John David Washington: ‘Every project is different. When I think I’ve figured it all out, I’ll stop acting’

John David Washington, 40, spent much of his life trying to escape the shadow of his famous last name. Literally. He initially earned his living as a professional American football player, but after an injury, he chose to follow in the footsteps of his father, Denzel Washington, and pursue acting. Since then, he’s immersed himself in a wide variety of projects: from series to films (he played a spy in Tenet in 2020), theater, and now fashion, where he is making his debut as the face of Bois Pacifique, Tom Ford’s latest fragrance.

In the fragrance campaign, Washington portrays a writer who returns to the great redwoods of his native California to reconnect with his roots. In real life, he recently embarked on a similar journey — not with Christopher Nolan or Spike Lee, but alongside his younger brother Malcolm, confronting his family legacy for the first time in his career. In his upcoming film, The Piano Lesson (2024), he proudly embraces the Washington name, using it to explore the deep-rooted legacy of slavery in the African-American community.

Question. You initially tried to distance yourself from your last name, but your latest film is directed by your brother and produced by your father. How has your relationship with your family legacy evolved?

Answer. It was important for me to establish the kind of artist I want to be coming out of the gate. I did very little press, and in Ballers (2015) [the series in which he made his acting debut] people didn’t know who my family was. I loved that they didn’t know who I was related to and just saw the character. Ideally, that’s how I wanted to move throughout my career, but I knew that if I was successful, it would be impossible to keep secret. Still, I am proud of all the friendships and collaborations that had nothing to do with my namesake. It was only later, and having already established my career, that I was able to consider collaborating with members of my family. The film is an adaptation of August Wilson’s play. The author means a lot to our African-American culture, so I wanted to collaborate with people who are just as passionate as as I am about making sure this is done correctly. The timing was perfect.

Q. After a decade in the industry, do you feel like you’re a more confident performer?

A. I don’t know. Every time I think I’ve found out something about the craft, I realize, “No, you ain’t learned shit!” That’s what I love. I keep chasing that high. Every project is so different. And I love that feeling, continuing to pursue that quest. Every project is different. When I think I’ve figured it all out, I’ll probably stop acting. Maybe if I get to the experience of actors like Nick [Nicolas] Cage, I can say that I know what I’m doing, but for now I’m still learning and finding out how to do this.

Q. You admit that you didn’t understand the script of Tenet. Did you later come to understand it?

A. It took me several hours to read the original script. I thought I had understood it, but as the hours went on that day, I started to think: “What the hell did I just read?” What I did get was that behind it all there was a very interesting emotional landscape and a character that I understood and could develop with Christopher Nolan. It’s hard for me to watch my own film, but with this one it’s different. It’s not me in the film, it’s just the Christopher Nolan experience, and every time I see it, I feel that it’s got more emotional depth than I’m given credit for. He said, “Don’t try to understand it. Feel it.” That’s what I did, but to be honest, I don’t know shit about the film. I knew more when I was shooting it than I do now.

Q. Along with big action films, you’ve also starred in intimate dramas. Looking ahead, would you like to keep this versatility?

A. Oh my God! Yes, I do. I pray to God that I can continue the versatility in different genres. I just saw The Substance and I would love to do body horror or Jordan Peele psychological thrillers. I love sci-fi, I’ve done a couple now, but I also like comedy or more intimate stories. I love everything, whether it’s a couple arguing all night [Malcolm & Marie] or a Black cop pretending to be a white member of the Ku Klux Klan [BlacKkKlansman]. It’s about finding the right filmmaker and the right story, that’s how you grow as an artist.

Q. In BlacKkKkKlansman and in your last film, you tackle racial issues that some believe are a thing of the past. Why do you think it’s important to keep telling these stories?

A. Because it is not such a distant problem. These unfortunate issues are still relevant today. Slavery is real, it happened. The Civil War happened, although some have gone so far as to call it the War of Northern Aggression. The Jim Crow laws perpetuated the system of oppression until the 1940s and were a continuation of slavery. I am only one generation away from all these experiences. Samuel L. Jackson himself [who plays his uncle in the film] lived through that time.

Q. What can your generation contribute to this whole conflict?

A. There is still a lot to be said. Maybe this new generation of artists can come closer to understanding and bring new visions to it. Also, now that we are all connected due to social media, there is an opportunity to have a conversation on an international level. We can all express our opinion online. Whether you are from Spain, Italy or Greece, you will have your point of view thanks to the stories told by people like Denzel Washington or Lawrence Fishburne. We saw their films when we were growing up, now we understand what happened and we have our opinion. The most interesting thing we can do in my generation is to include everyone in the conversation.

Q. Aside from film, what other ways do you manage to reconnect with your roots?

A. Usually it’s through music. Roy Ares, Marvin Gaye, Kendrick Lamar... My parents, for example, used to play Anita Baker in the car and when I listen to her now it takes me back to all the happy times I had in my childhood. Also some places like North Carolina, which is where my mother was born, help to ground me to where I come from.

Q. In fact, your Instagram account is full of pictures with your mother. It almost feels like a tribute account. What place does she have in your life?

A. She [Pauletta Washington] has taught me what true success is, it always has been that way. She started taking piano lessons at nine, got a master’s degree in music, has participated in all kinds of competitions and all of that while being a mother. People love to talk about my origins, and it doesn’t bother me because I’m proud of them, but whenever they do, they push her aside. I love to lift her up not as a mom, but as an artist. For me, she represents the concept of identity. I know where I come from because of the journey she has taken with her life. Everything that she and my father forged together makes me feel proud of my artistic legacy.

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