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 American actor and film producer. He is well-known for playing Dr. Preston Burke in the popular medical TV show Grey's Anatomy. He also starred as Thelonious Jaha in the science fiction series The 100.

Washington has appeared in many movies, often working with the famous director Spike Lee. Some of his early films include Crooklyn (1994), Clockers (1995), and Get on the Bus (1996). He also acted in movies like Romeo Must Die (2000) and Exit Wounds (2001).

From 2014 to 2018, Washington played Chancellor Thelonious Jaha on the TV show The 100. In 2020, he started hosting his own travel and cooking show. He also directed his first movie, a Western called Corsicana, in 2022.

Early Life and Education

Isaiah Washington was born in Houston, Texas. When he was a teenager, his family moved to Missouri City, Texas. He was in the first graduating class of Willowridge High School in 1981. Washington has shared that he faced a great loss as a teenager when his father passed away.

At age 19, he joined the United States Air Force. He worked on jets and was stationed in the Philippines and New Mexico. After his military service, he went to college at Howard University.

Acting Career

First Movie and TV Roles

Washington started his acting career in the early 1990s. His first movie was Strictly Business in 1991. He then worked with director Spike Lee on several films, including Crooklyn and Get on the Bus.

Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, he appeared in many other movies. These included Love Jones (1997), Bulworth (1998), True Crime (1999), and Ghost Ship (2002).

Breakthrough Role in Grey's Anatomy

In 2005, Washington got his most famous role as Dr. Preston Burke on the ABC show Grey's Anatomy. Dr. Burke was a very talented heart surgeon. For playing this character, Washington won two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series. The cast also won a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Leaving the Show

During the third season of Grey's Anatomy, there was a serious argument on set between Washington and his co-star, Patrick Dempsey. Washington used words that were considered very offensive and hurtful. This led to a major controversy.

After the incident, ABC decided not to continue his contract. Washington left the show in 2007. He later said that he felt the situation was a misunderstanding and that racism in the media played a part in his firing.

Return for a Guest Appearance

In 2014, Washington returned to Grey's Anatomy for one special guest appearance. His character, Dr. Burke, came back as part of the farewell story for another character, Cristina Yang, played by Sandra Oh. Many fans were excited to see him on the show again.

Later Career

After Grey's Anatomy, Washington continued to act. He had a role in the TV series Bionic Woman in 2007.

From 2014 to 2018, he played Thelonious Jaha, the leader of a space colony, in the science fiction show The 100. His character was an important part of the series for the first five seasons.

In 2013, he starred in the movie Blue Caprice, where he played John Allen Muhammad, one of the people involved in the D.C. sniper attacks. More recently, he began hosting a cooking show on Fox Nation in 2020 and directed his first movie, Corsicana, in 2022.

Personal Life

Political Views

Over the years, Washington has supported different political ideas. In 2016, he supported Jill Stein for president. He later became part of the #WalkAway movement, which encourages people to leave the Democratic Party. By 2019, he began to express support for the Republican Party.

Discovering His African Roots

Washington was interested in learning about his family history. He took a genealogical DNA test to trace his ancestry. The test showed that his mother's ancestors came from the Mende and Temne peoples of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa.

After learning this, Washington traveled to Sierra Leone in 2006. He has helped the country by donating medical supplies and building a school. In honor of his work, Sierra Leone granted him citizenship. He was the first African American to become a citizen of the country based on DNA. He was also given the honorary title of a chief, with the name Gondobay Manga II.

He wrote a book about his life and his journey to find his roots called A Man from Another Land.

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Isaiah Washington para niños