'Tenet': Why did John David Washington hide the fact he was Denzel Washington's son during film auditions?

In his definition, David wanted to have a 'sense of normalcy' and in addition, would lie about his father's job

PUBLISHED DEC 15, 2020

John David Washington is one of the most searched actors on the planet at the moment and much of it is due to the rave reviews he received for playing "The Protagonist" in 'Tenet'. The film is currently running in cinemas and is slated to release on VoD and Blu-Ray on Tuesday, December 15. Much has been spoken about David's life and with all the interesting features written on the football player-turned-actor. Quite recently, there was a startling revelation the actor made about his film auditions.

While talking to the Mr Porter website. David said he hid the fact he was the son of veteran actor Denzel Washington as he hoped to have a sense of normalcy and that's why he would also lie about his father's job. “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. They would always judge me. So I hid who my father was. I guess I was protecting myself,” the 36-year-old actor said.

David is the eldest of the four children of Denzel and Pauletta Washington. His acting career rocketed with the HBO series, 'Ballers' and he gained global recognition with Spike Lee's 'BlackKklansman.' In 'Tenet', David plays the titular character tasked on a dangerous, time-bending mission to prevent the start of World War III. Sharing screen space with him is Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branagh, Michael Caine and Dimple Kapadia.

The film is rated 71% on Rotten Tomatoes with an audience rating of 76%. The critical consensus reads— 'A visually dazzling puzzle for film lovers to unlock, Tenet serves up all the cerebral spectacle audiences expect from a Christopher Nolan production.' David will be seen alongside 'Spider-Man' star Zendaya as the titular character in the drama film 'Malcolm & Marie', which had been filmed in secret during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

'Tenet' releases on VoD and Blu-Ray on Tuesday, December 15, 2020.