Top 150 Denzel Washington Quotes (2025 Update)
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51. “Hate put me in prison. Love’s gonna bust me out.”

— Denzel Washington

52. “There’s racism everywhere.”

— Denzel Washington

53. “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

54. “I think a role model is a mentor – someone you see on a daily basis, and you learn from them.”

— Denzel Washington

55. “The secret to a happy marriage? Do whatever your wife tells you. ‘Yes, dear.’ And breathe.”

— Denzel Washington

56. “The lessons I learned in Sunday School have kept me on track.”

— Denzel Washington

57. “I love research and being educated. It’s a great job being able to step into all kinds of professions and into other people’s shoes.”

— Denzel Washington

58. “Ease is greatest threat to progress.”

— Denzel Washington

59. “Money doesn’t buy happiness. Some people say it’s a heck of a down payment, though.”

— Denzel Washington

60. “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

61. “Don’t tell me what they said about me. Tell me why they were so comfortable to say it to you.”

— Denzel Washington

62. “Man gives you the award but God gives you the reward.”

— Denzel Washington

63. “At your highest moment, be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you.”

— Denzel Washington

64. “I read the Bible every day.”

— Denzel Washington

65. “I never really had the classic struggle. I had faith.”

— Denzel Washington

66. “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

67. “The greatest lesson I’ve learned in life is “Who knows what’s good or bad?” Things come along that you really want, and they turn out to be the worst thing in the world. And some of the worst tragedies that you can conceive turn out to be the best things, the exact medicine you need in that moment.”

— Denzel Washington

68. “I am not going to bury my son! My son is going to bury me!”

— Denzel Washington

69. “A sociopath will do anything to win. Anything.”

— Denzel Washington

70. “I’ve always felt protected. That’s the God’s honest truth.”

— Denzel Washington

71. “I’m not afraid to upset people. But I am not as upset because I understand what I’m up against.”

— Denzel Washington

72. “We’ve all received our share of good fortune, so that’s my definition of much. A single blessing is all the bounty in the world, and if you’ve been blessed at all you’re meant to pass some of that on. You’re meant to set a positive example. That’s our responsibility.”

— Denzel Washington

73. “In my humble opinion, in the nuclear world, the true enemy is war itself.”

— Denzel Washington

74. “If you don’t love your fellow man, women, person, then you don’t have anything. If you don’t treat your neighbor as you would want to be treated that to me is the fundamental message.”

— Denzel Washington

75. “Hate, hatred for yourself, for other people, will confine you, but love can set you free.”

— Denzel Washington

76. “Acting is just a way of making a living, the family is life.”

— Denzel Washington

77. “I’ve worked in a factory. I was a garbage man. I worked in a post office. It’s not that long ago. I like to think that I’m just a regular guy.”

— Denzel Washington

78. “I just try to be honest and true to the character and play the part.”

— Denzel Washington

79. “I work hard for the audience. It’s entertainment. I don’t need validation.”

— Denzel Washington

80. “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

81. “A part of me still says, ‘Maybe, Denzel, you’re supposed to preach. Maybe you’re still compromising.’ I’ve had an opportunity to play great men and, through their words, to preach. I take what talent I’ve been given seriously, and I want to use it for good.”

— Denzel Washington

82. “When my oldest boy was about 14, I started to talk to him about some of the mistakes I made in life, just to put a few dents in that shiny armor.”

— Denzel Washington

83. “I got on my knees and sort of communicated with the spirits. When I came out, I was in charge. I couldn’t have acted that, I couldn’t have written that.”

— Denzel Washington

84. “Don’t get all sentimental on me, Makes me think I’m gonna die.”

— Denzel Washington

85. “I’m not a film buff. I don’t watch a lot of movies.”

— Denzel Washington

86. “You have to grab moments when they happen. I like to improvise and ad lib.”

— Denzel Washington

87. “I always say the time to worry about flying is when you’re on the ground. If you don’t trust the captain, don’t go.”

— Denzel Washington

88. “The last few years I’ve been saying I was ready to quit. It wasn’t that interesting to me. Now that I’m directing, it’s all new again.”

— Denzel Washington

89. “We’ll all retire from life at some point. The great thing about acting is you don’t necessarily have to retire.”

— Denzel Washington

90. “I’ve been fortunate. I don’t pick scripts. Scripts pick me.”

— Denzel Washington

91. “I’ve always seen it to be a privilege to make movies. It’s a really expensive, creative medium.”

— Denzel Washington

92. “Old man’s gotta be the old man, fish has gotta be the fish. You gotta be who you are in this world, no matter what.”

— Denzel Washington

93. “I think that if there can be considered racism it’s to do with the lack of opportunities for writers and producers and the people behind the camera.”

— Denzel Washington

94. “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

95. “You don’t pick black actors or black directors because they are black. You pick them because they are good. If you lend somebody 50 million dollars you want you’re money back. You don’t care if they are oppressed. You just want you’re money back.”

— Denzel Washington

96. “When I was a child I thought I saw an angel. It had wings and kinda looked like my sister. I opened the door so some light could come into the room, and it sort of faded away. My mother said it was probably my Guardian Angel.”

— Denzel Washington

97. “I’m a positive person, so I don’t get bogged down with it. If you’re expecting that, if you wall in that, if you practice that, then you’ll attract what you fear.”

— Denzel Washington

98. “When I did A Soldier’s Story, I was very young and green and thought I knew everything-now I know I know everything!”

— Denzel Washington

99. “I played Othello, but I didn’t sit around thinking how Laurence Olivier did it when he played it. That wouldn’t do me any good.”

— Denzel Washington

100. “I have a new respect for filmmakers, that’s for sure, ’cause it’s not easy. If I’m allowed to, I’ll be directing for the rest of my life. I love the process.”

— Denzel Washington