Who Is Denzel Washington’s Wife? All About Actress Pauletta Washington

Denzel Washington may have been named the sexiest man alive in 1996, but he caught his wife Pauletta Washington’s eye long before that.

Equalizer star met Pauletta (née Pearson) on the set of his first film in 1977. Wilma. But it wasn’t until months later, at a mutual friend’s party, that the two actually talked.

The couple eventually married in 1983 and had four children. When it comes to raising their now grown children, Denzel gave Pauletta a lot of credit.

“You can buy a house, but that doesn’t make it a home,” Denzel told PEOPLE in 2018. “And not to say that a man can’t make a home a home, but my wife made our house a home, and raised these beautiful children, protected them and she sacrificed herself for them, she lifted heavy jobs.”

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Accepting the 2019 American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award, Denzel said he “wouldn’t have survived” without the love and support of his wife. “I wouldn’t be alive without Paulette Washington,” he said.

The Remember the Titans The actor praised Pauletta again in November 2023, when he appeared on Tom Brady’s radio show, Let’s go! with Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray.

“I am blessed beyond measure with the greatest woman in the world, who is not only a beautiful woman and a great wife and a great mother to our children, but she holds everything together,” Denzel said.

So who is the actress, philanthropist and musician that Denzel Washington can’t live without? Here’s everything you need to know about Pauletta Washington.

She is a classical pianist and singer

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According to Winston-Salem JournalPauletta began entering piano competitions at the age of 10 before studying at the North Carolina School of the Arts, the Juilliard School, and the University of North Texas.

She also recorded the song “It’s In Your Eyes” for the soundtrack of Denzel’s 1993 film. Philadelphia.

She is a successful actress

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Pauletta began her acting career on Broadway, starring in Jesus Christ Superstar and Shakespeare’s cabaret, among others, by the Goodman Theater in Chicago. She then ventured into TV and film, landing her first on-screen role in the same film where she met her future husband.

“The first movie I did – a TV movie – was about Wilma Rudolph and I played Wilma Rudolph’s boyfriend,” Denzel said on Living with Kelly and Ryan 2018. “Pauletta was one of the athletic stars. I met her then, but I didn’t meet her then. I saw her then.”

Since then, she has built an impressive resume on television. From 2017 to 2019, she worked on the adaptation of the series She must have itand in 2021 she played Aretha Franklin’s grandmother Rachel in the biographical series Genius: Aretha Franklin. She also continued to work on Broadway, starring in various productions.

She and Denzel disagree about how they met

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In an interview from 1996 The Oprah Winfrey ShowPauletta revealed that she met Denzel at a party organized by a mutual friend from Wilma.

“Denzel and his friends came at the very end of the party,” she recalled. “We talked again. We got to know each other again. And then the next night I went to the show. And I got there late, so I snuck in and just sat down. I didn’t look at who was around me, and at intermission, the lights came on and we sat together next to the other.”

Pauletta added that over time Denzel began to attract her. “I thought he was cute, but I really fell in love with his spirit,” Winfrey said. “That’s what I saw first. And then I thought, ‘Not a bad package,’ you know?”

While Pauletta made the encounter sound like a happy coincidence, Denzel remembered the moment differently.

“I was talking at that party, I was talking about going to the play. I went to see the play and during the intermission the lights came on and she was sitting [there]”, he recalled Living with Kelly and Ryan. “She said yes it happened to go see a play… I’m getting in trouble while I’m talking!”

She paid for the taxi on their first date

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In 2017, Denzel opened up about his first date with Pauletta during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The actor planned to pay for a taxi to their date, but his plan backfired.

“I was going to splurge and we were going to take a taxi,” he said. “And the meter goes, and I’m like, ‘Uh oh … how far away does she live?’ She paid.”

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She turned down two of Denzel’s proposals

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At the premiere of Denzel’s film in 2013 2 gunsPauletta said Access to Hollywood that he proposed to her three times. Denzel objected, remembering that it had only been twice.

“It was three times. I know with age sometimes things [go]um,” Pauletta joked.

“You heard it here first,” Denzel said. “She rejected me, she said no. And since it was three times, it means she rejected me twice.”

She and Denzel were married in 1983

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Denzel and Pauletta were married in June 1983.

During his appearance at the 2017 Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the actor revealed that their wedding also had a bit of bad luck. “We shook hands so much, took pictures, they ran out of food,” he told Kimmel. “We finished at [a diner], we had eggs or something. True story.”

Following their 35th wedding anniversary in 2018, Denzel told PEOPLE that he and Pauletta kept their celebration low-key. “We just chilled, had a little dinner,” he said. “It was kind of quiet.”

She took a career break to raise their children

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When Denzel started acting in the TV series St. Elsewhere In 1982, Pauletta retired from music and acting to raise their four children.

“When I got pregnant… [St. Elsewhere] was filming in Los Angeles, and I was here on Broadway,” she said in an interview with Wendy Williams in 2011. “Where would a child be, you know, in the air? So I decided that I wanted – it was my choice – to be at home and create a home. I’m so happy I did.”

She is a philanthropist

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Pauletta is a founding member and executive member of The Brain Trust of Cedars-Sinai, a group that raises money and awareness for brain and central nervous system tumor research, according to Spelman College. He is also on the Spelman Board of Directors.

In 2005, she and Denzel received a BET Humanitarian Award, according to CBS News, for the Pauletta and Denzel Washington Gifted Scholars Program in Neuroscience. According to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the program offers undergraduate and graduate researchers the means and resources to work with renowned physicians, neurosurgeons and scientists in their fields.

He enjoys cooking

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In 2018, Denzel spoke with PEOPLE about the secret behind their decades-long marriage. “I do what I’m told. I keep my mouth shut,” he joked.

He also shared what he values ​​most about his wife. “What comes to mind: safety, food, a beautiful home,” he said.

When asked about her cooking, specifically, Denzel added, “She has a few [specialties]. I’ve been eating her curry chicken for as long as I’ve known her. I made it too, but not as good as hers.”

Their children follow in their footsteps

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The couple’s eldest son, John David, began his adult life as a professional footballer. After playing for Morehouse College, John David briefly signed with St. Louis Rams. He also played in Germany for NFL Europe and for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League for three seasons.

John David became famous in Hollywood after his football career. He acted in films like BlackKkKlansman, Principle and Malcolm & Marie. In October 2022, he began performing in a Broadway production Piano lesson with Samuel L. Jackson and Danielle Brooks.

In 2020, John David spoke with PEOPLE about how his parents influenced his career.

“I think the best actor in the industry, in the business, is my father,” he said. “I’m inspired by the kind of career he’s had and what he’s had to do. Again, he’s been on the front lines for many years and what he’s done with that, with his capabilities, I’m just so inspired and continue to be inspired by what he’s doing and how works with an approach to craft and work.”

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As for his mother, he said, “Pauletta Washington gives me inspiration. That’s my mother, the most consistent person in my life.”

The couple’s daughter, Olivia, is also an actress. In the October 2021 appearance on Good morning AmericaDenzel talked about his and Pauletta’s children being well versed in the arts.

“I’m a dad so I’m going to keep saying it: Olivia Washington is a great young actress. A very, very, very good young actress, so come get your brother [John David]”, he joked. “It’s a team sport in our house.”

Their other children both work behind the scenes; son Malcolm is a director and producer, and daughter Katia is also a producer.

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Source: HIS Education