Isaiah Washington

Isaiah Washington is an actor best known for his role as Dr. Preston Burke on the hit medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. Washington faced tragedy early in life when his father was murdered when he was just 13 years old. He graduated from Willowridge High School in Houston in 1981 and later studied theater at Howard University. ​

Washington began his acting career with a role in the 1991 film Strictly Business. He gained prominence through collaborations with director Spike Lee, appearing in films such as Crooklyn (1994), Clockers (1995), Girl 6 (1996) and Get on the Bus (1996).

His portrayal of the talented cardiothoracic surgeon on Grey’s earned him two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series and a Screen Actors Guild Award. However, his tenure on the show ended in 2007 following controversies surrounding on-set behavior. Washington continued his career with roles in films like Blue Caprice (2013) and as Chancellor Thelonious Jaha in the television series The 100 from 2014 to 2018. ​

Washington was briefly married and divorced at 21, and since 1996 he has been married to fashion designer Jenisa Marie Garland. The couple has three children: sons Isaiah and Tyme and daughter Iman.

Despite facing scandals in his career, Washington has remained active in the entertainment industry, expanding his repertoire to include hosting a travel and cooking show on Fox Nation in 2020 and making his directorial debut with the 2022 Western film Corsicana in which he also starred as Bass Reeves. ​He announced his early retirement from the entertainment industry via Twitter in March 2023. However, he has since released several projects since his retirement.