Netflix's The Piano Lesson star John David Washington's life - including famous dad and career before acting

The starring antheral successful Netflix's haunting caller movie has household ties to an Oscar-winning histrion who precocious starred successful an epic blockbuster

Netflix's latest movie offering tells the haunting communicative of siblings warring implicit the destiny of a household heirloom.

Based connected August Wilson's Pulitzer-winning play of the aforesaid name, The Piano Lesson is acceptable successful the precocious 1930s. It follows the lives of the Charles household arsenic they negociate the aboriginal of a household soft that tells the clan's past done carvings made by their ancestors.

The humanities drama's accumulation is besides thing of a household matter arsenic Denzel Washington's children helm the film. John David, Denzel's oldest son, stars arsenic Boy Willie, portion Malcolm, Denzel's youngest son, is the manager and co-writer. The Oscar-winning actor's girl Katia besides has credits arsenic an enforcement producer, with Denzel arsenic 1 of the producers.

Movie fans whitethorn recognise John David from his stints successful Hollywood blockbusters - including Christopher Nolan's Box Office deed Tenet - but determination is much to the actor's beingness than starring roles.

Despite increasing up with a Hollywood A-Lister, the histrion had a mean childhood. In a caller interrogation with Esquire, Denzel recalled the household dynamic betwixt his children.

He said: "Malcolm utilized to bushed everybody successful Monopoly. They wouldn’t play him. He walked astir with a Monopoly acceptable and John David wouldn’t ever play due to the fact that Malcolm would ever privation to beryllium the bank. Nobody could bushed him oregon adjacent wanted to bushed him."

Born successful 1984, to actors Denzel and Paulette Washington (née Pearson), John David didn't take filmmaking arsenic his archetypal career. Instead, the 40-year-old pursued American football. While astatine university, helium was signed by assorted teams and adjacent played successful the NFL Europe League for a squad based successful Düsseldorf.

In 2015, helium yet followed successful his father's footsteps and broke into acting.

But helium didn't wholly permission sports behind, arsenic helium starred successful HBO's drama bid Ballers, which followed Dwayne Johnson arsenic a retired NFL subordinate and John David arsenic an egotistical player.

Although it was his breakout role, Ballers was not the actor's archetypal clip connected the large screen. At conscionable 7 years aged helium appeared successful Spike Lee's acclaimed biopic Malcolm X, which starred Denzel arsenic the revolutionary activist. According to the director, John David's vocation was sparked by that movie adjacent though helium didn't play different relation for decades.

However, erstwhile the prima was backmost to acting, his vocation skyrocketed. In 2018 helium starred successful different almighty Spike Lee biopic, BlacKkKlansman, successful which helium portrays a achromatic constabulary serviceman who infiltrates a section Ku Klux Klan group.

The histrion continued his streak of moving with notable directors successful 2020 erstwhile helium played the protagonist successful Christopher Nolan's Tenet, other Robert Pattinson.

Recalling however John David landed the relation successful Tenet, filmmaker Spike Lee wrote for Time mag successful 2021: "When Christopher Nolan, my cinema brother, saw the movie [BlacKkKlansman] astatine Cannes, I deliberation I saw tears successful his eyes.

"Then—BOOMSHOCKALOCKA! J.D was formed arsenic the pb successful Nolan’s Tenet. When J.D appears successful his New Netflix movie Malcolm & Marie successful February, radical volition beryllium Hooting and Hollering for our caller matinee idol, our caller Dark Gable. The Apple doesn’t autumn acold from the tree. Like Father, similar Son. Amen."

Since the merchandise of BlacKkKlansman, John David has featured successful Sam Levinson's Malcolm & Marie, Ferdinando Cito Filomarino's Beckett, David O. Russell's Amsterdam and Gareth Edwards' The Creator.

While helium has been successful the spotlight for adjacent to a decade, John David has not publically dated anyone. Speaking to Ellen DeGeneres astir his narration presumption successful 2018, the histrion said helium is "Single AF."

The Piano Lesson is disposable to ticker present connected Netflix