By Brande Victorian· Updated December 28, 2022
In November 1986, a 32-year-old Denzel Washington graced the cover of ESSENCE. It was the magazine’s Sixth Annual Men’s Issue but his first being the cover star. At the time, Washington had three film roles under his belt, but just one year later he would receive his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Cry Freedom. Two years later
