Malcolm X (Spike Lee, 1992): Denzel Washington gives a magnetic performance as the controversial black leader (right) in Lee’s epic biopic, equally compelling as the young dissolute and the forceful orator of later years.
Philadelphia (Jonathan Demme, 1993): Although Tom Hanks won the Oscar, Washington was lauded for his sensitive performance as the homophobic lawyer who struggles to address his own prejudice.
Devil in a Blue Dress (Carl Franklin, 1995): He plays the reluctant private eye in this intelligent adaptation of Walter Mosley’s crime novel, which discovers that post-World War II racism holds the key to a murder mystery.
The Hurricane (Norman Jewison, 1999): A powerful portrait of boxer Rubin “The Hurricane” Carter who was falsely jailed for murder. In an acting tour de force, Washington ages 30 years, showing Carter’s journey from righteous rage to humanism.