Isaiah Washington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Isaiah Washington
Washington at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	Isaiah Washington IV (1963-08-03) August 3, 1963 (age 61) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Citizenship	United States Sierra Leone
Alma mater	Howard University
Occupation	Actor film producer
Years active	1991–present

Isaiah Washington IV (born August 3, 1963) is an actor and film producer. He has citizenship in both Sierra Leone and the United States. He became well-known for playing Dr. Preston Burke in the TV show Grey's Anatomy.

Isaiah Washington started his acting journey by working with director Spike Lee. He appeared in several of Lee's films, like Crooklyn (1994) and Clockers (1995). He also acted in many other movies such as Love Jones (1997) and Romeo Must Die (2000).

In 2005, he got a big role as Dr. Preston Burke on Grey's Anatomy. After leaving the show, he returned for a special guest appearance in 2014. From 2014 to 2018, he played Thelonious Jaha in the science fiction TV series The 100. In 2020, he started hosting a travel cooking show. He also directed his first movie, Corsicana, in 2022.

Growing Up

Isaiah Washington was born in Houston, Texas. His family lived in the Houston Heights area. Around 1980, they moved to Missouri City, Texas. He was one of the first students to graduate from Willowridge High School in 1981.

When Isaiah was 13 years old, his father passed away. At 19, he joined the United States Air Force. He worked on the Northrop T-38 Talon aircraft. His first job was at Clark Air Base in the Philippines. After that, he spent two years at Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo, New Mexico. After serving in the Air Force, he went to Howard University.

Acting Career

First Roles in Movies

Isaiah Washington's first movie was Strictly Business in 1991. After that, he worked with director Spike Lee many times. Between 1994 and 1996, he was in Lee's films like Crooklyn, Clockers, and Get on the Bus.

He also had roles in other movies. These included Dead Presidents, Love Jones, and Out of Sight. He appeared in Romeo Must Die and Exit Wounds too.

Starring in Grey's Anatomy

In 2005, Isaiah Washington began playing Dr. Preston Burke. This was a main role on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Dr. Burke was a very skilled heart surgeon.

His acting earned him two NAACP Image Awards for Best Actor in a Drama Series. He also won a Screen Actors Guild Award with the cast. On the show, his character was often with Cristina Yang, played by Sandra Oh. Isaiah had first tried out for a different role, Dr. Derek Shepherd.

In March 2014, ABC announced that Isaiah Washington would return to Grey's Anatomy. He came back for a guest appearance in season 10. This was part of a storyline to say goodbye to Sandra Oh's character, Cristina Yang.

Later Work (2014-Present)

From 2014 to 2018, Washington played Chancellor Jaha in The 100. This was an American TV show about a future world after an apocalypse. The show aired on The CW Television Network. His character was written off the show in the fifth season.

Washington also starred in the movie Blue Caprice. This film was based on the real-life 2002 D.C. sniper attacks. Washington played John Allen Muhammad, one of the people involved. The movie was released in theaters in 2013.

In 2020, he started hosting a travel and cooking show. It is called Isaiah Washington: Kitchen Talk on Fox Nation. In 2022, he directed his first movie, Corsicana. He also helped write the film and acted in it.

Personal Life

Isaiah Washington has explored his family history. He wrote a book called A Man from Another Land. This book talks about his early life and acting career. It also shares his journey to find his roots. A genealogical DNA test showed his ancestors came from Sierra Leone in West Africa.

The test showed he has links to the Mende and Temne groups there. After learning this, Washington visited Sierra Leone. He has donated medical supplies to a hospital and helped build a school. In May 2006, he was given Sierra Leonean citizenship. This made him the first African American to get full citizenship based on DNA. He also received a special title from the Mende people, becoming Gondobay Manga II. His father's family also has links to the Mbundu people in Angola.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Isaiah Washington para niños