John David Washington / "BlacKkKlansman"

it's called baby mama. You guys can pay that child. I know. I'm like, you just dropped it on me, like I might explain yourself, all right, right, Ah, he's just gonna take a quick as a kid. I yeah, look at that. Two years old. There as a birthday party. His name Foster Faster. Yeah you got any Oh. I don't know why. That was a reaction almost like I was a kid. Might have been my reaction. Crazy around.

I'll watch m man, I'll be watching that. You are not the find have you been man doing this a lot? Which way? Yeah? Last night I was just night Friday, Wednesday was a Wednesday? Was that it was dope man, just people seem to be just receiving the film with just so much pation, and and they like they feel it seems like they're affected by some of the questions that I got. I think I got a question. I got it in France too, and I got it. It might have been in Chicago, something like how do we

solve racist one? Take the Sea? Yeah, but I just like the foundation of where it came from. They infected about what they just saw. So yeah, I'm always curious how, you know, just different audiences around the globe, their reactions to the movies. When someone comes off a press tour like that, and it was, it was, it was. I think it's like looking back in and now I'm glad that the first time I saw what people was overseas

for something to feel like I was. I don't know if that was protective, but it was like house money, because if they don't connect with it, well at least it ain't you know, my neighbor, so like you got to see him every day. But but then but when they received it, then the pressure became more because they get it. Uh as our country donna get it, they're gonna connect to it. So it was interesting. It's kind of late in the festival too, right when it was it was, oh yeah, maybe it was kind of deeper

end of the week. I think it was right in the middle. Wasn't in the middle. What do you think of that? Just in front of me? It was like, man, it was like the super Bowl. Man, it was. It was like, not seriously, just embarrassment of riches, like people just seem to love film. They're just like they're just like film enthusiasts and also fashion enthusiasts, like you gotta put your tucks on and everything. But but it didn't seem pretentious in any way. It was. It wasn't. It

wasn't like an era of elitism. It was more like we're just here to to welcome film and celebrate storytelling, you know, with some champagne, you know, some great yeah. Yeah. So it was I enjoyed it, man, I've never been in an environment like that before. Um, and just to be able to do with Spike Lee, it's like, you know, there's the practical sum return, so to speak, because they seemed to have embraced them since the night you know, early eighties nineties. So it was nice, Well we're up

and running. Uh we here with John David Washington the start of Black Klansmen. We were just talking about the cann experience for that film. Thanks for coming on the show, and thanks they having me. Really appreciated this movie is awesome. I loved it so about a month or two ago before we get into the movie, and you know, just very curious about your movie, from football to acting and all that as well. I just wanted to kind of play get to know you, like, you know, like what

what movies do you like? Let's start there, what kind of movies did you grow up like? I mean from Dances with Wolves to Tim Burton's Batman, Ninja Turtles, not divanilla Ice when although I saw that one, but the first one, you know, uh, I was the Shining super super Fly. You know, I just I love all different types of genres a film, and you know, I just I lost myself in these characters. I wanted to be them. I knew every line and glory, every character. You know.

I I wanted for Christmas. I wanted the blue suit and a rifle. I wanted the VH I know you might be too young to remember VHS tapes, but I had the VHS you just tell me. I'm too remember saying I don't know you got the young I'm just saying like, and then I broke it. I watched it so many times I broke the tape. So all I wanted was that blue suit and the tape the take for Christmas, and I got it. So yeah, Robin Hood the Kevin Costner one. And I didn't mind it. He

didn't have an English accent. I didn't care. I was just I believed that, you know, Morgan Freeman being izine like, so it's all those kinds of movies. I just love about Robin hoodman and tight are you kidding me? You know that's my that's my joint man, right, Yeah, well it was either that or he was in the Eddie Murphy joint too. He was the stand up comedian. I don't know which one was first. But yeah, what about you know actors other than the obvious that maybe you

grew up inspired by everybody in Glory? I mean Adre Browner um um uh just but honestly to um Alfred Wood she's one of my favorites, like all the time. She can do anything, like for her communic time and to her dramatic performances are great. Um, A big fan of Jack Nicholson. Uh, just the way he was able, to the way he the way he says, like his cadence, and how he can change like tones in one sentence, you know what I mean, It just seems like it's just so natural and easy, as if he didn't even

need to do any research. That's how free he seemed to be on screen. Obviously, the Niro and the whole Scorsese packing everybody in Spike Lee films, you know, like Spike Lee really gave us a platform. I want to say, as people, men and women of color and different personalities.

We weren't just the generic you know, gangst number five, Pimp number two on the call sheet, but we were actually he was actually celebrating our differences, the nuances and behavior of different cultures within the neighborhoods, different neighborhoods as well. So and he did it such in such an extraordinary way, you know, and of that time. So I really appreciated that. I mean, the Huge Brothers films growing up, I loved

and I'm friends with Alan. You's just like Alan, he was just like a mentor to me, you know, he he introduced me to hiking and and sort of, yeah, I hike all the time now it's it's I get like great um inspiration and like just creative ideas when I do that, when I do those hikes. And uh, I live in Brooklyn now, but but just when I was out here, so, you know, just just all kind

of films, man, I mean I love Clueless. Growing up that that movie was I was off the chain, man, I mean I'm from the valley, so like I could connect with it a little bit. So I just saw that Love Jones nil. I got to meet me a long last night and I fell out. I was like, she and she looks great. By the way, we had our guy was on the carpet doing some video doing some interviews, and I saw, yeah, yeah, she looks great. Yeah yeah. Regina King, I got to see her as well.

She's a monster beast of an actress. She's incredible. She was very nice. I presented how at the uhwere Yeah, so that was great. So just I'm you know, I'm just in the I mean I got to meet the hole. I got to meet Vinicio del Toro at the at the at Can Film Festival. He saw the film I mean, he's one of my favorites of all time. Did you

really is cool? It's awesome having back to back with Josh Brolin and they're completely different people, Like h is really extroverted and then you get Benicio and he's just reserved a little more reserved really. But then when when I when I turn it off, he really lit up, like maybe it's just the thing when he's like, you got to be before arm and stuff when you were

growing up, you know, and your dad is Denzel Washington. Uh, you know, do you ever have did you have these kinds of ambitions or is it the kind of thing where you want to run in the other direction of what your dad's doing? You know? It was a combination of both. I wanted seeing him before him at Shakespeare in the Park when I was four, I guess four, four or five or four or three three to five around that time. Uh, he did rich in the third h Shakespeare in the Park of New York, and um,

I would just I loved the whole process. He would say, reside his lines. He would take me around the city and reside his lines, you know, all the time, and like that language. I got introduced to Shakespeare four years old, and I love that fell in love with the language because you know, he would talk different at home or some places or at like school or when he was coaching me, but then he'd say these words. I was like,

how did he do that? I just noticed that my mom too, I mean she was able to just go up to a piano and play this Beethoven and play this classical stuff just off the whim I got. I I just loved the process of it all, and so that was inspiring. I just knew I want to do with that and glory and its ascension into the business. As he was starting to get more recognizable and really, my colm X, things started to change. We needed more security. We started getting an answering service, like you had to

be more protective. It was what they did with that film in those times, and the business was I mean, it's legendary and it was very dangerous as well. So um, so life changed for us and people started treating me different. And so that resentment and anxiety I was getting from this um from people around me that started to treat me different because of him. I needed to put that and filter that into something positive. Otherwise I was gonna go off the rails, and football was what it was from.

And I love this, I love football, but it was so it was more like a mechanism to help I don't say copes, I'm not making me feel like I'm like I'm a victim, but to help me get through certain you know, regular teenage year stuff than the rebellious time. You know, it just was like a positive rebellion. And so I was able to go through a lot of pain and and and endure these injuries because of the motivation.

The mandate was my own man, and I'm independent. I was able to earn my own scholarship more House College, and I made the NFL and played overseas as well, and made my own money because of it. So I felt like I found that independence. But what was happening, Unfortunately, unfortunately every time I'd have these great games, it would be Denzel. The papers would read, to the radio stations say, Denzel's son ran for a hundred plus yards and two touchdowns.

Denzel's son sets you know, the more House record at school. So like it didn't matter, it was inescapable. Uh, speaking of that, just curious, like, what's your favorite protein? Oh, Philadelphia Eagles I got to leave Randy Randall Cunningham, the great Randall Cunningham when I was I think Pops was doing Philadelphia with Tom Hanks at the time, and he took me to a game and we went to the sideline and Randa Cunningham, he I got to shake his hand and he gave me some advice. I'm like this

little kid with the squeaky high voice. He kept saying, just always do the right thing, and like, always make sure you have your glove, and he gave me his glove. He always wore a glove on his off hand and he gave it to me, and uh, I was like the best one with in my life. So from then, thank you, I'll take that was gonna yeah, I was

gonna wait on the thank you. Thank you, No, I mean because I've never seen anybody that looked like me at that position and sort of revolutionized the position in the way it was played that and he looked cool with that twelve and the Eagle wings on his helmet. So, I mean, I've been an Eagles fan ever since I was hooked. I don't mention that I'm a Washington fan. Okay, you don't want to that, you don't want to, alright, but I do want to. There is something I want

to pack. Are you at all like me? I'm having trouble watching this year because of what's happened with the protests and everything in the way the week's reacted. I'm just curious if you have any strong feelings about that. I have strong feelings. I'm pro player. You know, a lot of these young men, this is their ticket out out of the their situation ones that they can better themselves, they can provide for their families. That's what the NFL provides,

and I appreciate that. That's what the NFL provides it through the fans. Us. We pay the money to see them do extraordinary things on Sundays and Mondays. So if the product is getting polluted, we got to find out what the root the root of that problem, you know, because it's not the game. The game is pure high school football still pure. College football to something degree is still pure. They seem to want to be out there.

I mean, there's nothing like to me, this is what the differences in the NFL and college in high school there's nothing like motivated millionaires. When you see these guys getting paid an incredible amounts of money, but they still care. They still risk their lives and I say lives, but they really do. But their with their limbs put them on the line to to win for their teammates. That's

what gets me going. That's what's exciting about the sport and the nature of the sport itself, I mean so violent, but the brotherhood. I mean, you cannot win. The prerequisite of victory is being on the same page with your teammate, and you have to be almost ego less in a way. It doesn't guarantee the win, but at least that's that's the only way you can at least set yourself up to do it. So when everybody's working together, that mechanism

is something relatable to the country about that. We Americans love that, and uh, we got to find out how to just deliver that product again to us right now. When you came out of college and and and you went through football for a while and then you started to make that transition to acting with ballers just you know several years ago, Uh, did it feel right? Did it feel natural? Did it feel like this is this is what I want to do? Can I cuts on here? Hell? Yeah,

it's encouraged. Yeah, well, I never felt more like, I must say, like having a great day on set. I can't compare it to any great that I had on the football field, but I think the motivations were different because I was I was just so I was just against, so relentless in my pursuit of independence. It took away a lot of the joy and like, do you even like what you're doing or you just need I feel they need to be independent, you know what I mean.

So maybe that's sort of saturated the joy a little bit. But but yeah, I mean I wanted to again, I wanted to do this since Pops was doing Shakespeare in the Park. So here I am doing it, getting to express, getting to put all these emotions and put them into a character, you know. And and this there's the whole bunch of similarities from football to here. I mean, you still have so many people on set that you depend on. Everybody needs to do their job, and I love that.

I love the comparrider of it all. And when there's egos, when the egos are set aside and you're just there to service to film with the project, that's a beautiful feeling. I mean, that's a high I'm constantly chasing. Yeah. Uh. The last question on this the obvious one that maybe you get tired of hearing. But you know, being the son of Denzel Washington, do you does that make you feel like you have something more to prove as an actor? Like just taking me through my journey and football, what

do you think? I mean, I got a lot to I got a lot to prove to myself. You know that that's that's bad fuel. They used to be. They used to feel me like, I'll show them, I'll show him. But that that that that there's no longevy and that that's short money. Um, I gotta do it for me, you know, I gotta do it for for who I believe, and I believe in God. I pray every day. So if this is if this is what he wants, it

feels really good. So I'm like, God, thank you this because this is if this is what you want me to do, this is great because I love it. But yeah, I um, I just want It's all about the work though, you know. I mean I had the helmet syndrome where I didn't want people knowing my face. I just wanted to get out there with a helmet on and run

front of yards. So it's not about recognition necessarily. I if I can inspire somebody, anybody, one person, to make them feel the way I felt watching the movies I described to you earlier, and I told you about earlier, and I did my job well. As far as you know, taking the lead in the movie is concerned, I can't think of a better trial by fire than fronting a Spike Lee joint if you will. Uh, you know, there's obviously plenty of familiarity. They're going way back with Spike,

But did you still come into it with confidence? Did he have to sell you to get you into this? Like I'm because again I have to sell me man, Spike Lee and this incredible, crazy story that I thought was, you know, maybe like an adaptation of the Dave Chappelle's kit or something. But when I found out it was real that this is his good old fashioned American backyard hate, I'm like, oh wow, told by the tone master, like Spike Lee is a master of cinema tone like and

he and he's at the top of his game. But this film, as far as tone is concerned and subject matter, I mean, this couldn't have been done by anybody else but Spike Lee. You know. Thank god Jordan peele gave it to him. Jordan peele knew what was up, you know, and he and he knows tone. He understands tone as well. And coming off the success of Get Out, so this was a what you call a no brainer, you know. And so because of that, because this legend trusted me

with the material, I wasn't nervous, I wasn't anxious. I was inspired. I was encouraged. I was inspired too because I saw him on set every day like a little kid. He had this exuberance. It's you full exuberance about filmmaking, about the world. You can get cutted out and I don't get a twist. You better be on your game.

But it was just but it's one of those things that just get over it because just service the film, your ego and your feelings at the door just come into work because we're doing something and you feel like you're part of this family. I'm a part of this Rich Panthey on this history when he's like I was telling you about earlier, how he's just brought so many people. Sam Jackson's in the world, you know, just uh, was

the Perezids of the world. So all these people that I'm a part of now we're connected forever, a cinema life. So um, I was excited, I was motivated, and I was I've never been more confident because of the confidency and stilling me this this this hero of mine believing and telling me to trust my instincts. That's why, that's why you're here. So I was off to the racist where we were in Ostining, up state New York and

then in Brooklyn. Okay, well, I'm always curious how environments shape a performance, you know, being in those environments and and just you know the atmosphere of that, can you speak to them? Absolutely? Man Um, it was a it was an environment of inclusion, collaboration, um and honestly, the spirit of the spirits of the people we were talking about. Toker Grace channel the spirit of David Dooke. I know he'd be like, I don't know if that it is

a compliment, offer like he's amazing. Corey Hawkins captured the spirit of quamit to Ray, I mean, and that's because of who was at the helm. I'm telling you, I've working on sets and have been in being a part of different projects. I've never been a part of something like this where he understands. He's a master of tone and also a master of momentum, understanding momentum and energy like a coach, like a Phil Jackson. No or not to call a time out if the other team is

going on to run, Let them figure it out. You know. He he understands when not to say anything. He understands when to yell at somebody else, even if he's actually that energy is directed towards you, but he's given to somebody else because he knows you're watching. He just understands. He just understands energy. And he created such an environment of of of fluidity, of inclusion that it was just we didn't have to think about anything else but what

we were doing. All I had to do was listen to my same partner because the platform that the canvas was set to paint on and that kind of freedom, I I honestly gotta I gotta like snap out of it because that doesn't happen like that, and that's I feel like that's gonna be a once in lifetime thing. I think so a little bit. To be honest, I think I got spoiled because of the freedom and the trust. People don't trust. And I'm not saying other people other

experiences are are are bad because of that. This everybody trusted differently. But it was one of those free fla like trust falls like right, So it was great. That was great environment. Uh did you know anything about the story beforehand? And I feel I felt at first a little embarrassed, but now I'm like, there's a lot of people that know. I felt the bars because I went to more House College, historically black school, and I learned a lot about my culture. Uh, and this one slipped

through the cracks. A lot of people didn't know about this story. But once you explain it briefly, so the h it's it's a It's about a man named ron Stalwarth, the first African American detective in Colorado Springs in the seventies to infiltrate He ran a sting operation infiltrate the kol Klux Klan posing as a white supremacist and he found a partner uh in his department to play him when they when he when they encountered them face to face, so he would get intel from his partner and they

would exchange information back and forth, and they were successful in their mission. I can't give away how they were successful, but it was successful, and I think it's a true act of heroism. I think he was a true American hero because he did it and he all So the rig take away from the film as well for me was that the support that he got from people, from men that look like you, you know what I mean, Like they were about the mission, they were about the

staying operation. They put whatever differences they might have personally had, they put it aside to achieve greatness to do their job, which is protect and serve their community. And another thing is what was inspired to me was I didn't know much about you know, African American police officers until I

did the research, and they it's a tough jo. It's a thankless job for police officers period, but it's specifically for men and women of colors protecting and serving because here a lot of people think that they're not for their people for the cause, they're not aware, they're not what they call woke because they were blue and then they're not blue enough for the people in their own department.

So it's it's really unfair. So I want them people out there that are protecting and serving doing it the right way. I want you to be proud, you know. I hope you're proud when you watch this and know that you are recognized and we we salute you the ones that are doing it the right way. Yeah. What it meeting the real run? Do you informed me of everything? It gave me this calm and the sense of confidence that also that also needed from him to know that

he trusted me. Again, the big world is trusted. I put Aford his trust because he this is his life, his legacy in the hands of the Spike Lee and the hands of this John David guy. He doesn't really know, you know, but like, actually, actually that I take that back. He his his daughters, his wife daughters, they knew the show balls and they were like, no, Dad, just he's he's we love him. Oh my. That so that that

the thank you kids appreciate that. Um. But yeah, it was a meant admitt the world to me and playing never I've never played somebody that real person and that's alive. More less so, that was an incredible challenge that I welcomed with a what was what was the most unbelievable part of the story when you finally heard everything about it, like what just made you your jaw dropped because it is such a when not even the movie. I gotta say, really,

I mean, which is in the movie. But when he passed so I met him for the first time at the table read he passed around his membership car. He is a Ku Klux claim member. He's I'm not lying, it's insane, Like he has the caryo. He passed it around to everybody like we're looking at it and it's signed by David Duke. Has got these rules on the back like first rule of flight club, don't talk about club like it's crazy. Like I'm like, and he's got the certificate too. He took a he can't find the

big I can't. I don't want give it away. But it's crazy, you'll see. But that card really it really affected me in a way. I mean because he was like it was almost like an avenger, Like I've been reading about him and doing all the reachers. Then I finally meet him, like, dude, this dude's like a real person. Yeah, like my god, and then he shows the car like, oh my god. He really had a relationship with David, how did this This is a black guy those prints

in the seventies, y'o, Like this is crazy. So yeah, that was that was That was a very wowing moment. But speaking of Ballers, by the way, I just wanted to talk just about the rock working with him. I mean, that guy, he seems like he's got a kind of energy that you'd make money off of it if you can sell it or something. Energies, right, I mean, and that's contagious and and it's one of those things that it doesn't matter how big or famous you get, you oh,

don't forget about the people. And he seems to always make time for the people, his fans and everything to him. So I and I appreciate that. Yeah, we're also going to see you in uh just later this year. The Old Man of the Gun and Monsters and Men and Monsters and men. Uh, particularly with Old Man and the Gun.

I'm a big David Lowry fan. So I love that you want people talk more about that the perspective of the like it took me once I settled in around like when she's eating that pie right and she just stayed with it. I was like, Oh, he's gonna she's gonna eat the whole thing, you know, like, oh, she's gonna eat the whole thing. I was into it. Yeah, I love that movie. I love them. But a lot of people look at me like, like, what's your favorite. That's what I said. I swear I got that's what

I said. So you know that. So you hear my enthusiasm. I love working with That's another again. He's he's a man that just just created an environment that was safe to play and explore and and just to connect with your partners. I gotta say, I went to go I watched it was my day off that that was my day off, and I went to go see Robert Redford and uh and uh Danny Glover and Tom Waite's work tell my master class that. I mean, they would like share stories while they're setting up and then then you

actually just jump right into the character. I mean you were talking about poise and just all that was just the wealth of experience. It was great. I mean, Robert Redford is crazy like he he he's right referend right. So you see him and he's like this regular, you know, nice little like older gentleman, and then then you're action and that charm. That movie start just turns on. It was just like activated. I was like, yo, I see now, So I got no excuse. I gotta be a d MT.

Still be on my game. That's the juice, baby, Um what do you what do you want to do next? What do you think you'll do next? What's being able to work with? Again? I got to work with Ronaldo Marcus grid on Monsters and Men and uh he's a student of Spike Lee. I've been lucky for between David and Ronaldo and Spike, I got master classes. I got to work. I mean maybe I'm spoiled now, but and spoiled in the way of working how to tell the truth. There's more than one way to get to the truth.

But they don't skip None of those directors skipped any steps. They were all about process. So that's the mandate for me right now because I'm still learning. Man, I need to learn more. And they helped me with that. They helped me with that, They helped me find myself as

an artist. They helped me. They gave me more confidence that these guys know what they're doing and they believe in me to help them with their vision and operative for there is help, not like they're gonna tell me what their vision is and you do it, help me with the best idea in the room, wins. I want more of that, you know. That's the high I'm chasing because that's what's gonna get me better. So it's not necessary. Mean, obviously that's about what's on the script and all of that.

But I want to work with film enthusiasts that really care about this. And if you don't, if you're trying to make a buck, if you try call show business, that's cool too, But like finding that balance of art and commerce is is the priority for me right now, just here. And you talk about film and talking about masters of tone and things like this, do you have any sort of ambitions to be a filmmaker? Do you want to direct? That's how hard man, and uh don't again,

let me. I gotta keep learning first. I need I need more. I need more set experiences with some masters, you know, and then we'll see. We'll see what I get after after a couple more years, we'll see what I mean. I might I maybe maybe not right, Maybe I might have something, but I need to I need to learn more. I need to learn more. First, we'll keep it up. Man, this movie is awesome. Of your performance is great, and then looking forward to the others

as well. Appreciate it's black plans. Man, it comes out. It should be out by the time you're listening to this. Actually go to see it immediately after you hearing this conversation people, thanks for doing the show. Man, really appreciate it.