Isaiah Washington | |
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 Washington at the 2013San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | Isaiah Washington IV (1963-08-03)August 3, 1963 (age 62)[1] |
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| Alma mater | Howard University |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1991–present |
Isaiah Washington IV (born August 3, 1963) is an American actor. Following a series of film appearances, he came to prominence asDr. Preston Burke inGrey's Anatomy (2005–2007; 2014)
Washington began his career collaborating with directorSpike Lee on the filmsCrooklyn (1994),Clockers (1995),Girl 6 (1996), andGet on the Bus (1996). He also appeared in the filmsLove Jones (1997),Bulworth (1998),Out of Sight (1998),True Crime (1999),Romeo Must Die (2000),Exit Wounds (2001),Ghost Ship (2002), andHollywood Homicide (2003). In 2005, Washington landed his breakthrough role as Preston Burke onGrey's Anatomy. He was dismissed after the third season due to his alleged usage of a homophobic slur while in argument with Patrick Dempsey and allegedly referring to a cast member,T. R. Knight, although he would return for a guest appearance in 2014 as one of the most anticipated returns in television history[citation needed]. From 2014 to 2018, Washington portrayedThelonious Jaha onThe CW'sscience fiction television seriesThe 100.
In 2020, Washington became the host of a travel cooking show onFox Nation.[3] In 2022, he made his directorial debut with the Western filmCorsicana (2022).
Washington was born inHouston,Texas, where his parents were residents in theHouston Heights community. His parents moved toMissouri City, Texas around 1980, where he was one of the first graduates fromWillowridge High School, Houston, in 1981. Washington revealed in an interview withStar Jones that his father, after whom he was named, was murdered when he was 13 years old. He joined theUnited States Air Force when he was 19 years old, where he worked on theNorthrop T-38 Talon.[citation needed] His first assignment was atClark Air Base in the Philippines followed by two years atHolloman Air Force Base inAlamogordo, New Mexico.[2] After serving in the Air Force, he attendedHoward University.
Washington made his feature film debut in 1991'sStrictly Business before engaging in a string of collaborations with directorSpike Lee. Between 1994 and 1996, Washington appeared in Lee's filmsCrooklyn,Clockers,Girl 6, andGet on the Bus. He also had roles in the filmsStonewall,Dead Presidents,Love Jones,Out of Sight,Bulworth,True Crime,Romeo Must Die,Exit Wounds,Hollywood Homicide, andWild Things 2.
In 2005, Washington originated the role of giftedcardiothoracic surgeonDr. Preston Burke on theABCmedical dramaGrey's Anatomy. His portrayal earned him twoNAACP Image Awards forOutstanding Actor in a Drama Series, as well as aScreen Actors Guild Award. He was paired onscreen withSandra Oh, who plays internCristina Yang. Washington had originally auditioned for the role ofDerek Shepherd, which ultimately went toPatrick Dempsey. Burke had originally been described as a nebbishy, stout forty-something man. For his portrayal of Burke, Isaiah was honored byTV Guide as one of "TV's Sexiest Men" in June 2006, and was named one of TV's sexiest doctors in June 2008 onTV Guide's television channel. Prior to theTV Guide honor, Isaiah was named as one ofPeople's "50 Beautiful People" in May 2006. On March 6, 2014, ABC announced that Washington would be returning to the show in a guest appearance as Burke. He returned in season 10, which served as part of a farewell storyline for Sandra Oh's character, Cristina Yang. The characters had been previously engaged to be married.[4]
In the show's third season, Washington became a central figure in a widely reported backstage controversy. In October 2006, rumors surfaced that Washington allegedly insulted co-starT. R. Knight with ahomophobic slur while arguing with Patrick Dempsey. Knight was not on the set at the time. Shortly after the details of the argument became public, Knight publicly disclosed that he wasgay. There were rumors that Knight was going to be outed by the media. Washington issued a public apology for his "unfortunate use of words during the recent incident on-set".[5]
While being interviewed on thered carpet at theGolden Globes in January 2007, Washington joked, "I love gay. I wanted to be gay. Please let me be gay".[6] After the show won Best Drama, Washington, in response to press queries as to any conflicts backstage, said, "No, I did not call T.R. a faggot".[7] However, in an interview withEllen DeGeneres onThe Ellen DeGeneres Show, Knight said that "everybody heard him".
After being rebuked by his studio, Touchstone Television (nowABC Studios), Washington issued a statement apologizing at length for using the epithet in an argument with Patrick Dempsey. On January 30, 2007, a source toldPeople magazine that Washington was scheduled to return to theGrey's Anatomy set as early as that Thursday for the first time since entering "executive counseling" after making the comments at the Golden Globes.
However, on June 7, 2007, ABC announced it 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 line fromNetwork). In another report, Washington stated he was planning to "spend the summer pursuing charity work inSierra Leone, work on an independent film and avoid worrying about the show".[8] Washington, in late June 2007, began asserting thatracism within the media was a factor in his firing from the series.[9] On July 2, 2007, Washington appeared onLarry King Live onCNN, to present his side of the controversy. According to Washington, he never used the "F Word" in reference to Knight, but rather told Dempsey to stop treating him like a "F-word" during an argument "provoked" by Dempsey, who, he felt, was treating him like a "B-word", a "P-word", and the "F-word", which Washington said conveyed "somebody who is being weak and afraid to fight back". He also disputed the accusations made by Knight, who he claimed was misrepresenting himself out of disappointment over his character.[10]
In July 2007, NBC cast Washington as a guest star in a story arc in its new seriesBionic Woman. NBC co-chairman Ben Silverman noted his eagerness to work with Washington, saying it would be "likeA-Rod leaving theYankees in midseason". However,Bionic Woman was cancelled after only eight episodes due to low ratings. Washington himself said that his dismissal fromGrey's Anatomy was an unfortunate misunderstanding that he was eager to move past. By the beginning of the next season ofGrey's Anatomy, Washington's character "Burke" was written out of the show following the end of the season finale.
In January 2014, in an interview withI Am Entertainment magazine, Washington spoke about life afterGrey's Anatomy and he stated, "I don't worry about whether or not the stories I tell will destroy my acting career, because you can't take away something that doesn't exist. They killed the actor [in me] on June 7, 2007."[11]
Washington played the role of Chancellor Jaha inThe 100, an American post-apocalyptic drama television series that began airing onThe CW Television Network in spring 2014. The series is based on a book of the same name by Kass Morgan, and developed by Jason Rothenberg. Washington's character was killed in the second episode of the show's fifth season, "Red Queen".
Washington also starred in the filmBlue Caprice, which was inspired by the 2002D.C. sniper attacks. Washington portrayed perpetratorJohn Allen Muhammad, withTequan Richmond playing Muhammed's accompliceLee Boyd Malvo. The film was released in theaters on September 13, 2013.[12]
Washington began hosting a travel and cooking showIsaiah Washington: Kitchen Talk onFox Nation, the streaming service arm of theFox conglomerate, in 2020.[3]
In 2022, Washington made his directorial debut with the filmCorsicana, which he also co-wrote and starred in.[13]
Washington endorsedJill Stein for President of the United States in 2016,[14] but has since become a member of the#WalkAway movement.[15]
In 2019, Washington expressed political alignment with theRepublican Party.[16]
Washington is ofAfrican descent. He has written a book calledA Man from Another Land, which chronicles Washington's early life, his TV and film career, and his search to find his roots after going through a DNA test that showed his ancestors came fromSierra Leone in West Africa.[citation needed] Agenealogical DNA test conducted by African Ancestry, Inc. revealed that Washington's maternal ancestry can be traced to what is now Sierra Leone, and that he has an ancestral link to theMende andTemne peoples there. Since learning about his history, Washington has traveled to Sierra Leone, donated medical supplies to a hospital there, and built a school.[17][18] He traveled to Sierra Leone in May 2006 marking the beginning of his charity work and was granted Sierra Leoneancitizenship, making him the firstAfrican American to be granted fullcitizenship based on DNA.[19] He has also been vested with achieftaincy title of the Mende people in appreciation for his work in the country, taking theregnal name ofGondobay Manga II.[20] His paternal ancestry also links him to theMbundu people, an ethnic group inAngola.[21][22]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Land Where My Fathers Died | Malcolm | Short subject |
| Strictly Business | Hustler | ||
| The Color of Love | - | ||
| 1993 | Strapped | Willie | TV movie |
| 1994 | Crooklyn | Vic | |
| Alma's Rainbow | Miles | ||
| 1995 | Stonewall | Uniformed Cop | |
| Clockers | Victor Dunham | ||
| Dead Presidents | Andrew Curtis | ||
| 1996 | Girl 6 | Shoplifter | |
| Mr. and Mrs. Loving | Blue | TV movie | |
| Soul of the Game | AdultWillie Mays | TV movie | |
| Get on the Bus | Kyle | ||
| 1997 | Love Jones | Savon Garrison | |
| Joe Torre: Curveballs Along the Way | Dwight Gooden | TV movie | |
| The Player | - | TV movie | |
| 1998 | Always Outnumbered | Wilfred | TV movie |
| Mixing Nia | Lewis | ||
| Bulworth | Darnell | ||
| Rituals | Wendal | Short subject | |
| Out of Sight | Kenneth Miller | ||
| 1999 | True Crime | Frank Louis Beechum | |
| A Texas Funeral | Walter | ||
| 2000 | Dancing in September | George Washington | |
| Romeo Must Die | Mac | ||
| Kin | Stone | ||
| Veil | Bentley | Short subject | |
| 2001 | Exit Wounds | George Clark | |
| Tara | Max | ||
| 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 | |
| Dead Birds | Todd | ||
| Trois: The Escort | Bernard 'Benny' Grier | ||
| 2005 | The Moguls | Homer | |
| 2008 | The Least of These | Father Andre James | |
| 2009 | Hurricane Season | Coach Buddy Simmons | |
| 2011 | Area Q | Thomas Mathews | |
| 2012 | David E. Talbert's Suddenly Single | Sylvester Stone Sr. | |
| The Undershepherd | L.C. | ||
| 2013 | Blue Caprice | John Allen Muhammad | |
| Doctor Bello | Dr. Michael Durant | ||
| Go for Sisters | Vernell | ||
| They Die by Dawn | Ben Hodges | ||
| The Trials of Cate McCall | Wilson George | ||
| Not 4 Sale | Sidney Poitier | Short subject | |
| 2014 | Blackbird | Lance Rousseau | |
| Vice Versa | Dr. Jack | Short subject | |
| 2015 | The Sin Seer | Grant Summit | |
| 2016 | Secret Summer | Gus | TV movie |
| 2017 | Dead Trigger | Rockstock | |
| 2018 | Behind the Movement | E.D. Nixon | TV movie |
| 2019 | Keys to the City | August King | |
| 2020 | Cut Throat City | Sinclair Stewart | |
| Trump Card | Himself | Documentary | |
| 2021 | God's Not Dead: We the People | Rep. Daryl Smith | [23] |
| 2022 | James the Second | Dr. Ramesh | |
| Corsicana | Bass Reeves | Also director, writer and executive producer | |
| 2024 | God's Not Dead: In God We Trust | Rep. Daryl Smith |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Law & Order | Derek Hardy | Episode: "Out of Control" |
| 1992 | Loving | Dr. Ron Turner | Regular Cast |
| 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 | New York Undercover | Andre Morgan | Recurring cast: season 2 |
| Living Single | Dr. Charles Roberts | Recurring cast: season 4 | |
| 1997 | High Incident | Rulon "RuDog" Douglas | Episode: "Remote Control" |
| 1998 | Ally McBeal | Michael Rivers | Episode: "The Inmates" & "Being There" |
| 2000 | Soul Food | Miles Jenkins | Recurring cast: season 1 |
| 2001 | Touched by an Angel | Rev. Austin Davis | Episode: "A Death in the Family" |
| All My Children | Police Officer | Episode: "Episode #1.8125" | |
| 2005–07, 2014 | Grey's Anatomy | Dr. Preston Burke | Main cast: season 1-3, guest: season 10 |
| 2007 | Bionic Woman | Antonio Pope | Recurring cast |
| 2008 | The Cleaner | Keith Bowen | Episode: "The Eleventh Hour" |
| 2011 | Law & Order: LA | Roland Davidson | Episode: "Carthay Circle" |
| Single Ladies | Noland | Episode: "Confidence Games" | |
| 2014–18 | The 100 | Thelonious Jaha | Main cast: season 1-5 |
| 2017 | Blue Bloods | Chief Travis Jackson | Episode: "A Deep Blue Goodbye" |
| Bull | Jules Caffrey | Episode: "Bring It On" | |
| Survivor's Remorse | Rodney Barker | Recurring cast: season 4 | |
| 2019 | Tales | Malcolm | Episode: "Brothers" |
| 2020 | Isaiah Washington: Kitchen Talk | Himself | Host[24] |
| 2020–22 | P-Valley | Mayor Tydell Ruffin | Recurring cast: season 1, guest: season 2 |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | Dancing in September | Nominated |
| 2006 | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Grey's Anatomy | Won | |
| Satellite Awards | Satellite Award for Best Cast – Television Series | Won | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Won | ||
| Monte-Carlo Television Festival | Golden Nymph Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated | ||
| 2007 | NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Won | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Black Reel Awards | Black Reel Award for Outstanding Actor | Blue Caprice | Nominated |
| Gotham Awards | Gotham Independent Award for Best Actor | Nominated |
