It is typically a tricky endeavor for children of prominent celebrities when they’re trying to walk away from their parent(s)’ shadows.
No matter how hard they may try carving out their own legacies and getting people to take them seriously or appreciate their individual talents, they being pinned to their famous moms or dads once their identities are known is almost always inevitable.
In an interview with Mr Porter, John David Washington, the son of veteran Hollywood actor Denzel Washington, revealed he used to lie about his father’s identity during auditions when he was trying to find his foot in the industry just to keep the focus on him.
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“I used to lie, saying he was a construction worker or in jail, just to have some sense of normalcy,” the 36-year-old said. “I felt like there was no way people would take me seriously, even if I was good, so I hid who my father was.”
According to Washington, he noticed how “people changed when they found out who my father was,” adding, “They would always judge me. So I hid who my father was. I guess I was protecting myself.”
Washington, who entered the NFL after college and was on the St. Louis Rams roster in 2006, took up acting after retiring due to an injury in 2013. Over the years, he has proven to be as good and equally talented as his dad.
Washington shot into the limelight in 2015 with his breakout role on HBO series Ballers, alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. In 2019, he earned a Golden Globe Nomination for Best Actor in Motion Picture Drama for his lead role in Spike Lee directed Oscar-winning film, BlacKkKlansman.
His recent project, Malcolm & Marie, was shot alongside Zendaya over a two-week period during the lockdown. A release date for the movie is yet to be announced. Another movie he has featured in, Tenet, will be released in the UK and Europe on August 26 and in the US on September 3 after its release was pushed back as a result of COVID-19.
