Did you know that all of Denzel Washington‘s kids are in the entertainment industry? One of them is a director and writer, while another is a producer, and two others are actors. It’s quite intriguing to see all of them thriving in the same industry as their legendary dad. However, before the two of them became actors, Washington gave some unique, sound advice for them.
In case you missed it, Washington recently spoke in an interview with The Sunday Times about the advice he gave his two acting kiddos. He encouraged them to do theater to hone their craft, and when discussing this advice, he related it to basketball.
“Everyone thinks they can do it, but there’s only so many LeBrons. You see what I mean? And I’m not knocking actors that never got the opportunity because maybe that wasn’t their track, but I can tell you about my own kids,” he said. “I told them they have to get on the stage because that’s where you learn to act. You don’t learn to act on TV. You don’t learn to act in movies. You learn to act on stage. TV and films are a director’s medium — where they are in control.”
Along with his work in film and television, Washington has worked in theater for decades. He made his theater debut in 1979 for Coriolanus, and since then, he’s starred as Malcolm X in When the Chickens Came Home to Roost, Richard III of England in The Tragedy of Richard III, and Marcus Brutus in Julius Caesar, to name a few. As of 2024, he will be starring as Othello in Othello in 2025 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway.
So it’s clear he has the theater bug, and ensured his kids would hone their craft the same.
For those who don’t know, Washington has four children with his wife of over 40 years, Pauletta Pearson named John David, born in July 1984, Katia, born in Nov 1987, and twins Malcolm and Olivia, born in April 1991.
And for those wondering which one of his kids is an actor, we got you. His children, John David and Olivia, are actors, while Katia is the producer, and Malcolm is the director and writer.
John David’s most well-known roles were starring in Tenet and Malcolm & Marie, and he made his theater debut in 2022 for The Piano Lesson. As for Olivia, her most well-known roles are in projects like I’m a Virgo, Breaking, and Madoff. She made her theater debut in 2019 for Much Ado About Nothing.
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