For John David Washington, his new film “The Piano Lesson” is a family affair. His father, Denzel, is the producer and his younger brother, Malcolm, who directs. After numerous performances of the play on Broadway, the adaptation of August Wilson’s best-seller is a film to watch on Netflix, from November 22, 2024.
This film is the first major production directed by your little brother Malcolm, was it you who imposed it on the stage?
No and it’s quite the opposite. Malcolm has been working behind the cameras for several years and is the one behind this adaptation of the play. He was also the one who offered me the role of Boy Willie Charles. The story takes place in the city of Pittsburgh in 1936 during the Great Depression which affected so many Americans, particularly the poorest and minorities. The family piano is decorated with engravings made by Charles’s family’s slave ancestors, hence the title of our film.
Samuel L. Jackson plays the patriarch of the Charles family, although one might have expected that role to go to your father, Denzel Washington…
Samuel already played this character in the play that we performed together many times on a Broadway stage. Dad is a big supporter of August Wilson’s writings and that’s why he wanted to be part of the production team and get involved in this film adaptation.
When will there be a film that reunites you with your on-screen father?
It’s certainly not for tomorrow, because he has his schedule totally full for the next five or six years. But we see each other several times a month, because the weekly family meal is a tradition among the Washingtons, regardless of our age. I admit that with our father, Malcolm and I rarely talk about cinema. Our favorite conversation since childhood has always revolved around sports and we still enjoy watching an American football match together.
So it wasn’t your father who pushed you towards a career in cinema?
Certainly not, because Dad always encouraged us in sport and that’s why I played American football all my childhood, but at 40, it was time to hang up (Laugh). At home, it was our mother who raised us by showing us great films and giving us a passion for the 7th art.
Isn’t there tension on set when it’s the 33-year-old younger brother directing the 40-year-old elder?
It’s quite the opposite, because I’ve admired Malcolm’s work since his beginnings and I hoped that a project would one day bring us together in the cinema. Besides, our sister Olivia also makes a short appearance in “The Piano Lesson”. It was a real family effort! There is nothing more pleasant than collaborating with people you love in your private life and in your work.
Related News :