John David Washington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John David Washington
Washington in 2024
Born	John David Washington (1984-07-28) July 28, 1984 (age 40) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	Morehouse College (BA)
Occupation	Actor football player
Years active	2006–2012 (sports) 2015–present (acting)
Parent(s)	Denzel Washington (father)
Relatives	Olivia Washington (sister) Malcolm Washington (brother)
Football career
No. 33, 28
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Height:	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight:	208 lb (94 kg)
Career information
College:	Morehouse
Undrafted:	2006
Career history
St. Louis Rams (2006–2007)* Rhein Fire (2007) California Redwoods (2009) Sacramento Mountain Lions (2010–2012)

John David Washington (born July 28, 1984) is an American actor and a former professional football player. He is the son of famous actor Denzel Washington.

John David started his career playing college football at Morehouse College. After college, he signed with the St. Louis Rams in 2006. He then played for four years as a running back for the United Football League's Sacramento Mountain Lions.

Later, Washington decided to become an actor, just like his parents. He became a main character in the HBO comedy series Ballers (2015–2019). His big break came when he played Ron Stallworth in Spike Lee's movie BlacKkKlansman (2018). For this role, he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Since then, Washington has starred in many movies. These include Tenet (2020), Malcolm & Marie (2021), and The Creator (2023). In 2022, he performed on Broadway in the play The Piano Lesson. He also played the same role in the movie version of the play in 2024.

About John David Washington's Early Life

John David Washington was born and grew up in Los Angeles, California. He is the oldest of four children. His father is the actor Denzel Washington, and his mother is actress and singer Pauletta Washington.

When he was seven years old, John David appeared in the 1992 movie Malcolm X. His father starred in that movie.

Washington went to Campbell Hall School in Los Angeles. There, he was a top athlete in football, basketball, and track. He finished high school in 2002 and graduated from Morehouse College in 2006.

John David Washington's Football Career

Playing College Football

During his senior year at Morehouse College, Washington was a star player. He led the conference in rushing, gaining 1,198 yards. This was a new record for his school.

He also averaged 5.6 yards per carry and scored nine touchdowns. Throughout his college career, Washington set school records for the most rushing yards in a single game (242 yards) and in a career (3,699 yards).

Playing Professional Football

After college, John David Washington was signed by the St. Louis Rams on May 1, 2006. He was released later that year but then re-signed to their practice squad. In 2007, he played for the Rhein Fire in NFL Europe.

In 2009, Washington was drafted by the California Redwoods. This team later became the Sacramento Mountain Lions in the United Football League. He played for the Mountain Lions until 2012, when the league stopped operating.

John David Washington's Acting Career

Washington started his acting career in 2015. He played Ricky Jerret, an NFL player, in the HBO series Ballers. This show was very popular and ran for five seasons until 2019.

Washington (third from left) with the team of BlacKkKlansman at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival

In 2017, Washington got the main role of detective Ron Stallworth in Spike Lee's movie BlacKkKlansman. The film was based on a true story. It first showed at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival in May 2018. The movie won a major award there called the Grand Prix.

BlacKkKlansman was released in U.S. theaters in August 2018. It was a big success. Washington earned nominations for a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his acting. In 2018, he also appeared in other films like Monsters and Men, Monster, and The Old Man & the Gun.

After seeing his work in BlacKkKlansman, director Christopher Nolan chose Washington to star in his thriller movie Tenet. Nolan praised Washington, calling him "one of the greatest collaborators I've worked with." Tenet was released in September 2020. Critics liked Washington's performance, with one calling it "star-in-the-making." He won a Saturn Award for Best Actor for this role.

Washington then starred with Zendaya in the drama film Malcolm & Marie (2021). This movie was filmed secretly during the COVID-19 pandemic. His performance in the film was highly praised. He also played a lawyer and war veteran in the 2022 film Amsterdam. In 2023, he had a starring role in the science fiction movie The Creator.

In September 2022, Washington performed in a Broadway play called The Piano Lesson. The play ran until January 2023. He played the same character in the movie version of the play in 2024. His brother, Malcolm Washington, directed this movie.

John David Washington's Filmography

Key

Denotes works that have not yet been released

Movies John David Washington Has Been In

TV Shows John David Washington Has Been In

Plays John David Washington Has Been In

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: John David Washington para niños