In the late 1980s after six successful years on “St. Elsewhere,” Denzel Washington was making a successful segue into the movies. Just as that show was about to end for NBC, he received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor as a South African activist in the 1987 film “Cry Freedom.” He lost the award that evening to Sean Connery (“The Untouchables”), but it would be just two years later that he would take home the gold for his performance as Private Silas Tripp in “Glory.”

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Watch his acceptance speech above from the 1990 Academy Awards ceremony as the 36-year-old actor beams in front of his mother and wife after presenter Geena Davis announces his name. He also thanks the men of the 54th from the American Civil War. In the film, Washington played an emancipated former slave...