John David Washington Hid His Love Of Acting To Avoid Nepotism Concerns

John David Washington was born in the spotlight. He’s the eldest child of Denzel Washington and his wife, Pauletta, who came one year after the two wed in 1983.

However, the Ballers star initially hid his love of acting because of his father.

“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 confessed to Sky News during his Piano Lesson press run.

Before pursing acting, he was an athlete. “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,” Washington continued.

He admitted that when he announced he was going to become a professional actor, it was “a shock to some people.”

Washington shared, “Some people didn’t even know I was pursing 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 in order to pursue what I really wanted to do.”

As a child, he had minor roles in two of Denzel’s films: Malcolm X and Devil In A Blue Dress. However, he began making a name for himself in 2015 with his breakout role as Ricky Jerret on Ballers, per his IMDb.

He went on to star in 2018’s BlacKkKlansman, 2020’s Tenet, 2021’s Malcolm & Marie, and now, The Piano Lesson alongside Hollywood veteran, Samuel L. Jackson and Oscar-nominated starlets Danielle Deadwyler and Danielle Brooks.

Watch the trailer above. The film is currently streaming on Netflix.