John David Washington’s favourite movie performances
Although he’d been part of the ensemble cast for the Dwayne Johnson-led project Ballers, which began almost ten years ago, it wasn’t until 2018 when John David Washington landed his breakthrough role and became a household name. Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman propelled Washington into the limelight, cementing his status as a worthwhile and talented actor in his own right – and not just the son of Hollywood legend Denzel Washington.
Since BlackKKlansman, Washington has gone from strength to strength, working with some of the biggest names in the industry. That same year as Lee’s true story drama, Washington appeared in The Old Man and the Gun, starring alongside the Sundance Kid himself, Robert Redford, under the guidance of director David Lowery. Meanwhile, in 2020, Washington led Christopher Nolan’s time-travelling, international espionage thriller, Tenet.
While promoting Malcolm & Marie, the monochromatic romantic thriller by Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, Washington spoke to the Academy’s A.frame magazine, where he singled out five of his favourite performances throughout all of cinema – a task that, understandably, “under-represents many of the performances I love”. Nevertheless, he could think of a few, and the following are “the answers that come to mind”.
It’s not remotely surprising that a Robert De Niro performance would end up on anyone’s list of favourite roles, and this particular one is perhaps the crème de la crème of De Niro/Martin Scorsese collaborations: 1980s Raging Bull. Portraying the indomitable yet deeply troubled Italian American boxer Jake LaMotta, De Niro gave a career-best performance, a searing, tragic, comic depiction of the rise and fall of a legendary sporting figure. For Washington, it was “the combination of hypermasculinity and vulnerability – all rolled up into one very emotional person” that he found “very inspiring to watch”.
Another solid and obvious choice was Heath Ledger’s role as the Joker in Nolan’s triumphant and critically acclaimed second entry in his Batman trilogy: 2008’s The Dark Knight. The performance was widely acknowledged as a masterclass in chameleonic method acting, and Ledger was rightfully posthumously awarded ‘Best Supporting Actor’ at the Oscars following his death. Plagued by distinct facial twitches and ticks, Ledger, according to Washington, “made awkward and strange behaviour look so cool – and almost healthy”.
If ever an instance of nepotism was to be accepted, it would be in this form: Washington sharing the love for a performance by his father. The role in question was as the indelible, culturally significant figure of Malcolm X in the 1992 film of the same name, also directed by Spike Lee. Although it earned Denzel an Oscar nomination, in later years, it has been considered by many as one of the Academy’s biggest snubs to not acknowledge Lee as a director at that year’s ceremony. On his father’s transformative performance, Washington said: “It is almost impossible to play someone who is so well-known and memorable. I have never seen anyone embody the spirit of someone who lived the way Denzel did”.
Another classic on Washington’s list is Jack Nicholson in Miloš Forman’s On Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Based on the 1962 novel by Beat author, counter-cultural figure and hippie leader Ken Kesey, the film followed the hilarious yet tragic consequences of a man who fakes insanity to avoid jail, but is subsequently broken by the utter brutality of the psychiatric system in the 1960s. On his performance as Randle McMurphy, Washington shared how “the fact that Jack Nicholson isn’t crazy in real life is what makes that performance untouchable”.
A slightly left-field choice takes the final slot, with Dustin Hoffman’s portrayal of Captain Hook in the 1990s Robin Williams-led twist on Peter Pan, Hook. “I loved it because of his accent,” Washington shared. “He made a character that’s supposed to be despicable so loveable. I found myself feeling sorry for him and rooting for him. He needed a hug.”
John David Washington’s favourite performances:
- Robert De Niro as ‘Jake La Motta’, Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese, 1980)
- Heath Ledger as ‘the Joker’ in The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)
- Denzel Washington as ‘Malcolm X’ in Malcolm X (Spike Lee, 1992)
- Jack Nicholson as ‘Randle McMurphy’ in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Miloš Forman, 1975)
- Dustin Hoffman as ‘Captain Hook’ in Hook (Steve Spielberg, 1991)
