John David Washington (born July 28, 1984) is an American football player turned actor.
Washington spent four years playing professionally for the Sacramento Mountain Lions, before transitioning into acting, the field of his parents; mother Pauletta Washington and the famed Denzel Washington. His very first screen role was in one of his father's films, Malcolm X, when he was 8 years old, playing a Harlem schoolboy.
His first major role was in the HBO series Ballers, fittingly playing a football player. Washington got more attention when he became the lead for the critically acclaimed Spike Lee film BlacKkKlansman, and played the lead in the Christopher Nolan picture Tenet. The same year, he played one of two roles in Malcolm & Marie.
Selected Filmography
Film
- Malcolm X (1992) - Pupil in Harlem classroom
- Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) - Boy with Toy Rifle, uncredited
- The Book of Eli (2010) - co-producer
- Love Beats Rhymes (2017) - Mahlik
- Monsters And Men (2018) - Dennis Williams
- Monster (2018) - Richard "Bobo" Evans
- BlacKkKlansman (2018) - Ron Stallworth
- The Old Man & the Gun (2018) - Lieutenant Kelley
- Tenet (2020) - The Protagonist
- Malcolm & Marie (2021)- Malcolm Elliott, also producer
- Beckett (2021) - Beckett
- Amsterdam (2022) - Harold Woodsman
- The Creator (2023) - Joshua
Live-Action Television
- Ballers (2015-2019) - Ricky Jerret, main role
Theatre
- The Piano Lesson (2022) - Boy Willie (Broadway)
