Top 40 John David Washington Quotes

I got a scholarship, so I was getting my independence and not paying for school. And then here comes the NFL. ‘Now you got an opportunity to get drafted? Guess we’ll do that.’ I did, all right.

Spike Lee is a master of tone, so basically, if he wants to do something, he should do it, and Imma listen.

A lot of NFL guys are misunderstood.

I’ve met Caucasians who are racist, but I’ve also heard black people say racist things.

Oh, talking about private school, man, I had cornrows, and when I picked ’em out, certain people that didn’t look like me always wanted to touch ’em. One time, I just said, ‘Yo, hell no.’

I’m from the old school; hard work pays off.

So many people – DPs, writers, and the assistants that go on to be directors and writers – come from the School of Spike Lee. He’s almost set up an Institution of Spike Lee.

I had family in Carolina who were very hood and talked differently in this sort of Southern cadence.

Spike Lee’s been doing it for a long time now. We’re all standing on his shoulders.

It’s a beautiful thing when you serve the team.

I’m connected to a Wesley Snipes, and I’m connected to Giancarlo Esposito because of the history of films that we’ve all been a part of with Spike Lee.

I want to be around people that are just as enthusiastic about the process and storytelling as I am.

The nature of a football team means you’re relying on 10 other guys. Even then, that doesn’t guarantee a win.

There’s men and women out there protecting and serving, doing it the right way, that aren’t talked about.

Whenever you’re feeling moments of discomfort, that means true change is happening for you.

I think, culturally, stories are important, whether it be cinema, whether it be by word of mouth – which I don’t even know if we do anymore, as it all seems to be social media.

I have to keep making films, getting better in my craft, and the way to do that is to work with people who know what they’re doing and who can help me.

Football was the best route to obtain my independence.

I went to bar mitzvahs as a kid. I had a lot of classmates who are Jewish.

Football players are creative when they’re in the moment.

I can only control what I can, which is what I’m able to do as an artist.

Hate is a problem.

They were very supportive parents in all my endeavors. They have very different approaches on how they give advice.

My father taught me how to hunt.

Spike Lee really gave us a platform, men and women of color.

Coming from a football background, when everybody is doing their job and operating on such a high level, it only motivates you to do the same.

Like acting, undercover detective work requires a lot of performance. There’s just more pressure because it’s life-or-death situations.

Make America great – to me… it’s inclusion. Everybody in America, let’s do it together, no matter what color you are. You’re American. Let’s figure it out.

I’m still trying to find the actor I want to be, but I know what kind of the talent I want to be around.

As my father started ascending in the business, people around me started to treat me different. Our lives changed. So that anxiety, that sort of resentment, I just funneled it through football.

It’s a thankless job for police officers, period, but specifically for men and women of color protecting and serving.

I got introduced to Shakespeare at four years old, and I fell in love with the language.

If I can inspire one person to actually administer change, to want to inspire change, I will follow that person.

I was ignorant before I did my research of a lot of African American police officers out there who are doing their job and doing it the right way.

I would tell people my dad was all the characters he’s played in movies, because once you say he’s a lawyer or something, they move on.

This is a privilege, what we get to do. To be able to tell stories. It’s a luxury. So I have a business-like approach to it, the same way I had with football.

My mother taught me how to love.

There’s a bit of me that always feels like, ‘What’s next? How can I get better?’

I hope people will see how harmful words are and how irresponsible we can be when saying the wrong things at the wrong time to certain people.

Of course I’ve felt racism.