2002: DENZEL WASHINGTON

WHAT WE SAID THEN ''[Antwone Fisher] not only marks Washington's feature debut behind the camera but also caps a remarkable year for the man...His Best Actor Oscar win in March for his villainous turn in Training Day made Washington the only African American to claim that statuette since Lillies of the Field's Sidney Poitier in 1964. He scored his first $20 million paycheck for the upcoming thriller Out of Time. Even the potential throwaway John Q, in which he played a father who takes an ER hostage, became a $71 million-grossing crowd-pleaser. Add it all up, and there's simply no one else who could be our Entertainer of the Year.'' —Dave Karger