Best Actor for his iconic depiction of Alonzo, which was considered one of his finest parts, with quotable lines and horrific moments.

FENCES

“Life don’t owe you nothing. You owe it to yourself.” Maxson, Troy

Denzel Washington not only co-starred in Fences with Viola Davis, but he also directed the multi-award-winning film. Fences, based on August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, depicts Troy (Washington), a 57-year-old working-class man who struggles to provide for his family and drifts apart from his wife Rose (Davis). The drama premiered on Broadway in 2010 with Washington and Davis portraying Troy and Rose. The cast reassembled for the film adaptation, which was later named one of the top ten films of 2016 by the American Film Institute. Fences was nominated for multiple prizes, including four Oscar nods for Best Picture, Best Actor (Washington), Best Supporting Actress (Davis), and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 89th Academy prizes, with Davis winning for her portrayal.

THE EQUALIZER

“You gotta be who you are in this world, no matter what.” – McCall, Robert

Denzel Washington plays Robert McCall in The Equalizer, a man who feels he has left his strange past behind him but cannot stand by when he encounters a young girl (Chlo Grace Moretz) who is under the clutches of ultra-violent Russian gangsters. The script originally had little back story for Robert McCall, however Denzel Washington added much to the character’s background and back narrative, including McCall having obsessive-compulsive disorder. The first installment would mark the start of Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington’s multi-project cooperation. The success of The Equalizer sparked a sequel, with The Equalizer 3 entering theaters on September 1.

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

“What we lost in the fire, we found in the ashes.” Sam Chisolm’s

When avaricious industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard) seizes control of Rose Creek, local Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett) and other desperate people seek assistance from bounty hunter Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington). The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua, is a remake of the 1960 Western of the same name. Both films are based on Seven Samurai, and Fuqua stated that he decided to recreate it because the themes of dictatorship and terrorism are still relevant today. Denzel Washington’s first Western was The Magnificent Seven, and the actor admitted that he did not grow up watching Westerns and was hesitant to star in one until Antoine Fuqua persuaded him to do it.

A HURRICANE

“Hate put me in prison. Love’s gonna bust me out.” – Tropical Storm Carter

Denzel Washington stars as Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, a guy whose aspirations of winning the middleweight boxing title were dashed when he was arrested and prosecuted alongside another man for the killings of three people in a New Jersey bar. Carter and John Artis were wrongfully accused and sentenced to three life terms in jail. Washington garnered Academy Award and SAG Award nominations for Best Actor for his performance in the film. Denzel Washington’s performance as Hurricane Carter earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama.