Spotlight On: Denzel Washington

'The Equalizer 2' marks the first sequel that Denzel Washington has made. Let's look back at highlights of the Oscar winner's must-see movies.

Washington won his first Academy Award for his supporting role in this Civil War drama, playing the leader of the first all-black volunteer company.

Washington played the titular role in this Spike Lee biopic, winning him much acclaim as well as another Oscar nomination -- this time for Best Actor. 

In Hollywood's first mainstream film to tackle AIDS, Washington plays a homophobic personal injury lawyer representing a gay attorney (Tom Hanks) who has been wrongly fired. Hanks won his first Best Actor Oscar for the film. 

One of several films that paired the Oscar winner with the late director Tony Scott, 'Tide' centers on Washington's young ExO butting heads with a veteran submarine captain (Gene Hackman) during an international incident that could spark World War III. 

As Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Serling, Washington suspects that some of his witnesses may not be telling the truth regarding the death of the first female officer (Meg Ryan) nominated for the Medal of Honor.

Another biopic, another Best Actor Oscar nom. This time, Washington portrays the famous boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, and the film pulls no punches in its telling of Carter's struggles after being wrongly accused of murder.   

In this film, based on a true story, Washington coaches a racially-divided high school football team -- bringing them to victory as they battle other teams as well as racism.

One of his most iconic performances, Washington won his second Oscar for playing Det. Alonzo Harris -- a very corrupt, very dangerous cop. This film marks the first pairing between the star and his 'Equalizer' director, Antoine Fuqua. 

Tony Scott's hyper-violent revenge thriller centers on Creasy (Washington) and his bloody search for the Mexican kidnappers that abducted young Dakota Fanning. 

Spike Lee directs Washington once again in this hit thriller about a bank robbery that is much more than it seems. Clive Owen and Jodie Foster costar. 

In his first film with director Ridley Scott, Washington -- starring opposite Russell Crowe -- takes on the role of real-life drug kingpin Frank Lucas in this 2007 crime drama. 

Watch Denzel drink and do drugs! Watch Denzel pull an all-nighter, fly an airplane upside down -- and then safely land it! Then, watch Denzel score another Oscar nod for Best Actor. 

Washington rejoined his 'Training Day' director Antoine Fuqua for this remake of the violent classic Western, playing the bounty hunter (and lead) Chisolm.

Denzel earned an Academy Award nomination as Best Actor for his fierce performance in this gritty portrayal of life in a working-class neighborhood. As a producer on the film, he also received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.

Compulsively watchable as a savvy defense attorney driven by his own personal ideals, it was no surprise when the actor received yet another Academy Award nomination.