Denzel Washingtons son John David Washington has credited his famous father with giving him the freedom to fail as he embarked on an acting career.

The Oscar-winners 38-year-old son is a former professional football player but gave up his sporting dreams to follow his dad to Hollywood with a role in TV drama Ballers before landing parts in movies such as BlacKkKlansman and Tenet - and hes now revealed Denzel taught him how to deal with rejection.

When asked what he learned from his dad John replied The freedom to fail to find out flourish in that failure. In that being uncomfortable youll find the greatest parts of yourself as an artist.

Hes about to make his Broadway debut in August Wilsons The Piano Lesson - 12 years after his dad won a Tony Award from his role in the playwrights Pulitzer Prize-winning 1985 work Fences .

Speaking at a press conference for the play John said Am I nervous when [my father is] watching me on stage? I dont know yet. Maybe. I might not even be thinking about it because Im thinking about the notes from my director. I dont know if I have time to be nervous about what he thinks.

As well as starring in Fences on Broadway Denzel went on to star in and direct a 2016 film version of the play which won him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

The younger Washington will star alongside another screen star - Samuel L. Jackson - in The Piano Lesson which opens on Broadway in October. John is playing the role of Boy Willie which was originated by Jackson when the play was first performed back in 1987.