MovieChat Forums > John David Washington Discussion > How to make it on your own

How to make it on your own


I just realized whose son this guy is.
I understand why he is on screen in high profile productions now.
I guess being a doctor or a judge is not as alluring for him.
Way to be a real man, daddy's boy.

And I love how nepotism is good to everyone in Hollywood, be it wasp, black, greek or jew or whatever: as long as one of your relatives is connected, you're gonna be allright.

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Nepotism is more frequent in some ethnic groups.

The boy of Will Smith had his high budget movie. The boy of Denzel Washington had his high budget movie. Morgan Freeman seems to be the only big black star that didn't get a high budget movie for his kid.

Blacks are on average more tribal. It's more about your your tribe and family, less about meritocracy. As they're influencing US culture more and more, this is what's coming.

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[deleted]

In reality, there's no "ethnic group" that is more nepotist than another

That's self-denial. Every group have different values and systems, which means every ethnic group is gonna have different characteristics.

It's absurd to think that every group has exactly the same characteristics no matter they have different systems of values.

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There is no such thing as groups.
There is no such thing as nations.
It's all made up SHIT based on FEAR.

Don't be afraid of others. Don't be afraid of the different.
Get real today man, life is short.

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The irony of it is that it's not me the one who is afraid of the difference.

It's you.

You're so afraid that you keep repeating that there's no real differences, that every ethnic group, every culture is the same with some different aesthetics. Perhaps if you keep repeating it, they'll go away.

Of course, they won't.

Anyway.

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So....Carrie Fisher, Melanie Griffith, and Dakota Johnson, Scott Eastwood, Kate & Oliver Hudson, Wyatt Russell, Michael Douglas, Mariska Hargitay, Jamie Lee Curtis, Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Ben Stiller, Kiefer Sutherland, Angelina Jolie, Chris Pine, Emma Roberts, Eva Amurri, Rashida Jones, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Capshaw, Domhnall Gleeson, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Alexander & Bill Skarsgård (just a few off the top of my head) don't seem to count in your world?

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Your list is rejected.

You just picked a list with white actors and actresses whose parents were related to media industry, no matter the parents had no power in Hollywood (the father of Carrie Fisher could have had influence in the 50s, not in the 70s), or no matter the children had to work in minor productions for years until they proved their value.

I was talking about nepotism, about fathers with power in Hollywood and the kids starting big. You're just picking a list of whites because of the usual "whites are evil".

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I never said whites are evil. Do not put words in my mouth.

All of these people who I've listed have parents who are/were actors, and if you think that none of them had/have any power or influence you are blind.

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Your list is perfect and eloquent.
Don't waste your time with this troll, he won't have anything intelligent for you.

I have to say, out of your list I can only respect Michael Douglas, because he prooved himself as a producer, and Jamie Lee Curtis's+Eva Amurri's tits, cause they were worthy to be on film.

Everybody else is an insult to real artist that don't make it cause they don't have a connected relative.

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Officially putting this guy on ignore. lol he jumped straight up into your topic with his usual bs.

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Yeah, there are many racists on MC, unfortunately.

I wish we had the old imdb user base, I never got that feeling back then.

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Ironic though, but I think he is a much better actor than his dad.

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How can you think that?
You prefer acting that is inexpressive and boring over emotional and powerful?
Denzel had some memorable interpretations, this fool so far only looks like he cares of looking good acting like a stone faced cool guy.

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Nevertheless, that is what I think. Denzel always looks the same, acts the same, and sounds the same. This kid has been in some good movies, also was in "Ballers" which was OK. Not my favorite, but I think better than his Dad. Also ... I don't really know about the kid, but Denzel is stupid.

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Denzel always looks the same, acts the same, and sounds the same.

That's true, but that's the case with many great actors. The same could be said about John Wayne or Humphrey Bogart or Tom Cruise, for example.

There's some actors that basically play the same persona again and again, but it's a character that fills the screen. There has been a lot of debate through the years about whether this is good acting or not. Without entering that debate, there's something that's sure: Denzel Washington is one of the best actors of that type.

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Lay off the drugs pal.

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I do, it's people like you who buy them.

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JDW isn't 1/10th the actor his father is. No presence or charisma at all.

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Said no one, ever.

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what movie did he impress you in?

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I don't like nepotism too, but it can't be helped. So a son or daughter of an actor can't be an actor too?

For thousands of years human have always been like that. Sons of farmers usually become farmers, sons of soldiers usually become soldiers, sons of blacksmiths usually become blacksmiths, etc, etc.

And also there is a thing called talent. You can't choose your genetic make ups. The sons or daughters of athletes usually has similar athleticism. So they have bigger chance to become athletes themselves than, say, sons and daughters of doctors. It's natural.

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That's not nepotism. If you're parents are X, you're more likely to be able to know the skills, or to have some contacts, or to become apprentice. That's life.

Nepotism is when you get some important job, because of who you are, even when you obviously lack the required skillset.

That was the case with the son of Will Smith being the main character in After Earth, a $130 million movie. Or with Denzel Washington Jr. in Tenet, a $200 million movie. When I was watching the movie, I was thinking "how the hell this guy got the main lead". He wasn't up for the task at all.

And Nolan is usually very careful when casting actors. He's not a good actor director, and his movies can be a bit confusing, so having pro actors is a must. Someway the woke brigade pushed Denzel Jr. down Nolan's throat. I can't think in any other reason he was casted.

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Yes, yes, yes I understand. You're like a broken record, honest! Everything you talk about is just woke, woke, woke, woke and woke. Oh, did I mention woke?

I don't like wokes too, you know.

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Well, (1) Nolan has been criticized for not having non-whites as main characters, and (2) Denzel Jr. is the first non-white main character in a Nolan's movie, and (3) Denzel Jr. is the first actor in a Nolan's movie, playing a main character, who is obviously not up to the task.

You add 1+2+3, and it smells like woke quota.

You complain: "it's always woke, woke, woke!". Fine, perhaps I'm wrong, perhaps that's not the problem. But then you should come with a better explanation, prove that there's a more logical and credible explanation than wokeness. I'm listening. I'm serious: if you have a better explanation, I'd be glad to hear it.

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And Nolan is usually very careful when casting actors. He's not a good actor director, and his movies can be a bit confusing, so having pro actors is a must. Someway the woke brigade pushed Denzel Jr. down Nolan's throat. I can't think in any other reason he was casted.


Can't agree more.

All while I was watching I couldn't help but think, "This movie was written for Daniel Craig.... so how did this personality-free dude end up as the lead in a movie that's waaaay too intelligent for the kind of character he's portraying?"

It's sad because even Robert Pattinson was well cast in Tenet, yet the lead was not. Washington also had ZERO chemistry with Elizabeth Debicki, which really ruined the underlying subtextual romance element. Someone who seemed more like a quantum physics hobbyist would have gone a long way in the casting, like Jake Gyllenhaal, or Ryan Gosling, both of whom would have been better suited for the role. But I still think Daniel Craig would have been the better choice.

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Daniel Craig would have been great. I think he's a moron. As an actor, he's one of the best leads in Hollywood hands down.

Pattinson and Debicki were the best ones by far. Brannagh was a bit overacted in my opinion. Washington Jr was awful. He screwed the movie.

Jake Gyllenhaal or Ryan Gosling as leads? Not with Pattinson.

Pattinson already has that "weird" vibe, like Gosling or Gyllenhaal, or Mat Smith, or David Tennant, or Hugo Weaving, or Michael Sheen, or Joseph Gordon-Levitt, to name a few. There's no problem with one single "weird" actor. Pairing two or more with that same vibe, it only works if you're doing dark comedy. You need balance, the weird one and the serious one. You can't have two "weird" ones in an action thriller.

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We get it, Klux. You hate black people. But we already know that, so what's the point?

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Denzel Washington (father) would have been a great lead too (if he was younger). I guess he must be white, according to you.

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Totally agree. You really make good points, Kuk. So why do you hate them so much? Is it something personal? I don't mean to pressure you. You can be totally honest with me.

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Pattinson already has that "weird" vibe, like Gosling or Gyllenhaal, or Mat Smith, or David Tennant, or Hugo Weaving, or Michael Sheen, or Joseph Gordon-Levitt, to name a few. There's no problem with one single "weird" actor. Pairing two or more with that same vibe, it only works if you're doing dark comedy. You need balance, the weird one and the serious one.


Now see, that's something I hadn't thought of....

And you're right. Pattinson was perfect as the slightly quirky but efficient partner, teaming with another weird one would have taken away from the tone of the movie.

Oh man, I just thought about it... Gerard Butler!

Daniel Craig -- you're right, is an absolute buffoon in real life -- is still my top choice. I think he would have really fit the smart-enough-to-understand-quantum-entanglement elements but still gruff enough to carry out the physical action. But second to Craig, I would have definitely enjoyed seeing Butler in the role.

I don't think Gerard Butler could convincingly play a guy who gets the quantum-physics of the matter, but I feel like he would be the straight man just brash enough to get keyed into how things work through Pattinson, and basically go full-bore action hero to solve the situation. Also, I could have totally believed someone like Butler was ex-CIA; brash but good at his job.

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I don't care whose son he is, I only care if he can act or not.

Today, we have few engaging performers on film or TV. We have LOTS of competent actors, but it certainly isn't like Denzel's generation, which was better. And, today's actors are MANY levels below the legends of the 1970's on back.

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Problem is, he cannot.

Sorry but a guy who's handed a carreer from his father has the duty to proove he's way better than the other guy who lost the gig because he had no connected relative.
And this guy has only been mediocre at best.

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Another reason why movies suck so hard from the 1980's onward. Just a lot of people getting jobs because of who they know, and now we have all the people getting jobs because they check the right boxes.

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Totally.
Not only that, but in the 70s, it seems to me, fresh new faces coming from nowhere and pulling off a great performance on a movie were praised and appreciated much more than now.

But to be honest, 80s and 90s movies are still great, even if they are less daring and dangerous than 70s. It's this century that saw a decline of every aspect, except for fx and $.

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He's so bland. Nepotism through and through.

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Are you ok?

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