‘I’m still living in my father’s shadow’ — John David Washington

John David Washington comes from Hollywood royalty his mother is actress Pauletta Washington and his father, two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington.

Despite his acclaimed performances in Tenet and Malcolm and Marie, Washington still feels like he’s living in the shadow of his famous father. “I don’t even know if [people] see me as John David yet,” the actor told Rolling Stone. “I’m still Denzel’s son. I’m always his son.”

“So it’s like, the day that they start seeing just me is the day that I can maybe better answer that question about celebrity,” he continued. “‘Cause I’m still not out of his shadow.”

When he was 10 years old, Washington learned to recite lines from his father’s role in the Civil War drama Glory; according to his younger sister, Katia.

After attending Morehouse College, Washington attempted to start a professional football career before tearing his Achilles tendon in 2013. Though it prompted him to focus on acting, the 36-year-old said he always “knew” he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps.

“Acting, I knew I always wanted to do. But I literally wanted to get some aggression out,” the Tenet star shared.

“The growing pains of being a teenager, the stuff I’ve experienced, being the son of someone. I could get that out here,” Washington continued. “I wanted to be productive with my anger. And I could use it as part of something positive.”