Credits: Far Out / PhilipRomanoPhoto
Mon 15 December 2025 2:30, UK
Denzel Washington is undeniably great at what he does, but one of the greatest things about the coveted star is his commitment to helping others become great, too.
This doesn’t necessarily apply to just the film industry; at a certain point in your career, one of the best perks is having the power, influence and means to pedestal those below you that you see greatness in. Whether behind a spreadsheet in an office block or onstage in front of thousands, the principle of guardianship and guidance rings true.
Washington hasn’t just done this with a single actor, but many household names owe their success to the great The Equaliser star. One such actor is Stephen Rider, who has publicly gushed about the 70-year-old performer several times.
“Denzel, he’s my GOAT, for a lot of reasons,” Rider has shared happily, bestowing upon him the high accolade. He went on, “I think that, not growing up with a father, I had few Black men who really stepped up and stood out in my life. And he gave me advice a while ago, and I remember auditioning for him, and he was like, ‘I guess the advice I gave you years ago has paid off.’”
That sentiment was echoed by singer and actor Jill Scott, who gushed about his help at the start of her acting career, when she consulted other big names in the industry on how she might launch into the cut-throat world of performance.
Washington also helped another familiar face kickstart his career; the late Chadwick Boseman got his big break after landing a place at the British American Drama Academy at Balliol College, Oxford. However, the entrance fee was too high, so Boseman was close to giving up on his dream.
By chance, Washington read Boseman’s beneficiary letter and funded his education, a move Boseman deemed “amazing” but one he kept under wraps for many years for fear of public perception on the matter.
While Boseman was a relatively unknown actor at the time, Washington has helped out friends who have names we’d be likely to recognise, too. Caught Stealing actor Austin Butler had a famously crazy regime when it came to his commitment to the role of Elvis Prsely in the Baz Luhrmann-directed biopic.
But he wouldn’t have got to that point at all should Washington have failed to intervene. Washington cold-called the director out of the blue after making Butler’s acquaintance on a project, and said, “I’ve just worked with this guy on stage. I’ve never seen a work ethic like it.” And thus, The King was reborn.
Another young actor Washington advocated for was the charming Glen Powell, whom he met on the set of the 2007 historical drama, The Great Debaters. “Denzel Washington really pushed me out of the nest a bit and said, ‘You should double down on yourself. You should give this a shot,’” Powell recalled to Today, admitting that he was considering putting acting on the back burner. Thank god for Washington, hey?
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