John David Washington has revealed he used to lie about the identity of his father when auditioning for roles.
The actor made the admission in a new interview, saying that he would keep the truth from casting directors “just to have some sense of normalcy”.
Washington – who is the son of Denzel Washington – explained to Mr Porter that he wanted to be judged on his own merit, stating: “I saw how people changed when they found out who my father was.”
“I used to lie, saying he was a construction worker or in jail, just to have some sense of normalcy. I felt like there was no way people would take me seriously, even if I was good, so I hid who my father was.”
He added: “I guess I was protecting myself.”
Washington, 36, scored his biggest acting role in 2015 after appearing in HBO series Ballers opposite Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
In 2019, he played the lead role alongside Adam Driver in Spike Lee’s Oscar-winning film BlacKkKlansman. He earned a Golden Globe nomination for the performance.
His new film is Christopher Nolan’s espionage thriller Tenet, which has been delayed numerous times due to coronavirus.
It will finally be released in the UK and other European countries on 26 August, and in the US on 3 September.
Washington, whose mother is actor and singer Pauletta Washington, said he hopes his “work will speak for itself”.
Denzel Washington has won two Oscars or the films Glory and Training Day, and has received a total of six nominations.
