*For many folks, a connection to someone famous is worn like a badge of honor. If you’re John David Washington, the famous connection is a whole nother level when your dad is Denzel Washington.
It’s prime ground for nepotism. Prime ground the “BlacKkKlansman” star is willing to step on.
With that in mind, Washington took it upon himself to initially hide his love of acting and status as Denzel and his wife Pauletta Washington’s oldest son.
“I’ve been wanting to do this my whole life, but I had to—I was hiding it. I had to conceal that passion based on my relationship to the world, more specifically my folks being in the industry,” the 40-year-old entertainer confessed to Sky News during the press run for his new film, “The Piano Lesson.”
Before he started his acting career, John David Washington lived life as an athlete, as Vibe reminds us.
“I chose ball; I loved ball, but I was sort of hiding my love for the arts under a helmet literally. An American football helmet,” he continued, adding that his decision to become a professional actor came as “a shock to some people.”
“Some people didn’t even know I was pursuing it professionally until I got a job. I’ve been hiding this my whole life, but I knew I wanted to do it. I chose football for my independence, for an identity that I needed to have to pursue what I wanted to do.”
Washington’s gamble ultimately paid off with carving his own path with successful projects that include 2018’s “BlacKkKlansman,” 2020’s Tenet, 2021’s “Malcolm & Marie” and “The Piano Lesson.” Not bad for a guy, who got his breakout role on the small screen in 2015 as Ricky Jerret on “Ballers.”
In “The Piano Lesson,” Washington stars alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Danielle Deadwyler, Corey Hawkins, Danielle Brooks, Ray Fisher and Erykah Badu. The film, which currently streams on Netflix, centers on a family and the family piano, an heirloom decorated with designs carved by an enslaved ancestor.
Scroll below to see the trailer for “The Piano Lesson” which is streaming NOW on Netflix.
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