Washington hadnt quite given up on that childhood acting dream, and he thought. Shirt by Dior; Trousers, Washintons own. He knew it was his Achilles. Still riding high from the joy for his fellow cast and crew, Washington received an email. You know what I mean? Then, in the summer of 2013, he tore his Achilles tendon. In Monsters and Men, his Dennis Williams is a serious family man who is trying as hard as he can to turn a blind eye to the racism of his fellow cops out of self-preservation. He isnt just Denzels son. Hes Spike Lees leading man. Id watched my brother play football for twenty years: Ive seen him win, Ive seen him lose, Ive seen him hurt, but never defeated. It turned out Washington loved being at a historically black college. I love Denzel, thoughI dont want that to sound like whatever, I love Denzelbut what I got out of that relationship, that movie, was John David, Hughes says. "Of course I've felt racism," he told Vulture about his upbringing. Quietly confident, like James Bond without the toxic masculinity, but quite happy to slap a man with a cheese grater. As the son of screen legend Denzel Washington, you would think actor John David Washington would be immune to . The Rock? He just kept asking questions like Is this real? I guess he had to check it with his agents to make sure it was real, and he was happy for me, and then he said exactly what I was going to do anyway, but As soon as this is over, you gotta go learn. Somewhere along the way, he realized what it meant to be the son of an acting legend, to have those hundreds of strangers in Central Park and millions around the world idolizing your father. He has filled notebooks all over the house. And no, it very much sort of felt like destiny to me. He pauses for a moment, then continues with a self-deprecating laugh. The actor linked up with the man he would imitate on-screen to better understand his experiences. This was like going back to school. All Rights Reserved. I always say, what I got out of the Denzel relationship was John David. The 36-year-old actor emerged on the scene in a major way with Spike Lee's "BlacKkKlansman," for w All of that was fear based, of not knowing if what I thought was my destiny, if Im even worthy enough to claim it, he says. And I didnt think I could tell the complete story of a man after just a couple video chats, so I reached out to everyone I could to help me understand him. Still, all his football accomplishments didn't prepare John . For his part, Denzel is thrilled that his son has followed in his footsteps and is no longer playing professional football. And now he is not just ready to eat; he is practically vibrating in his chair so he can tear through a bowl of matzo ball soup and get back to the Ethel Barrymore Theater, where he has been performing in The Piano Lesson., Washington is by no means a novice actor. It hit there a little bit, I got to say. John David Washington stars opposite Zendaya in the Netflix movie Malcolm & Marie, written and directed by Sam Levinson. She couldnt help but recognize how happy it made him. The actors met shortly before filming, when Pattinson invited his new castmates to his thirty-third-birthday party in L.A. He had to know what was going on.". "I'm really curious about what happened to old girl's husband," he said about the Carole Baskin plotline. Why didnt he do something? Besides seeing the power of his father's gift in acting, it was also one of the rare times that he and his father were together "unbothered on the streets. Celebrity Net Worth clocks John David's net worth at $6 million, and for at least a portion of the pandemic, the 36-year-old actor was able to save on living expenses by crashing at his parents' New York condominium. So I got a well-balanced meal of experience and people from all different places of the United States that looked like me., And it was a place where people didnt know who he was. Mainly, for the age gap of 12 years between the two lead actors. Tragically, he suffered a "torn Achilles," per SI. . While this would explain why Nolan chose not to give John David Washington's hero a proper name, it doesn't account for why he's openly addressed as The (or, indeeda) Protagonist on-screen. Denzel and John David at a Los Angeles Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs game at Staples Center on December 05, 2018. John David said that to avoid judgment, "I hid who my father was. On an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! On his birthday, hed been sending most of his calls to voicemail. Denzel is one of many famous actors, like Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, who are alumni of the long-running production. Its storytelling that makes him love acting. He is also, of course, a son of Denzel Washington, the decorated actor and filmmaker. It's time to tackle the untold truth of John David Washington. This film deserves it. And then you have someone saying, Oh, this person isnt as good as their parent., Fellow actor and friend Regina King says, I wont name any particular actors, but sometimes youll see a career take off quickly and it feels like its taking off quickly because of hype. Just before graduation, in the spring of 2006, came the NFL draft. But did you catch his first appearances on camera? When he was assigned a scene from the Amiri Baraka play Dutchman, he called another family friend for guidance. Tenet star John David Washington is all praise for Christopher Nolan as he believes his collaboration with the ace filmmaker has helped him improve his own craft. He eats pork rinds., Washington said he had the quickness to retort, No, see, Boy Willies ahead of his time.. '", As an actor, John David Washington appreciates the craft of other stars on TV. Despite being 36 years old and one of Hollywood's hottest commodities, Mr John David Washington is living back at home with his parents and sleeping in his childhood bedroom. Oh, sorry! he says when he notices, then he keeps talking. Washingtons history as an athlete helped convince Nolan as well. Speaking to Geeks of Color, Washington was asked if he'd be interested in . I just felt very exposed. But unlike in those early weeks at Morehouse, he couldnt escape his last name. As a child, Washington memorized every line in the 1989 film Glory so that he could act out the parts Morgan Freeman, Matthew Broderick, and his father played. His dad kept asking questions like For HBO? Hes just blossomed, honestly, in the last five years, says Zo Kravitz. But even with all that money, it's not only Alaskan King size beds and huge square footage. If you get to the end of Primer and understand everything that's going on, you're doing extremely well. We fail and falter, and then, if were lucky, we start to succeed. All of these credits led to an estimated net worth of $6 million in 2021, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The injury that set everything in motion started with a violent pop. 1:07. Washington almost never took it off. Now, granted, Im on a heavy medication, Washington says. What he told me. After starring in the series with Dwayne Johnson, Washington's career took off with numerous other offers. He learned to spin a yarn from his grandparents, sitting around a fire in their North Carolina yard. But the acting credit didn't come with any extra bonus. The director invited Nolan to the premiere of "BlacKkKlansman" at the Cannes Film Festival, and the charismatic newcomer made an impression. Then start your classes. This is from the Malcolm X speech, right? But Washington never made it off the practice team and kept getting hurt knocking into the enormous defensive players. Article continues below . The much-discussed Chris Nolan sci-fi actioner opened at the lower end of expectations in America and China but held strong in the territories in which it opened last week. In an interview for The Breakfast Club, the actor revealed he had been in two prior relationships. "I love what they allow her to do and where she goes," Washington recapped. Washington stars opposite Robert Pattinson, and the success of the film rides on the chemistry between the two, Nolan says. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Since Nolan is clearly interested in weaving meta themes into his films, it's only a small leap to call a lead character "The Protagonist.". And like many fans of his father, the young boy became inspired by Denzel's on-screen performances. August 12, 2021 7:00 am (Updated 7:01 am) It will come as no surprise to anyone that scratched their heads while watching Tenet that its star John David Washington was similarly confused. It's over,'" he told Haute Living. The entertainment industry, along with the rest of the world, has ground to a halt. Getting onto that set was a first step into the business that most people could only dream of. It was about your child, protecting him, and it was so personal to you, and thats what you were crying about.. And I said, Well, man, Ive got to tell you, hes got some chops. Celebrity Net Worth clocks John David's net worth at $6 million, and for at least a portion of the pandemic, the 36-year-old actor was able to save on living expenses by crashing at his parents' New York condominium. Telling people your father is Mr. Washington probably won't raise an eyebrow. Both characters are big departures from the sitcommy Ricky Jerret. The only time he puts himself out there is when he has an opportunity to inhabit another character and be someone thats not him., What The Piano Lesson has given Washington, Jackson said, is a confidence that he can take into future film or TV projects the self-assurance of knowing when youre on a soundstage or on a set, and nobodys laughing or applauding for you, how you feel about what you just did. Id never see my brother play football again.. I call him a moment master.. The men who lead Nolans films are superstars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Matthew McConaughey. As such, having a name is an unnecessary distraction from the job at hand - especially when no one uses their real one anyway. Every Theory Explained. Though Washington has his own pad in Brooklyn, N.Y., he saved some pennies. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. I just wanted to blend in. It makes me cry to talk about it, Oliver tells me. When he began playing football at the end of elementary school, he fell in love with the competition and the attention. When this does happen, there will be Washington, our new movie starJohn David, JD, JDWfilling the screen. When we talked about the start of his second career, Washington described chopping wood. Yes, there would be headlines invoking his dad. Washington recounted the time when Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Potts called him out for eating banana chips in rehearsal: Sam was like, he uttered a Jackson-esque word that cannot be printed here Boy Willie dont eat no banana chips. Like other celebrities who spent time with family during COVID-19 restrictions, John David Washington joined his family in Los Angeles. Luckily, hiskidnappingis merely an audition for the clandestine Tenet organization - a test he passes with flying colors. And in the actor's opinion, "I just think it's some of the most brilliant acting I've ever seen." And Washington is coming off a Golden Globe nomination for Lees BlacKkKlansman. He played for the California Redwoods and became a starting running back in his second season. And here he was, furious at Williams as he watched himself inhabit the man onscreen. An agent known only as The Protagonist ( John David Washington) is recruited into a top-secret mission to prevent WWIII. But no one has told me this story yet. In the painting, Washingtons name is listed as Dwan Nigg. Race: Negro, and in the place of CALIFORNIA across the top it read AFRICALIFORNIAN. . JD was a star athlete in high school, but I always referred to him as a painter., As a high school art student, he focused on challenging stereotypes of young black men through his work. "Yeah," he says laughing. Codirector Allen Hughes was struck by the young football players input and asked his father if he would mind if Washington joined the project. Let the words charge all of your decisions., He has endured a certain amount of affectionate hazing from his more seasoned co-stars. I could be a coach, I could be a teacher, I could do that. Theres a quiet confidence that appears to show he knows it, too. Washington played in NFL Europe for the Rhein Fire in the 2007 offseason. If he was going to do acting, though, he wanted to do it righttake acting classes, learn the craft. Thats what was scaring me.. All of that was fear based, of not knowing if what I thought was my destiny, if Im even worthy enough to claim it, he says. Why did I make the decision as an actor? I believe in God Im a heavy believer, so it was the way it was supposed to be, he said. For the rest ofTenet, The Protagonist embarks on an operation to save the world, preventing Sator from using the Algorithmand unwinding human history. According to Washington, "My chore was to make sure I'm down for dinner on time." What's the meaning behind John David Washington being known solely as The Protagonist inTenet? "I saw how people changed when they found out who my father was. Firstly,Tenetis not a film that prioritizes character development highly, and the twisting narrativeactually makes evolving the cast in a traditional sense all but impossible. It's been an eventful movie season for the Washington family, and the year is just getting started! It worked for a while. Every so often, Lee snuck a glance at the writer-director to see how he was reacting to his film and his star. I can die now.. In an interview for Vanity Fair, Washington confessed that growing up, "I hid my love of acting to make it as my own man. If you ask those who knew him best then, theyll tell you JD was a sports fanatic. And it was like, Have you been thinking this the entire time?. And when he started, he did it in secret. She always talks about how were here to amplify his words, Washington said. "You would have thought I'd have picked up something living with her for two and a half months," he told Haute Living. The younger Washington sat in the theater in Central Park along with hundreds of others watching his dad recite those same lines onstage, hanging on his every word. So he pushed it down, focused on football, where a helmet covered his face and where nobody could accuse him of getting anything because of his last name. Finkelstein had a different idea: Just go to the audition. In her review, the New York Times critic Maya Phillips wrote, Washington, in a revelatory stage debut, is a blaze of energy lighting every scene hes in.. With the 2023 NFL Draft in the books, Chad Reuter ranks the best undrafted rookie free agents by position. . Most of us would run like hell to avoid the shadow of our parentsand most of us dont have .css-umdwtv{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:.0625rem;text-decoration-color:#FF3A30;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:background 0.4s;transition:background 0.4s;background:linear-gradient(#ffffff, #ffffff 50%, #d5dbe3 50%, #d5dbe3);-webkit-background-size:100% 200%;background-size:100% 200%;}.css-umdwtv:hover{color:#000000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;-webkit-background-position:100% 100%;background-position:100% 100%;}Denzel Washington as a father. One pieceinspired by his own drivers license but featuring a character with a full Afro, a gold tooth, a gold chain, and a big earringstands out in his mind still. But when John David decided that he wanted to pursue acting, after a torn Achilles tendon halted his sports career, it was impressed upon him that hed achieve success only through hard work and not by trading on his last name. John David Washington. Here's what else you need to know about the actorwho happens to be Denzel Washington's son. Not that it's bad to share DNA . After some convincing by his agent to head west, plus a desire "to be with my mother, my siblings, the people I love the most," Washington "fled to Los Angeles.". He says hes got to get ready for dinner; its his twin siblings birthday, and hes getting dressed up in a suit and tie (and bare feet) to eat with themtheyre quarantined togetherand theyll be having Paulettas famous mac and cheese. It was 2013, and he was training outside L.A., getting ready for a workout with the New York Giants. Things are perhaps no less complicated for Washington's real-life romantic relationships. John David Washington in "Tenet." Warner Bros. Pictures. He didn't study any of the performance arts to take after his parents. John David, who lives in New York, has spent a lifetime observing his fathers performances, whether as a child seeing him in Richard III at Shakespeare in the Park or as a grown man watching him in the Broadway production of Fences, the Wilson play that his father later starred in and directed for the screen. According to the article, this same recipe makes an "unforgettable appearance" in the 2021 film Malcolm & Marie. Washington's time on the field must have helped plus some talented acting genes. It was like, in the NFL, I felt like I needed to be there every day to keep my job, and I felt the same way about this. She is a classically trained pianist who went to The Juilliard School in New York. Not celebrities, who seem to pop up every day, but Movie Stars. I actually, honestly, have no idea if Im even vaguely understanding whats happening. And yeah, I would definitely say that to John David. Theres a distance in his voice and a sense of pridealmost like hes discussing another person. That athleticism also puts itself into the way he walks down the street and the way he talks and the way he moves, Nolan says. He could give up football and switch to acting. "She has far more experience than I do in the industry. Taking a typically fresh view, callingTenet's hero "The Protagonist" could be part of the film's overall ethos to be cool without trying to be cool. While being the child of a star has its drawbacks, an undeniable advantage is access. Youve got to go to class, youve got to put in the work. When Denzel Washington learned that John David was getting ready for the eight-shows-a-week rigor of Broadway, he heartily encouraged the proposition. I said every time we get pulled over, this is what the cop sees, Washington says. With Tenet, Nolan is essentially modernizing the 007 formula, but avoiding the darker intensity of Daniel Craig's era. Certain viewers felt that the relationship, even fictional, was unrealistic. After a short-lived career in football and some massive roles on projects like 'Tenet' and 'BlacKkKlansmen,' how much is this star worth? "My wife did a great job, they are good kids. [9] He had no idea who he wasdidnt know his name or who his dad was. At no point is he ever referred to in specific terms, and Priya even uses the term "Protagonist" on screen. Then, in just his second season with the squad, Washington injured himself. It was time to go up onstage.. Over on Netflix, Washington enjoyed guilty pleasures like many other viewers. The Protagonist goes back and forth through time, and during a final conversation with Neil, it becomes clear that John David Washington's story is only just beginning. Europe and U.F.L. Like Home Box Office Entertainment? He's no longer just "Denzel's son.". Even as the movie industry struggled to figure out how to deal with restrictions and closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, John David found a way to handle it with grace. I saw quite a bit of African-American prestige and upper-class elements mixed in with some people that really got lucky and worked hard and got out of their situations to try to make a better living for themselves by going to this school. Washington flew back and forth between filming in Miami and New York, where he took a scene-study class on Thursday nights at HB Studio in downtown Manhattan. Washington said that he started learning his lines for The Piano Lesson when he was in Indonesia earlier this year, filming True Love, a science fiction film written and directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Rogue One). They see a Dwan Nigg. Jackson, a longtime friend of the Washington family, said that he was one of several people who talked to the young man about the challenging path that awaited him. When John David was only eight years old, he appeared on set for the film. But after one of his first games, he woke up in his slim dorm-room bed to find his friends from the team howling with laughter. Even though it was hard to hear him say that, I felt like he was telling me something important. In that moment, she had tremendous compassion for him; how is the teenage son of a great craftsman to carve out an identity for himself? InTenet, the action is relentless. Though were two strangers in different time zones staring at screens, its impossible not to notice that Washington is one hell of a storyteller. I remember years ago reading an account of when [Bond franchise producer] Cubby Broccoli first saw Sean Connery and considered him to play James Bond. "My parents were 100 percent supportive my mom's my biggest fan," he explained to Vanity Fair. I kept zigging and zagging, running circles up and down the street, and he wouldnt ever let me get in front of him., Bale added, Hes quietly competitive, but I dont think he likes that to be seen much.. One of John David's favorite things about his mom is her "magic recipe" for mac and cheese, he told Haute Living. At football camp the summer before his first semester, he made a pact with his new teammates: Dont tell anyone who my dad is. It was January, 23, 2019, a day that John David Washington remembers well, because the day before, many of his BlacKkKlansman collaborators received Academy Award nominations. But its not as if they were on texting terms when Washington got that message while in Cincinnati filming the 2018 movie The Old Man & the Gun. At the age of six, John David made his first on-screen performance . you can definitely push him a little bit to be naughty. This memory is significant for John David in more than one way. We wrap up our Zoom call, an awkward thing to do with someone with whom youve spent hours discussing every detail of their life but whom you may never talk to again. Curiously,Nolan'sInception could be key to unraveling this mystery. Another brief glimpse of John David came a few years later, again on the big screen. 2018 saw the release of BlacKkKlansman, along with Monsters and Men, in which Washington plays a police officer whose colleague shoots and kills a black man.