Denzel Washington recently expressed that seeing his son, actor John David Washington, getting to star in the sci-fi action film “Tenet,” was “too odd” for him.
While out doing publicity for his new picture, “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” the Oscar winner talked about watching the Christopher Nolan-directed film at his own private theater, which he said added to an already extraordinary experience.
“You know, it was too weird. First of all, we went to Chris’ house, screened it in his theater. So, I’m sitting here now, now I’m watching my son starring in a Christopher Nolan movie in Christopher Nolan’s house. So, there was a lot going on, you know?” Washington said.
“I’m looking at my son, and I’m like, ‘He sounds like me.’ Like, ‘Of course he sounds like you, stupid, he is…’ You know, there were so many things that I was experiencing that… you know, as a father,” the 67-year-old added.
In the film, John David plays the “Protagonist,” a CIA agent who learns how to manipulate time flow in order to prevent a future attack that threatens humanity. Other films in which the 37-year-old has appeared include the 2021 black-and-white romantic drama “Malcolm & Marie,” in which he co-stars with Emmy Award-winning actress Zendaya.
At the tender age of five, the former football star says he fell in love with acting. He made his acting debut in the 1992 film “Malcolm X,” directed by his father’s longtime collaborator and director of his breakout film “BlacKkKlansman,” for which he received multiple nominations.
In March 2021, the rising star opened up about being in the shadow of his renowned father. “I don’t even know if [people] see me as John David yet. I’m still ‘Denzel’s son.’ I’m always his son,” he told Rolling Stone at the time.
“So it’s like, the day that they start seeing just me is the day that I can maybe better answer that question about celebrity. ’Cause I’m still not out of his shadow,” he added regarding how he’s been adjusting to his newfound Hollywood status.
John David Washington has stated why his career began when he accepted the fact that his renowned father, Denzel Washington, would always be his father.
“I was concerned with that for a long period of my life. That’s probably why I played so long, and suffered so many concussions, in football. When I realized there was no escaping it, I was able to relax into my life and enjoy what I wanted to do. It’s more of a question for people I’ve gotten to work with, whether they hired me because of who I’m related to, it certainly didn’t feel that way,” the younger Washington said.
Before committing to and pursuing acting, John David Washington was a professional football player who competed in the NFL, NFL Europe, and the United Football League. Acting was clearly something he’d always wanted to do, but he had to overcome the fears that came with having one of the greatest performers of all time as a father.
John David Washington has previously stated that he has struggled with being Denzel’s son and dealing with the fact that he cannot escape it, therefore he could no longer allow it to hinder his dreams. He hints that he played football for longer than he probably wanted to because he was hesitant whether or not to pursue his true passion, though he eventually did.
