WEBVTT - John David Washington / "BlacKkKlansman" 0:00:00.040 --> 0:00:18.040 M m m. You're listening to playback a Variety I 0:00:18.120 --> 0:00:22.160 Heart Radio podcast. I'm your host, Variety Awards editor Chris Tapley. 0:00:23.079 --> 0:00:25.560 This week we have John David Washington, the thirty four 0:00:25.640 --> 0:00:28.920 year old star of director Spike Lee's latest film, Black Klansman. 0:00:29.800 --> 0:00:32.840 We discussed taking the dive into leading man territory, growing 0:00:32.880 --> 0:00:34.720 up the son of a cinema legend, and a whole 0:00:34.760 --> 0:00:55.120 lot more so, sit tight, this is playback. Why it's 0:00:55.120 --> 0:01:00.160 something important? Okay, let me thinking, somebody pullow me on. Wow, 0:01:01.160 --> 0:01:07.880 it's called baby mama. You guys can pay that child. 0:01:08.160 --> 0:01:10.399 I know. I'm like, you just dropped it on me, 0:01:10.480 --> 0:01:15.200 like I might explain yourself, all right, right, Ah, he's 0:01:15.240 --> 0:01:18.960 just gonna take a quick as a kid. I yeah, 0:01:19.319 --> 0:01:21.960 look at that. Two years old. There as a birthday party. 0:01:22.600 --> 0:01:29.720 His name Foster Faster. Yeah you got any Oh. I 0:01:29.760 --> 0:01:32.240 don't know why. That was a reaction almost like I 0:01:32.280 --> 0:01:38.960 was a kid. Might have been my reaction. Crazy around. 0:01:39.400 --> 0:01:42.440 I'll watch m man, I'll be watching that. You are 0:01:42.600 --> 0:01:45.680 not the find have you been man doing this a lot? 0:01:46.920 --> 0:01:53.240 Which way? Yeah? Last night I was just night Friday, 0:01:53.280 --> 0:01:55.640 Wednesday was a Wednesday? Was that it was dope man, 0:01:55.800 --> 0:01:58.440 just people seem to be just receiving the film with 0:01:58.600 --> 0:02:01.960 just so much pation, and and they like they feel 0:02:02.040 --> 0:02:03.880 it seems like they're affected by some of the questions 0:02:03.880 --> 0:02:05.320 that I got. I think I got a question. I 0:02:05.320 --> 0:02:07.480 got it in France too, and I got it. It 0:02:07.640 --> 0:02:09.400 might have been in Chicago, something like how do we 0:02:09.440 --> 0:02:16.440 solve racist one? Take the Sea? Yeah, but I just 0:02:16.520 --> 0:02:19.240 like the foundation of where it came from. They infected 0:02:19.280 --> 0:02:21.960 about what they just saw. So yeah, I'm always curious how, 0:02:22.000 --> 0:02:24.520 you know, just different audiences around the globe, their reactions 0:02:24.520 --> 0:02:26.079 to the movies. When someone comes off a press tour 0:02:26.240 --> 0:02:28.680 like that, and it was, it was, it was. I 0:02:28.720 --> 0:02:30.880 think it's like looking back in and now I'm glad 0:02:30.960 --> 0:02:34.359 that the first time I saw what people was overseas 0:02:34.400 --> 0:02:36.720 for something to feel like I was. I don't know 0:02:36.760 --> 0:02:38.399 if that was protective, but it was like house money, 0:02:38.400 --> 0:02:40.280 because if they don't connect with it, well at least 0:02:40.280 --> 0:02:43.440 it ain't you know, my neighbor, so like you got 0:02:43.440 --> 0:02:45.800 to see him every day. But but then but when 0:02:45.840 --> 0:02:49.120 they received it, then the pressure became more because they 0:02:49.160 --> 0:02:52.079 get it. Uh as our country donna get it, they're 0:02:52.120 --> 0:02:54.240 gonna connect to it. So it was interesting. It's kind 0:02:54.240 --> 0:02:56.800 of late in the festival too, right when it was 0:02:56.960 --> 0:02:59.519 it was, oh yeah, maybe it was kind of deeper 0:02:59.560 --> 0:03:01.000 end of the week. I think it was right in 0:03:01.000 --> 0:03:04.720 the middle. Wasn't in the middle. What do you think 0:03:04.720 --> 0:03:08.560 of that? Just in front of me? It was like, man, 0:03:08.560 --> 0:03:10.120 it was like the super Bowl. Man, it was. It 0:03:10.240 --> 0:03:13.960 was like, not seriously, just embarrassment of riches, like people 0:03:14.000 --> 0:03:16.639 just seem to love film. They're just like they're just 0:03:16.680 --> 0:03:20.519 like film enthusiasts and also fashion enthusiasts, like you gotta 0:03:20.560 --> 0:03:22.560 put your tucks on and everything. But but it didn't 0:03:22.560 --> 0:03:24.560 seem pretentious in any way. It was. It wasn't. It 0:03:24.840 --> 0:03:26.840 wasn't like an era of elitism. It was more like 0:03:27.639 --> 0:03:31.760 we're just here to to welcome film and celebrate storytelling, 0:03:32.000 --> 0:03:35.920 you know, with some champagne, you know, some great yeah. Yeah. 0:03:35.920 --> 0:03:37.600 So it was I enjoyed it, man, I've never been 0:03:37.640 --> 0:03:40.800 in an environment like that before. Um, and just to 0:03:40.840 --> 0:03:42.800 be able to do with Spike Lee, it's like, you know, 0:03:42.840 --> 0:03:45.600 there's the practical sum return, so to speak, because they 0:03:45.600 --> 0:03:47.400 seemed to have embraced them since the night you know, 0:03:47.400 --> 0:03:50.760 early eighties nineties. So it was nice, Well we're up 0:03:50.760 --> 0:03:53.120 and running. Uh we here with John David Washington the 0:03:53.200 --> 0:03:55.200 start of Black Klansmen. We were just talking about the 0:03:55.400 --> 0:03:58.000 cann experience for that film. Thanks for coming on the show, 0:03:58.040 --> 0:04:00.880 and thanks they having me. Really appreciated this movie is awesome. 0:04:00.960 --> 0:04:03.360 I loved it so about a month or two ago 0:04:04.560 --> 0:04:06.760 before we get into the movie, and you know, just 0:04:07.360 --> 0:04:09.400 very curious about your movie, from football to acting and 0:04:09.440 --> 0:04:10.760 all that as well. I just wanted to kind of 0:04:10.760 --> 0:04:13.000 play get to know you, like, you know, like what 0:04:12.880 --> 0:04:15.280 what movies do you like? Let's start there, what kind 0:04:15.280 --> 0:04:17.120 of movies did you grow up like? I mean from 0:04:17.200 --> 0:04:22.000 Dances with Wolves to Tim Burton's Batman, Ninja Turtles, not 0:04:22.160 --> 0:04:24.039 divanilla Ice when although I saw that one, but the 0:04:24.080 --> 0:04:28.280 first one, you know, uh, I was the Shining super 0:04:28.520 --> 0:04:31.320 super Fly. You know, I just I love all different 0:04:31.320 --> 0:04:34.120 types of genres a film, and you know, I just 0:04:34.600 --> 0:04:37.040 I lost myself in these characters. I wanted to be them. 0:04:37.040 --> 0:04:39.760 I knew every line and glory, every character. You know. 0:04:39.839 --> 0:04:42.800 I I wanted for Christmas. I wanted the blue suit 0:04:43.200 --> 0:04:45.640 and a rifle. I wanted the VH I know you 0:04:45.680 --> 0:04:48.359 might be too young to remember VHS tapes, but I 0:04:48.360 --> 0:04:50.960 had the VHS you just tell me. I'm too remember 0:04:50.960 --> 0:04:54.440 saying I don't know you got the young I'm just 0:04:54.480 --> 0:04:56.720 saying like, and then I broke it. I watched it 0:04:56.760 --> 0:04:58.320 so many times I broke the tape. So all I 0:04:58.320 --> 0:05:00.800 wanted was that blue suit and the tape the take 0:05:01.160 --> 0:05:04.400 for Christmas, and I got it. So yeah, Robin Hood 0:05:04.480 --> 0:05:06.440 the Kevin Costner one. And I didn't mind it. He 0:05:06.480 --> 0:05:09.520 didn't have an English accent. I didn't care. I was 0:05:09.560 --> 0:05:12.440 just I believed that, you know, Morgan Freeman being izine like, 0:05:12.480 --> 0:05:14.360 so it's all those kinds of movies. I just love 0:05:14.520 --> 0:05:18.440 about Robin hoodman and tight are you kidding me? You 0:05:18.480 --> 0:05:24.080 know that's my that's my joint man, right, Yeah, well 0:05:24.120 --> 0:05:26.200 it was either that or he was in the Eddie 0:05:26.240 --> 0:05:28.960 Murphy joint too. He was the stand up comedian. I 0:05:29.000 --> 0:05:32.599 don't know which one was first. But yeah, what about 0:05:32.600 --> 0:05:34.800 you know actors other than the obvious that maybe you 0:05:34.839 --> 0:05:38.839 grew up inspired by everybody in Glory? I mean Adre 0:05:39.000 --> 0:05:44.120 Browner um um uh just but honestly to um Alfred 0:05:44.120 --> 0:05:46.800 Wood she's one of my favorites, like all the time. 0:05:46.920 --> 0:05:49.760 She can do anything, like for her communic time and 0:05:49.839 --> 0:05:53.159 to her dramatic performances are great. Um, A big fan 0:05:53.200 --> 0:05:55.960 of Jack Nicholson. Uh, just the way he was able, 0:05:56.000 --> 0:05:59.480 to the way he the way he says, like his cadence, 0:06:00.040 --> 0:06:03.120 and how he can change like tones in one sentence, 0:06:03.520 --> 0:06:05.000 you know what I mean, It just seems like it's 0:06:05.000 --> 0:06:07.000 just so natural and easy, as if he didn't even 0:06:07.040 --> 0:06:09.599 need to do any research. That's how free he seemed 0:06:09.640 --> 0:06:12.200 to be on screen. Obviously, the Niro and the whole 0:06:12.520 --> 0:06:15.760 Scorsese packing everybody in Spike Lee films, you know, like 0:06:15.839 --> 0:06:18.320 Spike Lee really gave us a platform. I want to say, 0:06:18.360 --> 0:06:21.440 as people, men and women of color and different personalities. 0:06:21.480 --> 0:06:23.600 We weren't just the generic you know, gangst number five, 0:06:23.640 --> 0:06:25.279 Pimp number two on the call sheet, but we were 0:06:25.320 --> 0:06:28.599 actually he was actually celebrating our differences, the nuances and 0:06:28.640 --> 0:06:32.120 behavior of different cultures within the neighborhoods, different neighborhoods as well. 0:06:32.160 --> 0:06:35.359 So and he did it such in such an extraordinary way, 0:06:35.720 --> 0:06:38.000 you know, and of that time. So I really appreciated that. 0:06:38.040 --> 0:06:40.119 I mean, the Huge Brothers films growing up, I loved 0:06:40.160 --> 0:06:42.240 and I'm friends with Alan. You's just like Alan, he 0:06:42.320 --> 0:06:44.160 was just like a mentor to me, you know, he 0:06:44.160 --> 0:06:46.920 he introduced me to hiking and and sort of, yeah, 0:06:47.040 --> 0:06:48.960 I hike all the time now it's it's I get 0:06:49.040 --> 0:06:52.640 like great um inspiration and like just creative ideas when 0:06:52.640 --> 0:06:55.480 I do that, when I do those hikes. And uh, 0:06:55.520 --> 0:06:57.640 I live in Brooklyn now, but but just when I 0:06:57.720 --> 0:06:59.960 was out here, so, you know, just just all kind 0:07:00.160 --> 0:07:02.800 of films, man, I mean I love Clueless. Growing up 0:07:03.160 --> 0:07:05.080 that that movie was I was off the chain, man, 0:07:05.160 --> 0:07:07.320 I mean I'm from the valley, so like I could 0:07:07.360 --> 0:07:09.400 connect with it a little bit. So I just saw 0:07:09.480 --> 0:07:11.320 that Love Jones nil. I got to meet me a 0:07:11.320 --> 0:07:13.560 long last night and I fell out. I was like, 0:07:13.600 --> 0:07:15.760 she and she looks great. By the way, we had 0:07:16.120 --> 0:07:19.000 our guy was on the carpet doing some video doing 0:07:19.000 --> 0:07:21.320 some interviews, and I saw, yeah, yeah, she looks great. 0:07:21.400 --> 0:07:23.680 Yeah yeah. Regina King, I got to see her as well. 0:07:24.080 --> 0:07:26.800 She's a monster beast of an actress. She's incredible. She 0:07:26.880 --> 0:07:31.520 was very nice. I presented how at the uhwere Yeah, 0:07:31.560 --> 0:07:33.280 so that was great. So just I'm you know, I'm 0:07:33.320 --> 0:07:35.080 just in the I mean I got to meet the hole. 0:07:35.120 --> 0:07:37.680 I got to meet Vinicio del Toro at the at 0:07:37.680 --> 0:07:40.160 the at Can Film Festival. He saw the film I mean, 0:07:40.200 --> 0:07:43.000 he's one of my favorites of all time. Did you 0:07:43.040 --> 0:07:45.600 really is cool? It's awesome having back to back with 0:07:45.680 --> 0:07:48.320 Josh Brolin and they're completely different people, Like h is 0:07:48.360 --> 0:07:51.240 really extroverted and then you get Benicio and he's just 0:07:51.480 --> 0:07:53.680 reserved a little more reserved really. But then when when 0:07:53.720 --> 0:07:55.880 I when I turn it off, he really lit up, 0:07:56.200 --> 0:07:58.520 like maybe it's just the thing when he's like, you 0:07:59.280 --> 0:08:02.640 got to be before arm and stuff when you were 0:08:02.680 --> 0:08:06.400 growing up, you know, and your dad is Denzel Washington. Uh, 0:08:06.440 --> 0:08:08.960 you know, do you ever have did you have these 0:08:09.040 --> 0:08:10.600 kinds of ambitions or is it the kind of thing 0:08:10.600 --> 0:08:12.200 where you want to run in the other direction of 0:08:12.240 --> 0:08:14.560 what your dad's doing? You know? It was a combination 0:08:14.760 --> 0:08:18.920 of both. I wanted seeing him before him at Shakespeare 0:08:18.920 --> 0:08:20.760 in the Park when I was four, I guess four, 0:08:21.160 --> 0:08:23.000 four or five or four or three three to five 0:08:23.840 --> 0:08:26.120 around that time. Uh, he did rich in the third 0:08:26.400 --> 0:08:29.160 h Shakespeare in the Park of New York, and um, 0:08:30.040 --> 0:08:32.600 I would just I loved the whole process. He would say, 0:08:32.720 --> 0:08:34.320 reside his lines. He would take me around the city 0:08:34.320 --> 0:08:36.200 and reside his lines, you know, all the time, and 0:08:36.240 --> 0:08:38.760 like that language. I got introduced to Shakespeare four years old, 0:08:38.920 --> 0:08:40.480 and I love that fell in love with the language 0:08:40.720 --> 0:08:43.000 because you know, he would talk different at home or 0:08:43.040 --> 0:08:45.120 some places or at like school or when he was 0:08:45.120 --> 0:08:47.079 coaching me, but then he'd say these words. I was like, 0:08:47.120 --> 0:08:49.200 how did he do that? I just noticed that my 0:08:49.240 --> 0:08:51.240 mom too, I mean she was able to just go 0:08:51.320 --> 0:08:53.200 up to a piano and play this Beethoven and play 0:08:53.240 --> 0:08:56.160 this classical stuff just off the whim I got. I 0:08:56.160 --> 0:08:58.360 I just loved the process of it all, and so 0:08:58.440 --> 0:09:00.280 that was inspiring. I just knew I want to do 0:09:00.320 --> 0:09:03.360 with that and glory and its ascension into the business. 0:09:03.360 --> 0:09:05.480 As he was starting to get more recognizable and really, 0:09:05.480 --> 0:09:08.680 my colm X, things started to change. We needed more security. 0:09:08.760 --> 0:09:11.040 We started getting an answering service, like you had to 0:09:11.040 --> 0:09:13.520 be more protective. It was what they did with that 0:09:13.600 --> 0:09:16.319 film in those times, and the business was I mean, 0:09:16.360 --> 0:09:19.320 it's legendary and it was very dangerous as well. So um, 0:09:19.679 --> 0:09:22.280 so life changed for us and people started treating me different. 0:09:22.320 --> 0:09:25.480 And so that resentment and anxiety I was getting from 0:09:25.520 --> 0:09:28.640 this um from people around me that started to treat 0:09:28.679 --> 0:09:31.160 me different because of him. I needed to put that 0:09:31.200 --> 0:09:33.720 and filter that into something positive. Otherwise I was gonna 0:09:33.760 --> 0:09:35.440 go off the rails, and football was what it was from. 0:09:35.480 --> 0:09:37.720 And I love this, I love football, but it was 0:09:37.800 --> 0:09:41.680 so it was more like a mechanism to help I 0:09:41.679 --> 0:09:43.679 don't say copes, I'm not making me feel like I'm 0:09:43.880 --> 0:09:46.880 like I'm a victim, but to help me get through 0:09:47.080 --> 0:09:50.200 certain you know, regular teenage year stuff than the rebellious time. 0:09:50.240 --> 0:09:52.200 You know, it just was like a positive rebellion. And 0:09:52.240 --> 0:09:54.320 so I was able to go through a lot of 0:09:54.360 --> 0:09:58.400 pain and and and endure these injuries because of the motivation. 0:09:58.440 --> 0:10:00.800 The mandate was my own man, and I'm independent. I 0:10:00.800 --> 0:10:02.960 was able to earn my own scholarship more House College, 0:10:02.960 --> 0:10:05.640 and I made the NFL and played overseas as well, 0:10:05.679 --> 0:10:07.800 and made my own money because of it. So I 0:10:08.200 --> 0:10:11.839 felt like I found that independence. But what was happening, Unfortunately, 0:10:11.960 --> 0:10:15.200 unfortunately every time I'd have these great games, it would 0:10:15.200 --> 0:10:17.640 be Denzel. The papers would read, to the radio stations say, 0:10:17.640 --> 0:10:20.240 Denzel's son ran for a hundred plus yards and two touchdowns. 0:10:20.240 --> 0:10:23.560 Denzel's son sets you know, the more House record at school. 0:10:23.600 --> 0:10:28.320 So like it didn't matter, it was inescapable. Uh, speaking 0:10:28.320 --> 0:10:32.679 of that, just curious, like, what's your favorite protein? Oh, 0:10:32.720 --> 0:10:36.000 Philadelphia Eagles I got to leave Randy Randall Cunningham, the 0:10:36.080 --> 0:10:38.400 great Randall Cunningham when I was I think Pops was 0:10:38.400 --> 0:10:40.920 doing Philadelphia with Tom Hanks at the time, and he 0:10:40.960 --> 0:10:42.960 took me to a game and we went to the 0:10:43.000 --> 0:10:46.240 sideline and Randa Cunningham, he I got to shake his 0:10:46.280 --> 0:10:47.880 hand and he gave me some advice. I'm like this 0:10:47.960 --> 0:10:50.760 little kid with the squeaky high voice. He kept saying, 0:10:50.840 --> 0:10:53.640 just always do the right thing, and like, always make 0:10:53.640 --> 0:10:55.480 sure you have your glove, and he gave me his glove. 0:10:55.880 --> 0:10:57.480 He always wore a glove on his off hand and 0:10:57.520 --> 0:10:59.600 he gave it to me, and uh, I was like 0:10:59.640 --> 0:11:01.480 the best one with in my life. So from then, 0:11:02.960 --> 0:11:04.800 thank you, I'll take that was gonna yeah, I was 0:11:04.800 --> 0:11:06.720 gonna wait on the thank you. Thank you, No, I 0:11:06.720 --> 0:11:08.720 mean because I've never seen anybody that looked like me 0:11:08.800 --> 0:11:11.320 at that position and sort of revolutionized the position in 0:11:11.320 --> 0:11:12.960 the way it was played that and he looked cool 0:11:13.000 --> 0:11:15.360 with that twelve and the Eagle wings on his helmet. So, 0:11:15.559 --> 0:11:17.080 I mean, I've been an Eagles fan ever since I 0:11:17.080 --> 0:11:23.400 was hooked. I don't mention that I'm a Washington fan. Okay, 0:11:24.040 --> 0:11:27.040 you don't want to that, you don't want to, alright, 0:11:27.240 --> 0:11:28.480 but I do want to. There is something I want 0:11:28.480 --> 0:11:30.079 to pack. Are you at all like me? I'm having 0:11:30.120 --> 0:11:32.800 trouble watching this year because of what's happened with the 0:11:32.840 --> 0:11:34.679 protests and everything in the way the week's reacted. I'm 0:11:34.679 --> 0:11:36.400 just curious if you have any strong feelings about that. 0:11:36.600 --> 0:11:39.080 I have strong feelings. I'm pro player. You know, a 0:11:39.080 --> 0:11:41.440 lot of these young men, this is their ticket out 0:11:41.559 --> 0:11:45.000 out of the their situation ones that they can better themselves, 0:11:45.000 --> 0:11:48.240 they can provide for their families. That's what the NFL provides, 0:11:48.280 --> 0:11:50.719 and I appreciate that. That's what the NFL provides it 0:11:50.800 --> 0:11:53.400 through the fans. Us. We pay the money to see 0:11:53.480 --> 0:11:56.959 them do extraordinary things on Sundays and Mondays. So if 0:11:57.000 --> 0:11:59.760 the product is getting polluted, we got to find out 0:11:59.760 --> 0:12:01.880 what the root the root of that problem, you know, 0:12:01.920 --> 0:12:04.160 because it's not the game. The game is pure high 0:12:04.160 --> 0:12:07.040 school football still pure. College football to something degree is 0:12:07.080 --> 0:12:08.960 still pure. They seem to want to be out there. 0:12:09.080 --> 0:12:11.240 I mean, there's nothing like to me, this is what 0:12:11.320 --> 0:12:13.360 the differences in the NFL and college in high school 0:12:13.360 --> 0:12:16.600 there's nothing like motivated millionaires. When you see these guys 0:12:16.600 --> 0:12:19.199 getting paid an incredible amounts of money, but they still care. 0:12:19.240 --> 0:12:21.920 They still risk their lives and I say lives, but 0:12:21.960 --> 0:12:24.000 they really do. But their with their limbs put them 0:12:24.040 --> 0:12:27.040 on the line to to win for their teammates. That's 0:12:27.080 --> 0:12:29.480 what gets me going. That's what's exciting about the sport 0:12:29.559 --> 0:12:31.920 and the nature of the sport itself, I mean so violent, 0:12:32.240 --> 0:12:35.400 but the brotherhood. I mean, you cannot win. The prerequisite 0:12:35.440 --> 0:12:38.880 of victory is being on the same page with your teammate, 0:12:38.920 --> 0:12:41.000 and you have to be almost ego less in a way. 0:12:41.480 --> 0:12:43.680 It doesn't guarantee the win, but at least that's that's 0:12:43.679 --> 0:12:45.240 the only way you can at least set yourself up 0:12:45.280 --> 0:12:48.040 to do it. So when everybody's working together, that mechanism 0:12:48.240 --> 0:12:50.719 is something relatable to the country about that. We Americans 0:12:50.760 --> 0:12:53.480 love that, and uh, we got to find out how 0:12:53.520 --> 0:12:57.079 to just deliver that product again to us right now. 0:12:59.280 --> 0:13:01.600 When you came out of college and and and you 0:13:01.640 --> 0:13:04.520 went through football for a while and then you started 0:13:04.520 --> 0:13:06.920 to make that transition to acting with ballers just you 0:13:06.920 --> 0:13:10.600 know several years ago, Uh, did it feel right? Did 0:13:10.600 --> 0:13:12.640 it feel natural? Did it feel like this is this 0:13:12.720 --> 0:13:17.679 is what I want to do? Can I cuts on here? Hell? Yeah, 0:13:17.720 --> 0:13:21.679 it's encouraged. Yeah, well, I never felt more like, I 0:13:21.800 --> 0:13:25.040 must say, like having a great day on set. I 0:13:25.559 --> 0:13:27.360 can't compare it to any great that I had on 0:13:27.440 --> 0:13:30.520 the football field, but I think the motivations were different 0:13:30.559 --> 0:13:34.720 because I was I was just so I was just against, 0:13:34.760 --> 0:13:37.560 so relentless in my pursuit of independence. It took away 0:13:37.600 --> 0:13:39.360 a lot of the joy and like, do you even 0:13:39.520 --> 0:13:41.720 like what you're doing or you just need I feel 0:13:41.720 --> 0:13:43.480 they need to be independent, you know what I mean. 0:13:43.559 --> 0:13:46.760 So maybe that's sort of saturated the joy a little bit. 0:13:46.800 --> 0:13:48.760 But but yeah, I mean I wanted to again, I 0:13:48.800 --> 0:13:51.280 wanted to do this since Pops was doing Shakespeare in 0:13:51.280 --> 0:13:54.760 the Park. So here I am doing it, getting to express, 0:13:54.800 --> 0:13:56.880 getting to put all these emotions and put them into 0:13:56.920 --> 0:14:00.160 a character, you know. And and this there's the whole 0:14:00.200 --> 0:14:01.920 bunch of similarities from football to here. I mean, you 0:14:01.960 --> 0:14:04.440 still have so many people on set that you depend on. 0:14:04.520 --> 0:14:06.200 Everybody needs to do their job, and I love that. 0:14:06.679 --> 0:14:08.920 I love the comparrider of it all. And when there's egos, 0:14:09.160 --> 0:14:11.000 when the egos are set aside and you're just there 0:14:11.000 --> 0:14:14.360 to service to film with the project, that's a beautiful feeling. 0:14:14.360 --> 0:14:18.280 I mean, that's a high I'm constantly chasing. Yeah. Uh. 0:14:18.040 --> 0:14:20.440 The last question on this the obvious one that maybe 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:22.520 you get tired of hearing. But you know, being the 0:14:22.560 --> 0:14:25.320 son of Denzel Washington, do you does that make you 0:14:25.360 --> 0:14:28.040 feel like you have something more to prove as an actor? 0:14:29.120 --> 0:14:31.720 Like just taking me through my journey and football, what 0:14:31.760 --> 0:14:33.720 do you think? I mean, I got a lot to 0:14:33.880 --> 0:14:35.680 I got a lot to prove to myself. You know 0:14:35.760 --> 0:14:38.920 that that's that's bad fuel. They used to be. They 0:14:38.960 --> 0:14:41.960 used to feel me like, I'll show them, I'll show him. 0:14:42.080 --> 0:14:45.440 But that that that that there's no longevy and that 0:14:45.560 --> 0:14:48.320 that's short money. Um, I gotta do it for me, 0:14:48.640 --> 0:14:50.720 you know, I gotta do it for for who I believe, 0:14:50.760 --> 0:14:53.080 and I believe in God. I pray every day. So 0:14:53.200 --> 0:14:55.080 if this is if this is what he wants, it 0:14:55.120 --> 0:14:57.320 feels really good. So I'm like, God, thank you this 0:14:57.360 --> 0:14:58.720 because this is if this is what you want me 0:14:58.720 --> 0:15:01.360 to do, this is great because I love it. But yeah, 0:15:01.440 --> 0:15:03.960 I um, I just want It's all about the work though, 0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:06.320 you know. I mean I had the helmet syndrome where 0:15:06.320 --> 0:15:08.360 I didn't want people knowing my face. I just wanted 0:15:08.400 --> 0:15:09.960 to get out there with a helmet on and run 0:15:10.000 --> 0:15:14.640 front of yards. So it's not about recognition necessarily. I 0:15:14.880 --> 0:15:17.680 if I can inspire somebody, anybody, one person, to make 0:15:17.720 --> 0:15:19.440 them feel the way I felt watching the movies I 0:15:19.480 --> 0:15:21.360 described to you earlier, and I told you about earlier, 0:15:21.440 --> 0:15:24.840 and I did my job well. As far as you know, 0:15:25.160 --> 0:15:26.840 taking the lead in the movie is concerned, I can't 0:15:26.840 --> 0:15:29.680 think of a better trial by fire than fronting a 0:15:29.720 --> 0:15:33.280 Spike Lee joint if you will. Uh, you know, there's 0:15:33.280 --> 0:15:36.240 obviously plenty of familiarity. They're going way back with Spike, 0:15:36.440 --> 0:15:39.320 But did you still come into it with confidence? Did 0:15:39.320 --> 0:15:41.360 he have to sell you to get you into this? 0:15:41.520 --> 0:15:45.160 Like I'm because again I have to sell me man, 0:15:45.520 --> 0:15:49.280 Spike Lee and this incredible, crazy story that I thought was, 0:15:49.440 --> 0:15:52.000 you know, maybe like an adaptation of the Dave Chappelle's 0:15:52.040 --> 0:15:54.280 kit or something. But when I found out it was 0:15:54.320 --> 0:15:57.240 real that this is his good old fashioned American backyard hate, 0:15:57.600 --> 0:16:01.360 I'm like, oh wow, told by the tone master, like 0:16:01.400 --> 0:16:04.480 Spike Lee is a master of cinema tone like and 0:16:04.520 --> 0:16:06.320 he and he's at the top of his game. But 0:16:06.440 --> 0:16:09.040 this film, as far as tone is concerned and subject matter, 0:16:09.400 --> 0:16:11.480 I mean, this couldn't have been done by anybody else 0:16:11.520 --> 0:16:13.760 but Spike Lee. You know. Thank god Jordan peele gave 0:16:13.800 --> 0:16:15.480 it to him. Jordan peele knew what was up, you know, 0:16:15.520 --> 0:16:17.880 and he and he knows tone. He understands tone as well. 0:16:18.280 --> 0:16:21.120 And coming off the success of Get Out, so this 0:16:21.200 --> 0:16:23.320 was a what you call a no brainer, you know. 0:16:23.400 --> 0:16:26.000 And so because of that, because this legend trusted me 0:16:26.560 --> 0:16:29.600 with the material, I wasn't nervous, I wasn't anxious. I 0:16:29.680 --> 0:16:31.880 was inspired. I was encouraged. I was inspired too because 0:16:31.920 --> 0:16:33.880 I saw him on set every day like a little kid. 0:16:33.920 --> 0:16:36.800 He had this exuberance. It's you full exuberance about filmmaking, 0:16:36.800 --> 0:16:38.560 about the world. You can get cutted out and I 0:16:38.600 --> 0:16:40.240 don't get a twist. You better be on your game. 0:16:40.320 --> 0:16:42.200 But it was just but it's one of those things 0:16:42.240 --> 0:16:44.200 that just get over it because just service the film, 0:16:44.440 --> 0:16:47.480 your ego and your feelings at the door just come 0:16:47.520 --> 0:16:49.760 into work because we're doing something and you feel like 0:16:49.760 --> 0:16:51.280 you're part of this family. I'm a part of this 0:16:51.720 --> 0:16:54.680 Rich Panthey on this history when he's like I was 0:16:54.680 --> 0:16:56.720 telling you about earlier, how he's just brought so many people. 0:16:56.800 --> 0:17:00.080 Sam Jackson's in the world, you know, just uh, was 0:17:00.120 --> 0:17:02.160 the Perezids of the world. So all these people that 0:17:02.440 --> 0:17:05.520 I'm a part of now we're connected forever, a cinema life. 0:17:05.520 --> 0:17:09.480 So um, I was excited, I was motivated, and I 0:17:09.520 --> 0:17:12.520 was I've never been more confident because of the confidency 0:17:12.560 --> 0:17:16.240 and stilling me this this this hero of mine believing 0:17:16.640 --> 0:17:18.880 and telling me to trust my instincts. That's why, that's 0:17:18.880 --> 0:17:20.520 why you're here. So I was off to the racist 0:17:20.560 --> 0:17:24.240 where we were in Ostining, up state New York and 0:17:24.280 --> 0:17:28.200 then in Brooklyn. Okay, well, I'm always curious how environments 0:17:28.200 --> 0:17:30.760 shape a performance, you know, being in those environments and 0:17:30.760 --> 0:17:32.800 and just you know the atmosphere of that, can you 0:17:32.800 --> 0:17:36.040 speak to them? Absolutely? Man Um, it was a it 0:17:36.080 --> 0:17:42.080 was an environment of inclusion, collaboration, um and honestly, the 0:17:42.160 --> 0:17:44.960 spirit of the spirits of the people we were talking about. 0:17:44.960 --> 0:17:48.439 Toker Grace channel the spirit of David Dooke. I know 0:17:48.480 --> 0:17:49.680 he'd be like, I don't know if that it is 0:17:49.720 --> 0:17:53.600 a compliment, offer like he's amazing. Corey Hawkins captured the 0:17:53.680 --> 0:17:56.800 spirit of quamit to Ray, I mean, and that's because 0:17:56.840 --> 0:17:58.960 of who was at the helm. I'm telling you, I've 0:17:59.080 --> 0:18:00.920 working on sets and have been in being a part 0:18:00.920 --> 0:18:02.920 of different projects. I've never been a part of something 0:18:02.960 --> 0:18:05.320 like this where he understands. He's a master of tone 0:18:05.359 --> 0:18:08.480 and also a master of momentum, understanding momentum and energy 0:18:08.720 --> 0:18:10.840 like a coach, like a Phil Jackson. No or not 0:18:10.880 --> 0:18:12.399 to call a time out if the other team is 0:18:12.440 --> 0:18:14.520 going on to run, Let them figure it out. You know. 0:18:14.640 --> 0:18:18.720 He he understands when not to say anything. He understands 0:18:18.720 --> 0:18:20.919 when to yell at somebody else, even if he's actually 0:18:21.240 --> 0:18:23.240 that energy is directed towards you, but he's given to 0:18:23.280 --> 0:18:26.080 somebody else because he knows you're watching. He just understands. 0:18:26.160 --> 0:18:29.720 He just understands energy. And he created such an environment 0:18:29.760 --> 0:18:33.520 of of of fluidity, of inclusion that it was just 0:18:33.600 --> 0:18:36.160 we didn't have to think about anything else but what 0:18:36.200 --> 0:18:37.760 we were doing. All I had to do was listen 0:18:37.800 --> 0:18:41.520 to my same partner because the platform that the canvas 0:18:41.600 --> 0:18:44.480 was set to paint on and that kind of freedom, 0:18:44.600 --> 0:18:47.119 I I honestly gotta I gotta like snap out of 0:18:47.119 --> 0:18:49.119 it because that doesn't happen like that, and that's I 0:18:49.119 --> 0:18:51.080 feel like that's gonna be a once in lifetime thing. 0:18:51.240 --> 0:18:52.800 I think so a little bit. To be honest, I 0:18:52.880 --> 0:18:55.439 think I got spoiled because of the freedom and the trust. 0:18:55.480 --> 0:18:58.119 People don't trust. And I'm not saying other people other 0:18:58.160 --> 0:19:00.880 experiences are are are bad because of that. This everybody 0:19:00.880 --> 0:19:02.760 trusted differently. But it was one of those free fla 0:19:02.920 --> 0:19:05.879 like trust falls like right, So it was great. That 0:19:06.000 --> 0:19:09.240