John David Washington

John David Washington (born July 28, 1984) is an American actor and former professional football player. A son of actor Denzel Washington, he started his career in college football at Morehouse College and signed with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2006. Professionally, Washington spent four years as a running back for the United Football League's Sacramento Mountain Lions. He shifted to acting, and was part of the main cast of the HBO comedy series Ballers (2015–2019) and appeared in the western film The Old Man & the Gun (2018). Washington's breakthrough role came playing Ron Stallworth in Spike Lee's crime drama BlacKkKlansman (2018), for which he received Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations. Washington has since gained leading roles in films such as Tenet (2020), Malcolm & Marie (2021), and The Creator (2023). He made his Broadway debut in the 2022 revival of the August Wilson play The Piano Lesson, and reprised his role in its 2024 film adaptation.