Washington attended Morehouse College, an HBCU in Georgia, he told CNN. John David remembered his parents cheering him even as his career changed paths. What's the meaning behind John David Washington being known solely as The Protagonist inTenet? I said, What happened to you is a testament to how beautifully and how deeply you work.
How John David Washington Prepared For His Role In 'Tenet' - TheThings Who Is John David Washington? Meet the Star of Malcolm and Marie He remembered while attending private school, "I had cornrows, and when I picked 'em out, certain people that didn't look like me always wanted to touch 'em." The younger Washington sat in the theater in Central Park along with hundreds of others watching his dad recite those same lines onstage, hanging on his every word. Nolan, who writes many of his films, including Tenet, generally tries not to think about casting while hes writing his scripts. Both characters are big departures from the sitcommy Ricky Jerret. And he remembers his dad coming home with a horn from the set of Mo Better Blues, playing all the time, all the time. There was the time his father dyed his black hair a deep red and studied Islam to get into the character of Malcolm X for Spike Lees eponymous 1992 film. "I literally left New York thinking, 'Well, this is I Am Legend about to happen.
'Tenet': John David Washington is Christopher Nolan's new action hero "I know Denzel likes some order in the house," Jackson said about Washington's dad.
Box Office: 'Tenet' Nabs $20M U.S. Debut And Nears $150M - Forbes Id watched my brother play football for twenty years: Ive seen him win, Ive seen him lose, Ive seen him hurt, but never defeated. I love what they do with Carmela, Edie Falcos [Sopranos] character, in the later seasons. He'd go on to receive nine Oscar nominations and nine Golden Globe nominations, as well as two wins from each major association. No one who could perform this magic trick, acting, quite like him. In rehearsals this fall, Washington said that LaTanya Richardson Jackson advocated the utmost fidelity to Wilsons text. I just wanted to blend in. They dont see an actual name; they dont care that Im a student or any of that. JD? In an interview with The Breakfast Club, the actor revealed that Spike Lee personally encouraged him to act.
John David Washington on Beckett and Tenet: 'I became an introvert John David Washington - Wikipedia Tenet star John David Washington is all praise for Christopher Nolan as he believes his collaboration with the ace filmmaker has helped him improve his own craft. An agent known only as The Protagonist ( John David Washington) is recruited into a top-secret mission to prevent WWIII. I saw quite a bit of African-American prestige and upper-class elements mixed in with some people that really got lucky and worked hard and got out of their situations to try to make a better living for themselves by going to this school. These two shows were part of the HBO era that helped Washington "fall in love with TV.". The men who lead Nolans films are superstars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Matthew McConaughey. He was off to the races., He was in a hotel room when the phone buzzed. Celebrity Net Worth clocks John David's net worth at $6 million, and for at least a portion of the pandemic, the 36-year-old actor was able to save on living expenses by crashing at his parents' New York condominium. Later on, John David remembered his father's performance in the play Richard III as part of the Shakespeare in the Park production. According to John David, he was five years old at the time and remembered walking with his dad in Manhattan. "It definitely fits the bill. As his senior year approached, the NFL was starting to seem out of reach. . After some convincing by his agent to head west, plus a desire "to be with my mother, my siblings, the people I love the most," Washington "fled to Los Angeles.". Im feeling very, very loosey-goosey, if you will. The next day, however, he heard from his agent: Hed been invited to the St. Louis Rams camp as an undrafted free agent. Being the dedicated athlete that he was, he attacked it in the same way that he attacked that, and he got all he could out of it.. If you think you have arrived on time for your lunch appointment with him, you will find he has already been waiting for you he has, in fact, been sitting quietly at a table at Bubbys for 15 minutes, in his perennially prompt, unapologetically eager manner. He was envisioned as a linebacker, but at this point, shed broadened her search: Anyone who could understand this character, that balance of cocky and obnoxious and vulnerable, would do. Hed just had surgery to repair his Achilles. And now he is not just ready to eat; he is practically vibrating in his chair so he can tear through a bowl of matzo ball soup and get back to the Ethel Barrymore Theater, where he has been performing in The Piano Lesson., Washington is by no means a novice actor. Anyone can read what you share. In 2020, he starred in Tenet, a complex thriller about characters who can move forward and backward in time. Speaking to Geeks of Color, Washington was asked if he'd be interested in . Fliiiiick. Not that it's bad to share DNA . He eats pork rinds., Washington said he had the quickness to retort, No, see, Boy Willies ahead of his time..
Tenet: Why The Protagonist Doesn't Have A Real Name - Screen Rant But you get the sense hes come out on the other side. Despite his lack of theater experience, Washington has drawn raves for his performance. Deliberately obscuring the main character's name is an odd choice at the best of times, but especially in aJames Bond-flavored spy thriller, and there are a number of possible ways to interpret this bold decision, all of which could've played a role in Nolan's thinking. They see a Dwan Nigg. In between seasons, Washington accompanied his father to a meeting for the 2010 film The Book of Eli. But the acting credit didn't come with any extra bonus. This film deserves it. Ask him, say, Dear Chris, this is your cinema brother, Spike Lee. Dont quit football, he remembers, adding quickly, Now she swears she didnt say it like that. After a role in the series Ballers, he quickly became one of the hottest actors. But Washington sadly missed a golden opportunity to learn his mom's mac and cheese recipe. He promoted the movie Tenet by Christopher Nolan, which was partially released at home and in theaters, and he filmed Malcolm & Marie alongside Zendaya. And I think about Washington, the Washington were talking about today. I want to get beat up, John David Washington said, explaining why he wanted to perform in The Piano Lesson., Washington with Samuel L. Jackson onstage. Washington almost never took it off. Hed made it on his own merits. Bu,t it turned out for the best, as John David paved his own way in Hollywood. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. But after one of his first games, he woke up in his slim dorm-room bed to find his friends from the team howling with laughter. And when he started, he did it in secret. They found you; you aint never going to be yourself.. '", As an actor, John David Washington appreciates the craft of other stars on TV. Quietly confident, like James Bond without the toxic masculinity, but quite happy to slap a man with a cheese grater. But no one has told me this story yet. Washington's Preparations Long before John David Washington became a famous actor, he was a running back who was signed by the NFL's St. Louis Rams. Theres definitely a bond in the end in kind of hiding the fact that maybe neither one of us knew exactly what was going on. This is the reality for John David Washington, one of legendary actor Denzel Washington's children. After starring in the series with Dwayne Johnson, Washington's career took off with numerous other offers. With that kind of money, John David Washington certainly doesn't need to worry much about finances. And like many other fans, Washington said he loved watching The Sopranos.
Everything You Need to Know About 'Tenet' Star John David Washington He was just struck by his charisma onscreen. It wasnt known as a football powerhouse, and Washington, a standout running back, had just played in the high school All-American game and was considering San Jose State, Grambling, maybe even a spot at UC Berkeley. And LaTanya told me not to talk to him about Boy Willie anyway she didnt want me putting my ideas in his head., In their work on the play, Jackson said he had already seen Washington grow as an actor. This article appears in the Summer 2020 issue of Esquire..css-18is0o5{background:linear-gradient(#ffffff, #ffffff 50%, #d5dbe3 50%, #d5dbe3);background-color:#FF3A30;-webkit-background-size:100% 200%;background-size:100% 200%;border:thin solid #FF3A30;border-radius:2rem;color:#000;display:inline-block;font-family:Lausanne,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:0.875rem;letter-spacing:0.04rem;line-height:1.3;padding:0.625rem 1.25rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;text-decoration-color:#FF3A30;text-decoration-thickness:.0625rem;text-transform:uppercase;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;white-space:pre-line;width:auto;}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-18is0o5{padding:0.5rem 0.7rem 0.3125rem;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-18is0o5{padding:0.6rem 1.125rem 0.3125rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-18is0o5{padding:0.6rem 1.125rem 0.3125rem;}}.css-18is0o5:focus-visible{outline-color:body-cta-btn-link-focus;}.css-18is0o5:hover{color:#000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;-webkit-background-position:100% 100%;background-position:100% 100%;background-color:#ffffff;border:thin solid #FF3A30;}subscribe. Article continues below . Now that he could no longer play professionally, there was nothing stopping him. When we talk over Zoom in mid-April, hes styled himself in gym shorts, a bandanna with white stars wrapped around his hair, and a long-sleeved black shirt with a sepia photo of his maternal great-grandmother silk-screened onto it. He didn't study any of the performance arts to take after his parents. It took Washington decades to start acting. He rushed for more than 3,500 yards at Morehouse College in the 2000s and was an NFL running back with the Rams for a spell. In Tenet's world of espionage, names are more a hindrance than a help, and even "Neil" is probably a pseudonym (for Max?). Theres a quiet confidence that appears to show he knows it, too. Let the words charge all of your decisions., He has endured a certain amount of affectionate hazing from his more seasoned co-stars. I've only been in it for seven years," he added. And in the actor's opinion, "I just think it's some of the most brilliant acting I've ever seen." It was time to go up onstage.Jacket and sweatpants by Brunello Cucinelli; jewelery, Washingtons own. And Im glad she did. Primer. The actor adds to his body of knowledge with a starry production of the August Wilson play and a once-in-a-lifetime moment with Robert De Niro on Amsterdam.. "Lee is so confident in who he picks that, as his actor, your confidence soars," Washington told Vanity Fair, adding, "I was overjoyed to help tell his story." I remember years ago reading an account of when [Bond franchise producer] Cubby Broccoli first saw Sean Connery and considered him to play James Bond. There was no one cooler than his father. After his 2015 debut in Ballers, he picked up major motion pictures left and right, per IMDb. Tenet director Christopher Nolan has fully endorsed the idea of John David Washington one day playing the Green Lantern.. He does. By the time he got to high school, Washington had become something of a smart-ass (his word). But when it comes to his oldest son John David, he's, relatively speaking, just getting started.
Watch John David Washington Unpack the Biggest Tenet Fan Theories - Esquire The actor linked up with the man he would imitate on-screen to better understand his experiences. "I was in my old room." John David Washington Says He Had to Do Chores While Living at Home Again with Dad Denzel amid Pandemic Jackson, 71, asked the Ballers star if his father had made him. But if youre going into the family business, the success comes with second-guessing and constant comparisonstheres an imaginary bar set before you even get started. What he told me. And I said, Well, man, Ive got to tell you, hes got some chops.
Top undrafted rookie free agents following the 2023 NFL Draft A couple weeks in, I was worried, very concerned I wasnt going to be able to finish this thing, and I didnt want to tell anybody because I was like, Oh, I will die for this, Washington says. Dont put too much sauce on there. . Naming himsimply"The Protagonist" fits this general idea of a non-specific hero. Well, hows it going, man? He learned to spin a yarn from his grandparents, sitting around a fire in their North Carolina yard. 258 likes, 86 comments - The Movie Inspector (@themovieinspector) on Instagram: "Earlier this year I got to the chance to watch the 'Tenet' prologue and ever since that momen." The Movie Inspector on Instagram: "Earlier this year I got to the chance to watch the 'Tenet' prologue and ever since that moment I've been . It wasnt until then that he told his dad he was going to be an actor. In fact, Pauletta was making more money than Denzel when the two first started dating. Im pretty flammable at this point. "It still could happen, by the way, you never know," Washington mused. After landing the breakout role as Ricky Jerret in HBO's hit series Ballers, in 2015, Washington went on to star in five major motion pictures from 2017 to 2018. When John David was only eight years old, he appeared on set for the film. Dedicated to the job, but not so much that he'll sacrifice his values. In fact . Firstly,Tenetis not a film that prioritizes character development highly, and the twisting narrativeactually makes evolving the cast in a traditional sense all but impossible. The Tenet actor, 36 . Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS. Why didnt he do something? But then you have people saying, This person doesnt deserve to be here, which just doesnt feel good and cant help your confidence. First Look: An Exclusive photo of Washington in Christopher Nolans upcoming, Washington and Nolan discuss a scene in an exclusive behind-the-scenes photo from the set of, Washington and co-star Robert Pattinson in an exclusive first-look photo from, Its an incredibly complicated movie, like all of Chriss movies. Bale found Washington soft-spoken and studious during rehearsals, but said his co-star suddenly came alive when they filmed a sequence in which their characters fled a murder scene. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig's interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own. 2018 saw the release of BlacKkKlansman, along with Monsters and Men, in which Washington plays a police officer whose colleague shoots and kills a black man. Its storytelling that makes him love acting. He pauses for a moment, then continues with a self-deprecating laugh. Just before graduation, in the spring of 2006, came the NFL draft. Jim Carrey is Craigs top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.
How Tenet star John David Washington became a Hollywood A-lister Pop. We sat there in silence, both thinking the same thing: Its over. Oh, very much, he says. John David Washington is quickly becoming one of the most talented and sought after movie stars in Hollywood. "When he graduated, he was the school's all-time leading rusher," SInoted. There was disbelief, Washington says. Didnt go over well. The film is the story of two lovers played by Zendaya and John David Washington. John David Washington in "Tenet." Warner Bros. Pictures. Im glad she did.. Washington recounted the time when Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Potts called him out for eating banana chips in rehearsal: Sam was like, he uttered a Jackson-esque word that cannot be printed here Boy Willie dont eat no banana chips.
Certain viewers felt that the relationship, even fictional, was unrealistic. He looked out the window and watched him walk away at the end of the meeting and said, He moves like a panther, he moves like a cat, like a catlike grace, and I think John David has his own version of that. Like Home Box Office Entertainment? My question for you is: Did you decide that youre going to cast John David Washington at the world premiere of BlacKkKlansman?, Nolan laughs. The headline began with his fathers name. When Denzel Washington learned that John David was getting ready for the eight-shows-a-week rigor of Broadway, he heartily encouraged the proposition. John David Washington during an interview in 2016 (Breakfast Club Power 105.1 FM / YouTube) Best Known For. "Yeah," he says laughing. They should reopen the case is what I think. We fail and falter, and then, if were lucky, we start to succeed. When he was assigned a scene from the Amiri Baraka play Dutchman, he called another family friend for guidance. I could care less if I ever work with Denzel again. Theyll say they barely remember him mentioning acting at all. "People are going to see in this film how much of a woman she is," he told Variety about Zendaya. Im a season into The Sopranos, watching it for the first time during quarantine. Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SBIFF. He opened his eyes to see a newspaper inches from his face. Denzel said he didnt mind, and Washington gave it a shot. Or Pauletta Washington, actress, singer, and pianist, as our mom. But according to Washington, things ended both times because of his own paranoia. John David even admitted that he keeps "a batch chilling in the freezer of his rented L.A. digs" for comfort food on demand. He definitely does. John David understood acting is not so much pretending as really doing and really being there with the other person. Not celebrities, who seem to pop up every day, but Movie Stars.
Even John David Washington Reveals He Can't Totally Explain Tenet ", "But I'm just proud of he and all my children," he continued. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Somewhere along the way, he realized what it meant to be the son of an acting legend, to have those hundreds of strangers in Central Park and millions around the world idolizing your father. I kept zigging and zagging, running circles up and down the street, and he wouldnt ever let me get in front of him., Bale added, Hes quietly competitive, but I dont think he likes that to be seen much.. As Washington toldCNN,"a close friend of mine, who is now my agent, wanted me to audition for a TV show about football players. And with this success, the actor finally could admit his passion. At 38, he has already starred in films like Spike Lees true-crime drama BlacKkKlansman and Christopher Nolans mind-bending, time-twisting adventure Tenet..