Isaiah Washington
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| Isaiah Washington | |
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| Born | Isaiah Washington IV August 3, 1963 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) | Jenisa Marie Washington (1999 - present) |
Isaiah Washington IV (born August 3, 1963) is an American film and television actor.
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[edit] Personal life
[edit] Early life
Washington was born in Houston, Texas, where his parents were residents in the Houston Heights community. His parents relocated to Missouri City, Texas around 1980, where he was one of the first graduates from Willowridge High School, Houston, in 1981. Washington revealed in an interview with Star Jones that his father, after whom he was named, was murdered when he was 13 years old. Washington went on to serve in the United States Air Force and attended Howard University.
[edit] Marriage and family
Washington married Jenisa Marie Washington on February 14, 1999. The couple have three children.
A DNA test suggested Washington's maternal ancestry likely traces back to Sierra Leone, and that he is probably of Mende descent. In December 2006 he visited his ancestral homeland, and received a warm welcome from the local people.[1][2]
[edit] Charity work
Inspired by his discovery of his direct genetic link to the Mende people of Sierra Leone, Washington, like Oprah Winfrey, has become known for his philanthropy in Africa. In 2005, he founded the Gondobay Manga Foundation [1], which advocates cooperative planning to achieve positive, timely improvements in the lives of the people of Sierra Leone. In May 2006, during a visit to Sierra Leone, Washington was named Chief Gondobay Manga by the Mende people. He later decided to use the name for his non-profit.
In November 2007, Washington and the Gondobay Manga Foundation opened its first school, Chief Foday Golia Memorial School, in the Njala Kendema village for 150 students in grades K-5. The new school replaces a former condemned building not suited for occupants. The school was named in honor of the former leader of the Njala Kendema village. In addition to building the school, Washington and the Gondobay Manga Foundation also donated uniforms and school supplies for each student. In March 2007, Washington donated $25,000 to the computer reconstruction project of Bunce Island. At the helm of the project are James Madison University professors Joseph Opala and Gary Chatelain, an historian and a computer artist. Opala and Chatelain are using their expertise to reconstruct the slave castle as it appeared in the year 1805. Their computer image will eventually serve as an educational tool for students and scholars.
Washington also has done charity work with the the White House Summit on Malaria to fight the war against malaria in Sierra Leone as well as other countries in Africa. He has also filmed PSAs for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, among others. He is also active in promoting the arts, having hosted the recent 16th Annual Pan-African Film Festival. In addition to The Gondobay Manga Foundation, Washington also works with Coalhouse Productions to get food to the needy in Los Angeles.
[edit] Career
[edit] Grey's Anatomy
Washington is perhaps best known for his role as the gifted cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Preston Burke on Grey's Anatomy, a portrayal that earned him two NAACP Image Award for Best Actor in a Drama series as well as a SAG Award. He was paired onscreen with Sandra Oh, who plays intern Dr. Cristina Yang. Washington had originally auditioned for the role of Dr. Derek Shepherd, which ultimately went to Patrick Dempsey. Burke had originally been described as a nebbishy, stout forty-something man. For his portrayal of Dr. Burke, Isaiah was honored by TV Guide Magazine as one of "TV's Sexiest Men" in June 2006. Prior to the TV Guide honor, Isaiah was named as one of People Magazine's "50 Beautiful People" in May 2006.
[edit] Grey's Anatomy controversy
In the show's third season, Washington became a central figure in widely-reported backstage controversy. In October 2006, news reports surfaced that Washington had grabbed co-star Patrick Dempsey by the throat. It was reported that the altercation was prompted by or related to Washington's use of a derogatory epithet toward co-star T. R. Knight and his sexuality. Shortly after the details of the argument became public, Knight publicly disclosed that he is gay. The situation seemed somewhat resolved when Washington issued a statement, apologizing for his "unfortunate use of words during the recent incident on-set."[citation needed]
The controversy later resurfaced when the cast appeared at the Golden Globes in January 2007. While being interviewed on the red carpet prior to the awards, Washington joked, "I love gay. I wanted to be gay. Please let me be gay."[3] After the show won Best Drama, Washington, in response to press queries as to any conflicts backstage, said that he had never referred to Knight as a "faggot." However, in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Knight said that Washington had, in fact, used that particular epithet.[4]
After being rebuked by his studio, Touchstone Television (now ABC Studios), issued a statement where Washington, again apologizes for using the epithet and stated that he has "asked for help" in "dealing with issues [he] obviously needs to examine within [his] own soul."[citation needed] On January 30, 2007, a source told People magazine that Washington was scheduled to return to the Grey's Anatomy set as early on that Thursday for the first time since entering "executive counseling" after making a homophobic slur.
However, on June 7, 2007, ABC announced they had decided not to renew Washington's contract, and that he would be dropped from the show. "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore," Washington said in a statement released by his publicist, borrowing the famous Howard Beale line from Network.[5] In another report, Washington stated he was planning to "spend the summer pursuing charity work in Sierra Leone, work on an independent film and avoid worrying about the show."[6] In a subsequent interview, Washington claimed that "they fired the wrong guy" (referring to T.R. Knight) and said he was considering filing a lawsuit as a result. He accused Knight of using the controversy to bolster his own career and increase his salary on Grey's Anatomy.[7]
Washington, in late June 2007, began asserting that racism was a factor in his firing from the series.[8] On July 2, 2007, Washington appeared on Larry King Live on CNN, to present his side of the controversy.[9] According to Washington, he never used the "F Word" in reference to T.R. Knight, but rather blurted it out in an unrelated context in the course of an argument "provoked" by castmate Patrick Dempsey, who, he felt, was treating him like a "B-word," a "P-word," and the "F-word," which Washington said meant "weak."
[edit] Recent work
In July 2007 NBC decided to cast Isaiah Washington as a guest star in a story arc in its new series Bionic Woman. NBC co-chairman Ben Silverman noted his eagerness to work with Washington saying it would be "like A-Rod leaving the Yankees in midseason."[10] Washington himself said that his dismissal from Grey's Anatomy was an unfortunate misunderstanding that he is eager to move past. After a few episodes, however, Washington's character was killed off, and Bionic Woman was ultimately canceled.
[edit] Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
| 1991 | The Color of Love | ||
| Land Where My Fathers Died | Malcolm | Short film | |
| Strictly Business | Hustler | ||
| 1994 | Crooklyn | Vic | |
| Alma's Rainbow | Miles | ||
| 1995 | Stonewall | Uniformed Cop | |
| Clockers | Victor Dunham | ||
| Dead Presidents | Andrew Curtis | Uncredited Role | |
| 1996 | Girl 6 | Shoplifter | |
| Get on the Bus | Kyle | ||
| 1997 | Love Jones | Savon Garrison | |
| 1998 | Mixing Nia | Lewis | |
| Bulworth | Darnell | ||
| Rituals | Wendal | Short film | |
| 1999 | True Crime | Frank Louis Beechum | |
| Out of Sight | Kenneth | ||
| A Texas Funeral | Walter | ||
| 2000 | Veil | Bentley | |
| Romeo Must Die | Mac | ||
| Kin | Stone | ||
| 2001 | Tara | Max | Direct-to-Video Release |
| Exit Wounds | George Clark | ||
| Sacred Is the Flesh | Roland | ||
| 2002 | Welcome to Collinwood | Leon | |
| Ghost Ship | Greer | ||
| 2003 | Hollywood Homicide | Antoine Sartain | |
| This Girl's Life | Shane | ||
| 2004 | Wild Things 2 | Terence Bridge | Direct-to-Video Release |
| Dead Birds | Todd | ||
| Trois 3: The Escort | Bernard 'Benny' Grier | Direct-to-Video Release | |
| 2005 | The Moguls | Homer | |
| 2008 | The Least of These | Father Andre James | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1991 | Law & Order | Derek Hardy | Episode: Out of Control |
| 1993 | Strapped | Willie | HBO TV-Movie |
| 1994 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Lane Staley | Episode: Black and Blue |
| Lifestories: Families in Crisis | O.G. | Episode: POWER-The Eddie Matos Story | |
| 1995 | NYPD Blue | Antonio Boston | Episode: E.R. |
| 1996 | Mr. and Mrs. Loving | Blue | ABC TV-Movie |
| New York Undercover | Andre Morgan | Episode: Sympathy For the Devil Episode: Andre's Choice |
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| Soul of the Game | Adult Willie Mays | HBO TV-Movie | |
| Living Single | Dr. Charles Roberts | Episode: I've Got You Under My Skin Episode: Virgin Territory Episode: Doctor in the House |
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| 1997 | High Incident | Rulon 'RuDog' Douglas | Episode: Remote Control |
| Joe Torre: Curveballs Along the Way | Dwight Gooden | TV-Movie | |
| 1998 | Always Outnumbered | Wilfred | HBO TV-Movie |
| Ally McBeal | Michael Rivers | Episode: The Inmates Episode: Being There |
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| 2000 | Dancing in September | George Washington | HBO TV-Movie |
| Soul Food | Miles Jenkins | Episode: The More Things Change Episode: The More Things Stay the Same Episode: Heart of the Matter |
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| 2001 | Touched by an Angel | Reverend Davis | Episode: A Death in the Family |
| All My Children | Police Officer | Episode: 5 July 2001 | |
| 2005–2007 | Grey's Anatomy | Preston Burke | |
| 2007 | Bionic Woman | Antonio Pope | |
[edit] Awards and nominations
- 2002: Nominated, "Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special" - Dancing in September
- 2006: Won, "Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series" - Grey's Anatomy
- 2007: Won, "Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series" - Grey's Anatomy
- 2006: Nominated, "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series" - Grey's Anatomy
- 2007: Won, "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series" - Grey's Anatomy
- 2008: Nominated, "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series" - Grey's Anatomy
[edit] References
- ^ Isaiah Washington, Master of Ceremonies and Star of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy
- ^ Superiorpics.com
- ^ The Associated Press (17 January 2007). Isaiah Washington: "I Love Gay". Access Hollywood. Retrieved on 2007-01-17.
- ^ The Associated Press (17 January 2007). T.R. Knight says 'Grey' co-star Isaiah Washington's used slur about him. The International Herald Tribune. Retrieved on 2007-02-28.
- ^ "Washington Out of `Grey's Anatomy'", The Washington Post, 8 June 2007. Retrieved on 2007-06-08.
- ^ "ABC drops Washington from Grey's Anatomy", Cbc.ca, 8 June 2007. Retrieved on 2007-06-08.
- ^ Grey's star says they fired the wrong guy, Houston Chronicle, June 21, 2007
- ^ "Racism was a factor",Washington Post, June 28, 2007
- ^ For the transcript, see http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0707/02/lkl.01.html
- ^ Isaiah Washington goes Bionic
[edit] External links
- Isaiah Washington at the Internet Movie Database
- Isaiah Washington - The Infamous Moment at the Golden Globes.
- The Gondobay Manga Foundation- The Gondobay Manga Foundation- Making a difference for Sierra Leone and its people.
- Coalhouse Productions - Coalhouse Productions- Making a difference in Los Angeles
- Isaiah Washington at TV.com
- Isaiah Washington goes Bionic
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