With just a few credits to his name, John David Washington has quickly established himself as a talented, versatile performer, just like his father Denzel Washington. Despite making small appearances in his father's work like Malcolm X and Devil In A Blue Dress when he was young, acting is something Washington has come to later in life. Washington was an American football running back in his early career and played with the Sacramento Mountain Lions from 2009 to 2012.

Washington returned to acting for a leading role on the HBO series drama Ballers in 2015. Ballers centers on retired NFL player Spencer Strasmore (Dwayne Johnson), who now acts as the financial manager to a number of players. Washington was able to channel his own professional football experience into the part of Ricky Jerret, and critics quickly took note of his charismatic turn on the show.

Related: BlacKkKlansman Movie Ending & Real Meaning Explained

This soon led to movie roles for John David Washington, including Love Beats Rhymes alongside Common (John Wick: Chapter 2) and dark drama Monster. 2018 would prove to be a very productive year for Washington, including a co-starring role alongside acting legend Robert Redford in The Old Man & The Gun. Sissy Spacek, Danny Glover and Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale) also starred in this acclaimed drama, which also marked Redford's final film role before retiring.

John David Washington played another cop role in Monsters And Men, which took an unflinching look at the issue of police brutality. Washington's next role would prove to be a star-making performance in Spike Lee's biopic BlacKkKlansman. The movie told the true story of detective Ron Stallworth, who in the 1970s infiltrated the Colorado Springs branch of the Ku Klux Klan. Lee's movie proved to be shocking, hilarious and powerful in equal measure, and the film was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor for Adam Driver (Star Wars: The Last Jedi). The film would win the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

John David Washington was also praised for his performance as Ron Stallworth in BlacKkKlansman, earning both Golden Globe and SAG nominations for his work. While Washington may not have a lot of credits to his name, he's already proven that just like his iconic father Denzel, he has great versatility and range in his work. His next movie will be Christopher Nolan's (Dunkirk) mysterious new project, which will also feature Robert Pattinson and Elizabeth Debicki (Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.2). Little is currently known about the movie, though reports suggest it will be some kind of romantic thriller and it could have a sci-fi twist.

Next: Inside The Brilliant Mind Of Christopher Nolan