- John David Washington. - Hello.
Welcome back to The Daily Show.
Thanks for having me. Glad to be back.
It's been a while since you've been here.
I think it was maybe 2019.
Yeah.
TREVOR NOAH: It was Black Klansman at the time.
And I mean, you have just ascended, consistently
and constantly.
Tenet phenomenal, absolutely for the part
that we could understand. Because some of it--
Yeah, right.
Let me ask you, though, before we get
into what you're doing now.
Like did you guys know what was-- of course,
I loved the movie.
I love-- no genuinely, I love all
of Christopher Nolan's films.
And I watch it, and I watch it again.
I watch this first time to enjoy it,
second time to understand what's happening.
But then there's like parts in it where people are (MUMBLING)
and then you guys run and (VOCALIZATIONS).
So when you guys are in the scene,
can you hear each other?
Do you know what's happening?
I don't listen.
Look, Christopher Nolan's always watching.
So I'm going to say, yeah, totally.
Totally was in control, knew everything.
I knew every plot point.
I knew everything that was going on.
Yeah, that's another thing I wondered.
Do you understand the movie when you're in the movie?
Like when you're doing the stuff
and backwards is happening to you and--
because you're convincing.
I didn't watch it and go, John David Washington doesn't
know what's happening here.
- Yeah, you believed me? - I believed you.
Oh, thank God.
That means I did a good job.
You did an amazing job.
You know, I mean, honestly, there was a lot
of training that went into it.
So the physicality of it, learning how to fight
backwards. TREVOR NOAH: Right.
Blink backwards, walk backwards, all that stuff.
I mean, it was like backwards fighting school we went to.
TREVOR NOAH: No way.
So we trained for like a month, a month and change.
And so once I got it into my body,
I felt it was actually helping me understand
the plot a little more and then opening up
the world and the possibilities of what Christopher
Nolan was trying to do.
TREVOR NOAH: That's probably why you were so good at it.
Thank you.
I feel like I feel like you're good at everything
because you immerse yourself.
Go in, yeah.
In Ballers, you were amazing.
One of my favorite parts of the show.
But then I found out you played football.
- I did. - In college.
I was like, that's cheating. I didn't know that.
But I'm nothing like that guy.
Ricky Jerret, we are not alike at all.
- But still. - It don't count.
I mean--
But still.
Acting, brother.
Oh my God.
You immerse yourself in your roles
in a really powerful way.
I mean, it's why you get accolade after accolade.
People love seeing you on the screen.
But now you're moving into Broadway,
which every actor has said across the board
is terrifying. - Oh my goodness.
Why would you do this?
It's-- totally, it's a full contact sport.
I wanted to challenge myself.
It was about trying to test my abilities
and trying to grow as an artist.
I wanted to keep searching.
And I dove, you know, I dove head in.
I was going for it.
I felt like the words of August Wilson
would lead me to the promised land.
There was a character that I really loved and enjoyed
every time I read it.
TREVOR NOAH: Wow.
And so just wanting to explore
and see how far I can go with my abilities and what I
can learn.
I feel like I'm in grad school really, with LaTanya Jackson,
our leader, our director, and Sam Jackson
who originated the role.
He played boy Willie in 1987.
So here I am with him every night,
and he's playing the uncle role now.
But I'm looking at him across the stage,
like, I know you originated this role.
I'm doing my best, Unc.
But it was a way that-- and he's been so supportive.
And seeing just the entire cast, you know.
So it's been a learning, a very great
learning situation for me.
And it's been life changing, what I'm learning.
I can't imagine how surreal that must be for you.
Because as you said, Samuel L Jackson originated the role.
His wife is directing it.
She's making her directorial debut on Broadway, right?
So this is like a family affair, but it's legends only.
And if you are playing--
you're playing the role that he originated across from him,
but he's now playing the uncle.
And it's this really fascinating story
on multiple levels about a family
arguing about an heirloom.
And I don't want to spoil it for people.
But it really is the question of what
does a family need to keep in order to maintain
themselves as a family?
And can they let go of those things
and still respect where they come from?
It feels pertinent to you on a personal level as well
as a character because you grew up around Samuel L Jackson,
didn't you? - I did.
I did.
Well, I've reexamined the word inheritance.
And learning how to work hard for something,
learning how to act, I think, is something that I feel
like I've inherited in a way.
And through this process, learning how to make choices
on stage, how to immerse yourself in the role,
and to just the work ethic.
It's something that you can learn.
You can learn how to work hard.
And that's what I've been discovering
a lot on in this process.
Would you say would being on Broadway is
harder than being on film?
Or let me ask it to you differently.
What are the harder aspects of doing Broadway
as opposed to being on camera?
It's harder in that it's every night, different crowds.
You got to deliver sometimes two shows on Wednesday,
two shows on Saturday.
So you have to deliver sometimes twice a day.
And you know, and you have to be on it.
You have to have the same energy every night.
And it's not like you can yell, cut, and let
me start that over, crowd.
Let me wait.
There's none of that happening.
You got to go.
They are waiting on you.
You got to go.
So it's something that I think it builds you up.
To me, I have more courage in trying things
when I get back to film because of this experience.
You've always talked about how you were reticent when it
came to getting into acting.
You had this idea of like your father is Denzel Washington.
I mean, we go, this is one of the greatest
actors who has ever lived on this planet, right?
One of the greatest to ever do it.
And then you step into the game.
And you've always said you didn't want to at first.
You're like, this feels like a burden.
But everyone can agree, you've stepped into it.
You've made it your own.
You still have characteristics that remind us of your dad
because you are his son.
But what's that journey been like for you
in finding your own, but also accepting
your heirloom, like the piece that you've
inherited from him?
I'm finding it with every project.
You know, Spike Lee helped me find my identity.
Christopher Nolan helped me find my identity.
This play, in so many ways, is helping me find my identity.
What my process even is and what like different power
spots on stage and how I relate to characters
and what my way in is-- all those things
I'm discovering on my journey.
And the support I've gotten from the directors
I just named have been just so important for my growth
and for my confidence.
And the support I've gotten from my family.
You know, no handouts.
I've been working very hard.
I've worked very hard on this play,
and I'm proud of what we're doing with it.
You see it.
You can tell when somebody's passionate
and when they work beyond where they ever thought they could.
You always put the effort in.
It always comes across.
The play is also fascinating.
It's a great story that is being
told by great people, great actors, a great director.
And one thing that surprised me about the play
is that it's also, as the director says,
it's like this is also a ghost story.
Yeah.
And I found myself thinking, in life,
there are two types of ghosts-- the ghosts that we carry,
almost like a-- and then there are like ghosts ghosts.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
No, you know what I mean.
There's like ghost ghosts.
Do you believe in ghosts? - Absolutely.
Yeah, Halloween's always-- I mean, I love Halloween.
But I definitely sleep with the light
on around this time of year.
So I don't mess around.
I don't play with that ghost stuff.
It's real.
You superstitious like that?
Yep.
Yes I am.
You know, it's like, put that nightlight on.
I believe in ghosts.
But it's also-- this play, yes, it's a ghost story.
It's also incredibly funny.
It's got a lot of humor in it.
I mean, August Wilson is a genius.
TREVOR NOAH: Yes.
And it's loaded with family situations and dynamics that
are universal, not just the African American experience,
but a universal experience.
And family arguments, you know, nephew and uncle dynamics,
sister and brother things.
So there's so many things and so
many themes in this story that are relatable,
which is what I love about it.
I think it's relatable.
I think it's a continued celebration
of Black excellence in Broadway, which we've seen
in everything from Slave Play through to Strange Loop
through to like all of the-- - Topdog/Underdog.
- Yeah, exactly. - It's a great time right now.
It's been growing, and it's a great time.
And I'll recommend everybody go and watch it.
Because when will you ever get the opportunity
to be almost this close to John David Washington and Samuel
L Jackson at the same time?
Thank you so much for joining the show.
Thank you so much.
Great seeing you again.
John David Washington, everybody.