Isaiah Washington

Isaiah Washington

Washington after a speech at a Student National Medical Association conference, 2008
Born Isaiah Washington IV
(1963-08-03) August 3, 1963
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Occupation Actor
Years active 1991–present
Spouse(s) Jenisa Marie Garland (m. 1996)
Children 3

Isaiah Washington IV (born August 3, 1963) is an American actor. A veteran of several Spike Lee films, Washington is best known for his role as Dr. Preston Burke on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy from 2005 until 2007. Washington currently plays Thelonius Jaha on The CW's The 100.

Early life

Washington was born in Houston, Texas, where his parents were residents in the Houston Heights community. His parents moved 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.

Career

Grey's Anatomy

In 2005, Washington originated the role of gifted cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Preston Burke on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy. His portrayal earned him two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series, as well as a Screen Actors Guild 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 as one of "TV's Sexiest Men" in June 2006, and was named one of TV's sexiest doctors in June 2008 on TV Guide's television channel. Prior to the TV Guide honor, Isaiah was named as one of People'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, Dr. Cristina Yang. The characters had been previously engaged to be married.[1]

Dismissal controversy

In the show's third season, Washington became a central figure in a widely reported backstage controversy. In October 2006, rumors surfaced that Washington had insulted co-star T. R. Knight with a homophobic slur. Shortly after the details of the argument became public, Knight publicly disclosed that he was gay. The situation seemed somewhat resolved when Washington issued a statement, apologizing for his "unfortunate use of words during the recent incident on-set".[2]

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, "No, I did not call T.R. a faggot".[4] However, in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Knight said that "everybody heard him".

After being rebuked by his studio, Touchstone Television (now ABC Studios), Washington issued a statement apologizing at length for using the epithet in an argument with Patrick Dempsey. On January 30, 2007, a source told People magazine that Washington was scheduled to return to the Grey'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 from Network. 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".[5] Washington, in late June 2007, began asserting that racism within the media was a factor in his firing from the series.[6] On July 2, 2007, Washington appeared on Larry King Live on CNN, 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".[7]

In July 2007, NBC decided to cast 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". However, Bionic Woman was cancelled after only eight episodes due to low ratings. Washington himself said that his dismissal from Grey's Anatomy was an unfortunate misunderstanding that he was eager to move past. By the beginning of the next season of Grey's Anatomy, Washington's character "Burke" had left the show following the end of the season finale.

In January 2014, in an interview with I Am Entertainment magazine, Washington spoke about life after Grey'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."[8]

Recent work

Washington is playing the role of Chancellor Jaha in The 100, an American post-apocalyptic drama television series that began airing on The 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 also starred in the film Blue Caprice, which was inspired by the Beltway sniper attacks during which two men, John Muhammed (played by Washington) and Lee Malvo (Tequan Richmond), conducted a siege of terror on the Washington, D.C. area. The film was released in theaters on September 13, 2013.[9]

Personal life

Washington married Jenisa Marie Garland on February 14, 1996. The couple have three children. Washington has written a book called A 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 from Sierra Leone in West Africa. Since learning about his history, Washington has traveled to Sierra Leone, donated medical supplies to a hospital there, and built a school.[10][11] Washington has endorsed Jill Stein for President of the United States.[12]

Genealogical inquiry

Washington is of African descent. A genealogical 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 the Mende and Temne peoples there. In May 2006 he visited Sierra Leone, and received a warm welcome from the local people. He travelled to Sierra Leone in May 2006 marking the beginning of his charity work and was granted Sierra Leonean Citizenship, making him the first African American to be granted full citizenship based on DNA.

His paternal ancestry links him to the Mbundu people, an ethnic group in Angola.[13][14]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1991 The Color of Love (film) N/A
1991 Land Where My Fathers Died Malcolm Short film
1991 Strictly Business Hustler
1993 Strapped Willie Television movie
1994 Crooklyn Vic
1994 Alma's Rainbow Miles
1995 Stonewall Uniformed Cop
1995 Clockers Victor Dunham
1995 Dead Presidents Andrew Curtis Uncredited
1996 Girl 6 Shoplifter
1996 Mr. and Mrs. Loving Blue Television movie
1996 Get on the Bus Kyle
1996 Soul of the Game Adult Willie Mays Television movie
1997 Love Jones Savon Garrison
1997 Joe Torre: Curveballs Along the Way Dwight Gooden Television movie
1998 Always Outnumbered Wilfred Television movie
1998 Mixing Nia Lewis
1998 Bulworth Darnell
1998 Rituals Wendal Short film
1999 True Crime Frank Louis Beechum
1999 Out of Sight Kenneth Miller
1999 A Texas Funeral Walter
2000 Veil Bentley
2000 Romeo Must Die Mac First time working with DMX, Anthony Anderson and Andrzej Bartkowiak.
2000 Dancing in September George Washington Television movie
Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
2000 Kin Stone
2001 Tara Max
2001 Exit Wounds George Clark Second time working with DMX, Anthony Anderson and Andrzej Bartkowiak.
2001 Sacred Is the Flesh Roland
2002 Welcome to Collinwood Leon
2002 Ghost Ship Greer
2003 Hollywood Homicide Antoine Sartain
2003 This Girl's Life Shane
2004 Wild Things 2 Terence Bridge
2004 Dead Birds Todd
2004 Trois: The Escort Bernard 'Benny' Grier
2005 The Moguls Homer
2008 The Least of These Father Andre James
2010 Hurricane Season Coach Buddy Simmons
2011 Área Q Thomas Mathews
2012 The Undershepherd L.C.
2013 Blue Caprice John Muhammed Nominated—Black Reel Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Nominated—Gotham Independent Award for Best Actor
2013 Doctor Bello Dr. Michael Durant
2014 Blackbird Lance Rousseau

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1991 Law & Order Derek Hardy Episode: "Out of Control"
1994 Homicide: Life on the Street Lane Staley Episode: "Black and Blue"
1994 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 2 episodes
1996 Living Single Dr. Charles Roberts 3 episodes
1997 High Incident Rulon 'RuDog' Douglas Episode: "Remote Control"
1998 Ally McBeal Michael Rivers 2 episodes
2000 Soul Food Miles Jenkins 3 episodes
2001 Touched by an Angel Reverend Davis Episode: "A Death in the Family"
2001 All My Children Police Officer Episode: "5 July 2001"
2005–2007,
2014		 Grey's Anatomy Preston Burke Main Cast (Season 1–3)
Guest (Season 10): 62 episodes
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series (2006–07)
Satellite Award for Best Cast – Television Series
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Nominated—Golden Nymph Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
2007 Bionic Woman Antonio Pope 5 episodes
2008 The Cleaner Keith Bowen Episode: "The Eleventh Hour"
2011 Law & Order: LA Roland Davidson Episode: "Carthay Circle"
2011 Single Ladies Noland Episode: "Confidence Games"
2014–present The 100 Chancellor Thelonious Jaha 42 episodes

Awards and nominations

Image Awards

Year Category Nominated Work Result
2002 Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Dancing in September Nominated
2006 Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Grey's Anatomy Won
2007 Won

Screen Actors Guild Awards

Year Category Nominated Work Result
2006 Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Grey's Anatomy Nominated
2007 Won
2008 Nominated

References

  1. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (March 7, 2014). "Isaiah Washington Returning to 'Grey's Anatomy'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  2. ↑ "EXCLUSIVE: Isaiah Washington Apologizes". People. October 25, 2006.
  3. ↑ The Associated Press (January 15, 2007). "Isaiah Washington: 'I Love Gay'". Access Hollywood. Archived from the original on 2007-01-20. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
  4. ↑ "Transcript of Interview with Isaiah Washington and Brooke Anderson". Showbiz Tonight. CNN.com. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  5. ↑ "ABC drops Washington from Grey's Anatomy". Cbc.ca. June 8, 2007. Archived from the original on June 11, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-08.
  6. ↑ "Racism was a factor", Washington Post, June 28, 2007
  7. ↑ For the transcript, see http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0707/02/lkl.01.html
  8. ↑ Freeman, Shaine (January 17, 2014). "Isaiah Washington the Millennium Triumph Man". I Am Entertainment.
  9. ↑ Ito, Robert (September 12, 2013). "After African Detour, Isaiah Washington Is Back on Screen". The New York Times.
  10. ↑ TV Star Isaiah Washington on “Game Changers” Tonight, Tami DeVine, Crown City News
  11. ↑ Gloria Betts and Umaru Kebbay take the initiative to make the difference at home during Sierra Leone’s 50th Independence Anniversary Celebration, Cocorioko, May 26, 2011
  12. ↑ Tom Cahill (July 12, 2016). "Donations to Jill Stein Explode Nearly 1000% Since Sanders' Endorsement of Clinton". uncut.com.
  13. ↑ Isaiah Washington, Master of Ceremonies and Star of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy
  14. ↑ Superiorpics.com
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