4. Fences
Denzel’s third film as director saw him step both behind and in front of the camera for an adaptation of August Wilson’s early 1980s play ‘Fences’. Denzel plays Troy Maxson, a proud, loving but flawed husband and father in 1950s Pittsburgh whose disappointments and mistakes seriously affect his relationship with his family, including his wife Rose (Viola Davis) and two sons.
5. American Gangster
Denzel teamed with Ridley Scott for this suitably epic crime saga about Frank Lucas, who in the 1960s trafficked huge amounts of heroin into the United States via the bodies of dead American soldiers in Vietnam. In this stylish biopic, Denzel plays Lucas while Russell Crowe is the cop determined to put him behind bars – a true clash of acting titans.
6. Devil in a Blue Dress
Easy Rawlings is one of the great black fictional heroes: created by author Walter Mosley, he’s an LA-based private detective with all the effortless charm and fascinating flaws of white boys like Philip Marlowe. Sadly, Hollywood’s one attempt to bring Mosley’s stories to screen – this whip-smart thriller with Denzel on smooth form as Rawlings – didn’t do good enough box office to justify a series.
7. Flight
Denzel was nominated for Best Actor for the fourth time as airline pilot Whip Whitaker, who heroically rescues a plane-load of passengers only for it to emerge that he was high on cocaine at the time. The film may be a bit lumpy in places, but Denzel’s absolute commitment to the role is never in doubt.
