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Meet Denzel Washington’s son John David, who quit NFL for acting and starred in Tenet
STORYMaggie Tan
- The Academy Award winner’s son is a talented actor who appeared in Spike Lee’s Malcolm X, then starred in films like Blackkklansman and Malcolm & Marie alongside Zendaya
They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree – but here’s a nepo baby who’s trying to make a name for himself outside his father’s shadow: meet Denzel Washington’s son, John David.
Denzel Washington, 69, is Hollywood royalty who was paid US$40 million for his role in The Little Things, starring in blockbuster films like Remember the Titans, Training Day and The Equalizer. He’s had a long, successful career and his shoes may seem difficult to step into, but his son John David Washington, 39, is on his way.
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John David spoke to People magazine in 2020 about how his dad is his favourite actor: “I think the best actor in the industry, in the business, is my father.”
So what do we know about Denzel Washington’s lookalike son, who once pursued a career as a professional NFL player?
John David Washington’s early life
Born on July 28, 1980, in Toluca Lake, California, John David is the oldest of four. His parents are Academy Award-winning actor Denzel and actress-musician Pauletta Washington.
John David was into American football during his younger days. After playing for Morehouse College, he was briefly signed to the St Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He also played in Germany with NFL Europe for the American team Rhein Fire and for the United Football League’s Sacramento Mountain Lions for three seasons, according to People.
During a January 2021 interview with Wall Street Journal, the Californian said that he had “always” wanted to be an actor like his dad, but American football was his way to deal with being a nepo baby: “I jumped in and hid in this football persona, this athlete, literally putting on a helmet to hide my face, hide my identity.”
