Denzel Washington, born on December 28th, 1954, is a successful American actor, producer, and director who has won numerous awards and is considered one of Hollywood’s best actors.
He is one of the top-box offices draws of the last four decades. His acting career began in the 1970s when he had minor roles in various films before landing his break-out role as a chauffeur in The Great Debaters (2007).
Denzel Washington attended John Burroughs Middle School and later went to public school at Oscar Patterson High School before transferring to the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.
Here are the most inspirational quotes that will motivate you never to give up and make your dreams a reality.
57 Most Inspiring Denzel Washington Quotes
“Nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks. Fall forward. Every failed experiment is one step closer to success.”
“In order to change your life, you must change your thoughts.”
“For me, success in inner peace. That’s a good day for me.”
“So you never know who you touch. You never know how or when you’ll have an impact, or how important your example can be to someone else.”
“You pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too. That’s a part of it.”
“Never confuse movement with progress. Because you can run in place and not get anywhere.”
“Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Don’t be afraid to fail big, to dream big.”
“Dreams are great. In fact, dreams are necessary in life or no one would ever go anywhere! But a dream without a goal, and without action, has no opportunity to come true.”
“If you don’t fail, you’re not even trying.”
“The chances you take, the people you meet, the people you love, the faith that you have. That’s what’s going to define you.”
“I never really had the classic struggle. I had faith.”
“In any profession, it gets to be a grind.”
“Believe that what you are doing is bigger than yourself, and you will find an irreplaceable peace.”
“I work hard for the audience. It’s entertainment. I don’t need validation.”
“If you have an enemy, then learn and know your enemy, don’t just be mad at him or her.”
“If I am a cup maker, I’m interested in making the best cup I possibly can. My effort goes into that cup, not what people think about it”
“Never compromise on who you are. You are born with the capacity to achieve greatness if you so desire. Learning to say no is a critical element to accessing that greatness. Your choices will define you; so make them the right ones.”
“My faith helps me understand that circumstances don’t dictate my happiness, my inner peace.”
“Put God first in everything you do. Everything that I have is by the grace of God, I understand that. It’s a gift. I didn’t always stick with Him, but He stuck with me.”
“Goals on the road to achievement cannot be achieved without discipline and consistency.”
“I say luck is when an opportunity comes along and you’re prepared for it.”
“At the end of the day, it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished. It’s about what you’ve done with those accomplishments. It’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back.”
“Got to be who you are in this world, no matter what.”
“Are you doing what you are truly capable of? Will you be able to live with the regret if you don’t? What scares you the most about going for it?”
“Fall forward!”.
“Never help an ungrateful person get up on their feet. It’s like telling a wolf that you’re a sheep.”
“Faith will get you to a point. Luck will get you to a point. But to achieve the kind of success you dream about, you need to WORK. There are no shortcuts, you can’t cheat life, just get to work and don’t stop until you reach your highest potential.”
“Acting is just a way of making a living, the family is life.”
“You only live once so do what you feel passionate about”
“What it taught me was forgiveness. It taught me that when people present themselves in a certain way, there’s probably some back story or issue or reason for the way that they are. It’s not you. It’s them. And a lot of times, its about something that’s completely out of their control.”
“If you don’t trust the pilot, don’t go.”
“Do what you have to do, to do what you want to do.”
“Black or white good parts are hard to come by. A good actor with a good opportunity has a shot; without the opportunity it doesn’t matter how good you are.”
“Never help an ungrateful person get on their feet.”
“Dreams without goals remain dreams.”
“Luck is where opportunity meets preparation.”
“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.”
“Don’t aspire to make a living, aspire to make a difference.”
“I’d be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I’d been given. I’d be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.”
“The only thing stopping you from achieving your dreams are the stories you keep telling yourself that you can’t. Don’t wait- act now. Regret nothing.”
“Faith is the confidence, the assurance, the enforcing truth, the knowing.”
“Fall forward!”
“My mother never gave up one me. I messed up in school so much they were sending me home, but my mother sent me right back.”
“I don’t concern myself with award. I’d been to the party enough times to know it really didn’t matter.”
“When you do good, you get good! Fulfilment comes from serving others, not just hustling to serve yourself. On the path to success, there is always going to be an opportunity to help someone else be successful too. Take that opportunity, and be the kind of person who makes a difference in the lives of others.”
“I made a commitment to completely cut out drinking and anything that might hamper me from getting my mind and body together. And the floodgates of goodness have opened upon me – spiritually and financially.”
“I think a role model is a mentor – someone you see on a daily basis, and you learn from them.”
“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.”
“Life is a melting pot of knowledge and experience, both your own and that of everyone around you. Don’t be afraid to learn from others mistakes, and take bits of useful information or ideas that help you get better at what you do. Wisdom is there at your fingertips, use it.”
“My mother used to tell me man gives the award, God gives the reward. I don’t need another plague.”
“I still have my unemployment books and I remember when I worked for the sanitation department and the post office.”
“Don’t tell me what was said about me. Tell me why were they so comfortable to say it to you?”
“The time to worrying about flying is when you’re on the ground. When you’re up in the air, it’s too late. No point in worrying about it then.”
“There is a lot of joy to be found in reflecting upon your experiences as you work towards your dreams. Learn to laugh at your failures, smile at your wins and don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself.”
“Success? I don’t know what that word means. I’m happy. But success, that goes back to what in somebody’s eyes success means. For me, success is inner peace. That’s a good day for me.”
“You have to grab moments when they happen. I like to improvise and ad lib.”
“In any profession it gets to be a grind.”
