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"Like acting, undercover detective work requires a lot of performance. There's just more pressure because it's life-or-death situations." - John David Washington on his award-winning role in BlacKkKlansman (2018).

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There are very few times when the child of a major celebrity will surpass the star status of their parent. However, with John David Washington, there certainly seems to be the possibility. John David Washington is the son of acting superstar Denzel Washington and singer Pauletta Washington. More than just an actor, John David Washington has spent his entire life leaping over the hurdles set out before him, sometimes even literally.

If you think that you were impressed by Denzel Washington's masterful career, just wait until you see what his son has been up to.

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Born With a Pigskin in Hand

John David Washington was born on July 28, 1984, in Los Angeles, California. His father is the acting superstar Denzel Washington and his mother is Pauletta Washington. Despite his wealthy background and superstar father, John has fought for everything that he's ever earned in his life.  We'll get more into that at a later point in time.

John was raised in Toluca Lake, a neighborhood in Los Angeles. John may have three other siblings, but he has surely stood out from the rest of them in recent years. From early on in his life, it was clear that John was fascinated by pushing himself in both athletics and acting.  John would attend Campbell Hall School in Los Angeles. During his high-school years, Washington would letter in track, basketball, and football. After graduating from Campbell Hall School in 2002, John would head on to college.

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Early on in his life, Washington made it clear that football was a priority. After playing football in high school, Washington was briefly scouted before deciding to attend Morehouse College. At Morehouse,  Washington quickly established himself as an elite player. During his time at Morehouse College, Washington would set school records for single-game rushing, career rushing yardage, and most yards in a season with 1,198. Washington would lead the entire conference in rushing during his 2005 – 06 year.

After graduating from Morehouse College, Washington would put his name in for the 2006 NFL Draft. Washington wasn't selected, but he ended up signing with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent. Washington would spend a year in St. Louis before heading overseas to play in the NFL Europe league for the Rhein Fire. Shortly thereafter, Washington would get drafted by the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. Washington played for four seasons with the Mountain Lions before the league collapsed.

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With football clearly behind him, Washington was desperate for a new direction to point his endless enthusiasm toward. This was when Washington began to take acting seriously. This was the beginning of Washington's seemingly overnight ascent to A-list status in Hollywood.

Man of Many Industries

While it is true that John David Washington has become an acting star later on in life, his real pursuit of the industry began when he was still a child. At just eight-years-old, Washington scored a minor role in the hit film, Malcolm X (1992).  The film starred James' father in the titular role. The film was a critical darling and it was soon selected for preservation by the Library Congress for being 'culturally significant'. While James only appeared in a single scene, his first taste of acting would not be his last.

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Flash forward to the year 2010 and James is slowly watching his football career dwindle to an anti-climatic conclusion. Despite his honors in college, Washington would struggle to get playing time in the UFL. During this period of time, Washington would work as a co-producer on the film, The Book of Eli (2010), which also starred his father. The film would receive mixed reviews, with the majority of audiences calling it a fun experience.

As an actor, Washington's big break came in 2015 when he was selected for a starring role in the show, Ballers (2015). The show revolves around a former college football player who has since turned into an agent, played by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. Washington would play the role of Ricky Jerret in the HBO series, eventually scoring a Breakout Star award from the IMDb STARmeter Awards. 

Now considered a legitimate actor thanks to his television work, Washington would attempt to make a crossover into the film world. He would land roles in Monsters and Men (2018), All Rise (2018), and The Old Man & The Gun (2018). Despite his busy year, Washington would be most recognized for a single film, BlacKkKlansman (2018). Washington would star in the film alongside Adam Driver. He would play the role of Detective Ron Stallworth, a real-life detective who worked to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan as a black detective. The film received numerous awards and Washington was lauded for his work on the picture. BlacKkKlansman would win the Grand Prix Award at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival before going on to score Washington a Golden Globe nomination as well as a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination.

Now, firmly entrenched as a force in the acting world, Washington appears to have won over the respect of his peers. After gaining critical acclaim for his star-turning role as Detective Stallworth, Washington would make headlines for being attached to the new Christopher Nolan film, titled Tenet (2020). There has been precious little information released regarding Tenet. What we do know is that the film will star Washington alongside Robert Pattinson, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Michael Caine, Clemence Posey, and Kenneth Branagh. The film is supposed to be an action-thriller with a global release through Warner Bros. Pictures. Nolan is famously picky when it comes to casting talent, so the fact that he was granted a starring role is a huge compliment to his work John is also set to star in the 2020 film, Born to Be Murdered alongside Alicia Vikander and Boyd Holbrook. The film does not currently have an established release date, but it apparently centers on a dangerous conspiracy that is inflicted upon a vacationing couple.

While John David Washington was born into a mega-famous family, he has kept his personal life notoriously tightlipped. Very little is known about his romantic life. When asked who he would bring to the Oscars for a date by Ellen DeGeneres, Washington simply replied, "I'm bringing mom. It's hard out here." Washington is famously protective of his mother, and he has often complimented her during interviews when discussions seem to revolve around his father. Washington has said, "Before they got married, she was on Broadway working. She paid for their first date, she paid the bill, she paid the cab ride."