American actor Isaiah Washington was born on August 3, 1963 in Houston, Texas. He attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., and served the United States Air Force at one point. He made his screen debut in 1991, in the film The Color of Love. He, however, is perhaps more known for his television work, with guest roles in programs such as Law & Order, NYPD Blue, New York Undercover, Living Single and Ally McBeal. He also had minor roles in films such as Stonewall, Dead Presidents, Girl 6, Get on the Bus, Always Outnumbered and Mixing Nia.
His acting credits from the start of the new millennium include Romeo Must Die, Sacred is the Flesh, Welcome to Collinwood, Hollywood Homicide and Wild Things 2, as well as roles in television shows such as Soul Food, Touched by an Angel, and All My Children. Washington, however, is best known for his role as the gifted heart surgeon Dr. Preston Burke in the medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. His character aspires to become Chief of Surgery but is affected by his relationship with Cristina yang (Sandra Oh). His performance won him two NAACP Image Awards for Best Actor in a Drama, as well as a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2007.
Washington’s reputation, however, has been marred when he used a derogatory remark on Grey’s Anatomy co-star T.R. Knight and his sexuality. The controversy eventually pressured the program’s producer to fire Washington and write off his character in the series, despite his public apologies and his seeking counseling for his behavior. He then took a role in the science fiction television series Bionic Woman, where he played Antonio Pope, a bionics program advisor who’s seen to have motives against Jamie Sommers (Michelle Ryan). His character was eventually killed after a few episodes, and the series was ultimately cancelled.