Photo credit: Gregg Deguire/Filmmagic
John David Washington happened to be with his dad Denzel when he found out that he earned his first Golden Globe nomination for his role in Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman.” With his nomination in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama category, he is now “the first Black actor to be nominated for Best Actor whose father had previously won in that same category,” Fandango Managing Editor Erik Davis stated on his Twitter account.
2. John David Washington becomes the first black actor to be nominated for Best Actor whose father had previously won in that same category.
(Also, this year marks 30 years since Denzel’s first ever #GoldenGlobes nod.) pic.twitter.com/fzzhFCFitA— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) December 6, 2018
After hearing the news, John David told the Los Angeles Times how the unforgettable moment unfolded, sharing:
“My father woke me up. He’s like, ‘It’s time, it’s time, let’s go!’ We caught it on NBC. We obviously cheered when we heard Adam (Driver’s) name and Spike (Lee’s) name. And then it happened; I was overjoyed. My dad and I embraced each other so tightly. My mom (Pauletta) is on the way to Chicago to audition for ‘Hamlet,’ so we called her and had a prayer session and we were crying. They were in tears, ’cause they know their baby boy has been working hard.”
Denzel, who received his first Golden Globe nomination 30 years ago – in 1988 for his role in “Cry Freedom,” also “brought up the ‘Glory’ suit and the tape,” John David said.
He explained: “That was my favorite movie growing up. I just wanted the blue (Union Army) suit and a rifle and a new ‘Glory’ tape. Back then it was VHS, so I’d broken it. So for Christmas, they had wardrobe send something. They tailored it, but it was still too big.”
As far as who he’ll take to the award ceremony in January, John David plans to bring the two people who paved the way for him – his Mom and Dad.