Samuel L. Jackson Denies That Denzel Washington’s Sons Are ‘Nepo Kids’

(L-R) John David Washington as Boy Willie, Samuel L. Jackson as Doaker Charles, Michael Potts as Wining Boy and Ray Fisher as Lymon in The Piano Lesson. David Lee/Netflix

Samuel L. Jackson doesn’t want to hear about friend Denzel Washington’s kids not earning their places in the film industry.

Jackson, 75, worked with nearly the whole Washington family on the upcoming Netflix film, The Piano Lesson, based on August Wilson’s Pulitzer-winning 1987 play by the same name. Denzel’s son John David stars alongside Jackson, while Denzel’s wife, Pauletta, and daughter Olivia are also in the cast. His other daughter Katia co-executive produced and he and his son Malcolm are listed as producers. Malcolm also wrote the movie.

Jackson saw the family’s ability first-hand.

“Folks will call them nepo kids if they want to, but they work very hard to become who they are,” Jackson told Extra in a video interview published on Thursday, November 7. “If you’re a nepo kid, you deserve a shot. If your folks are good at it, well, let’s see if you are too. And fortunately for them, they are.”

Jackson added that the conversation reminded him of the movie itself, which, according to its IMDB summary, “follows the lives of the Charles family as they deal with themes of family legacy and more, in deciding what to do with an heirloom, the family piano.”

(L-R) Samuel L. Jackson, Denzel Washington and John David Washington. Bruce Glikas/WireImage/Getty Images

“So hopefully that’s a thing that buoys other people who want to come through that whole lineage thing,” he added.

While “nepo babies” are often derided for not earning their place in the industry, John David, 40, admits he had to deal with the other side of it — the crushing expectations of coming up in a family that was already famous.

“I’ve wanted to do this my whole life, but didn’t know how to,” he told the Financial Times in an interview published Thursday. “I had issues with my relationship to the world because of who my father is. And now I’m doing it. Not only am I doing it, I’ve been able to work with some great directors who told me, ‘You’re good enough. I want you for you.’”

When he began working on The Piano Lesson, the pressure only increased.

“The biggest challenge was not to let them down,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Oh, shoot. I’ve got these heavyweights, and my family members, watching me on the monitor every day. I know they’re going to be editing me later, so I’ve got to give them some choices.’ The pressure started to mount up.”

Denzel took a different approach to watching his son make The Piano Lesson. While the acting legend has been in the business for more than 40 years, his son learned about film in the classroom, graduating top in his class at the American Film Institute.

“From early on, I knew he had a vision,” Denzel told Vanity Fair in September. “I’ve learned through my son the difference between making a film and being a filmmaker. I’ve directed four films. I had Todd [Black] to lean on, but I didn’t know what to do necessarily. Malcolm has studied filmmaking. He’s an academic.”

The Piano Lesson streams on Netflix starting November 22.