Quotes from Denzel Washington

My mother used to tell me man gives the award, God gives the reward. I don't need another plaque.

Here's the secret to a happy marriage: Do what your wife tells you.

I never really had the classic struggle. I had faith.

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.

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'm not a film buff. I don't watch a lot of movies.

Everybody has a job to do. There are people in Iraq on both sides of this war who do what they do for religious reasons, and they feel with God on their side. Some people are good at annihilating people. Maybe that's their gift.

My ultimate life dream project is my kids. My family.

Growing up I didn't watch movies.

If you don't trust the pilot, don't go.

Michelle Pfeiffer hasn't been finding a lot of work recently because she doesn't like what a woman her age is offered. That's a real double standard. You get Sean Connery, who gets older and older, still playing opposite young ladies, but it doesn't work the other way around.

I wasn't allowed to go to movies when I was kid my father was a minister. 101 Dalmatians and King of Kings, that was the extent of it.

Acting is just a way of making a living; the family is life.

I had a lot of success from the start. I never really was tested for long periods of time. I got my first professional job while I was a senior in college. I signed with the William Morris Agency before I graduated.

It's simple: You get a part. You play a part. You play it well. You do your work and you go home. And what is wonderful about movies is that once they're done, they belong to the people. Once you make it, it's what they see. That's where my head is at.

Do what you gotta do so you can do what you wanna do.

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. Its about who you've lifted up, who you've made better. It about what you've given back" (23).

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 have an enemy, then learn and know your enemy, don't just be mad at him or her

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" (20).

Luck is when opportunity meets preparation.

The strongest, toughest men all have compassion. They're not heartless and cold. You have to be man enough to have compassion - to care about people and about your children" (217) - John Singleton "Oh Man, I've Become My Father

We do what we have to so we can do what we want to.

You pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too. That's a part of it.