John David Washington used to tell people his father was in jail so they'd take his acting seriously

• John David Washington used to hide the identity of his father, Denzel, saying he was "a construction worker or in jail," in order to find his own acting success.
• John David told Mr Porter that he saw "how people changed" after they found out who his father was, and they would always judge, so he decided to hide it. "I guess I was protecting myself," he said.

John David Washington used to lie that his father, Hollywood legend Denzel Washinton, was in jail so that he could earn his own opportunities as an actor.

"I used to lie, saying he was a construction worker or in jail, just to have some sense of normalcy," he said during an interview with Mr Porter.

The 36-year-old "Tenet" lead said that he saw "how people changed" when they found out who his father was. "I felt like there was no way people would take me seriously, even if I was good," he said.

"They would always judge me. So I hid who my father was. I guess I was protecting myself."

With a collection of increasingly acclaimed performances across both TV and film, John David has managed to emerge entirely from his father's shadow.

In 2019, he earned a Golden Globes nomination for his leading performance in the critically-acclaimed "Blackkklansman," directed by Spike Lee, a four-time Denzel collaborator.

However, despite his father's influence, John David did not turn to acting until after a career as an NFL running back.

He played for a host of teams including the St. Louis Rams and the California Redwoods. But when a serious Achilles injury forced him to leave football behind, he returned to acting, a dream he says he had since he was a child.

This summer, John David was set for similar acclaim in the leading role of Christopher Nolan's big-budget, highly-anticipated spy thriller "Tenet," the release of which has been postponed several times, but is now set for an unconventional release: first in the UK and other international territories on August 26, followed by a selected run in the US on September 3.

When asked what he hopes his legacy will be, John David said: "Hopefully, my work will speak for itself, like the early De Niros and Leonardo DiCaprios. Their work speaks for itself. That's how I'd like to live."

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