Denzel Chalks Up Yet Another 2002 Honor

By Stephen M. Silverman

Friday December 13, 2002 01:00 PM EST

In this season of lists, Denzel Washington can add one more honor to his already stellar year of accomplishments: Entertainment Weekly magazine has named him 2002's top entertainer.

"Denzel reached new heights in his career this year, artistically, commercially and in a business sense," Dave Karger of EW (which, like PEOPLE, is part of AOL Time Warner) tells Reuters.

The magazine singled out Washington, 48, not only for his "Training Day" Oscar and box-office victories, but also for directing his first movie, the drama "Antwone Fisher," which opens in New York on Dec. 19.

"And it's not only that he directed his first movie, but it is a fantastic movie ... It's not that he did it, but that he did it in a really accomplished way," Karger said.

In second place on EW's list was "Spider-Man" star Tobey Maguire; third place, the Osbournes; fourth, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" actress-writer Nia Vardalos; and fifth, "American Idol" judge and winner, respectively, Simon Cowell and Kelly Clarkson.

Earlier this week, Washington received the 17th annual American Cinematheque Award, presented to "an extraordinary artist in the entertainment industry currently making a significant contribution to the art of the moving picture" and is traditionally handed out in mid-career.

"There is only one actor in the course of his career thus far who can be appropriately and righteously compared to Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable -- as well as Sidney Poitier," Tom Hanks, 46, who costarred with Washington in "Philadelphia," said in presenting the award.

"He is their equal in honesty and artistry," Hanks added. "So let's name 2002 the year of Denzel Washington."