Denzel Washington first studied journalism at Fordham University but then discovered an interest in acting. He made his feature film debut in the comedy A Carbon Copy (1981) and was cast on the hit TV medical drama St. Elsewhere (1982-88). He went on to appear in several hit movies, including Philadelphia, Man on Fire, The Book of Eli, American Gangster and Flight, and won Oscars for his roles in Glory and Training Day. He received an Oscar nomination for his starring role in 2016's Fences, an adaptation of August Wilson's Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning play, and for the 2017 film Roman J. Israel, Esq.