Meet All Four of Denzel Washington's Children from Oldest to Youngest
I am a huge fan of Denzel Washington and regard him as one of our all-time great actors. From crime thrillers such as 2021’s The Little Things and 2014’s The Equalizer to classic films such as Malcolm X, Remember the Titans, He Got Game and more, Washington has put
together a resounding film catalog that will withstand the test of time. That said, the actor is also known for being very private when it comes to his personal life, preferring instead for the focus to be kept on his work. If you’re anything like me, however, sometimes you get a
little curious about the inner workings about the folks you’re a fan of (OK, let’s just call it what it is—nosy). Much to the chagrin of my aunties and many other ladies who have had life-long crushes on him, Washington met the love of his life, Pauletta (an actress herself),
years before becoming a bonafide movie star. The pair first crossed paths on the set of the 1977 television film Wilma and married in 1983 after reconnecting.
Together, they have four children: John David, Katia, and twins Malcolm and Olivia. Read on to find out more about them.
1. John David (39)
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John David is the oldest child and is following in the footsteps of his father with notable acting credits to his name. While he was always interested in an acting career (he made a cameo alongside his dad in 1992’s Malcolm X when director Spike Lee needed a kid at the last minute), football was also a prominent part of his life for a long time. In fact, he was once signed to the St. Louis Rams on their practice squad for two seasons. The burgeoning actor would then go on to have professional stints in the United Football League with the Rhein Fire (2007) and Sacramento Mountains (2009 to 2012) before deciding to go full force on his acting career. In 2015, John landed the role of Ricky Jerret in the HBO drama series Ballers.
What’s more, the young actor had apparently kept the auditioning process a secret from his famous father, telling Esquire in 2020: “He kept asking questions,” he explained adding, “He was like, ‘For HBO? Like Home Box Office Entertainment? Who? Really? But what’s it called? The Rock?’ He just kept asking questions like ‘Is this real?’ I guess he had to check it with his agents to make sure it was real, and he was happy for me, and then he said exactly what I was going to do anyway, but [he told me] ‘As soon as this is over, you gotta go learn. You gotta go learn how to do this.'”
In 2018, John reunited with Spike Lee for a leading role in the film BlacKkKlansman, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination the following year for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Drama.” In the years since, he’s added credits to his growing resume with roles in Christopher Nolan’s 2020 film Tenet, and the 2021 film Malcolm & Marie, which he starred alongside Zendaya. Up next is a project that I can’t wait for—an adaptation of the
1987 screenplay The Piano Lesson, which will be directed by his brother Malcolm Washington, and executive produced by his sister Katia Washington.
2. Katia Washington (36)
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Katia is the eldest daughter of Denzel and Pauletta. She received an education at Yale University, and has since gone on to become a producer, obtaining her first major credit as a production assistant on the set of Quentin Tarantino’s 2012 film Django Unchained.
Washington has continued building her production resume in the years since, working with her father as a production assistant/producer on his films The Equalizer and Fences, and
teaming up with brother John David as a co-executive producer on Malcolm & Marie. In 2022, she co-produced younger sister Olivia Washington’s movie Breaking, and will next serve as an executive producer on her brother John David’s upcoming film The Piano Lesson.
3. Malcolm Washington (33)
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In April 1991, Denzel and Pauletta welcomed twins Malcolm and Olivia Washington into their family. Malcolm, the pair’s youngest son, is a film producer, actor and director, obtaining his education at Windward School (2009), the University of Pennsylvania (2013)
and the AFI Conservatory (2016). Washington got his official start in the industry as a production assistant on Jon Favreau’s 2014 film Chef, which led to a job as an assistant on Spike Lee’s 2017 Netflix series She’s Gotta Have It. As I mentioned above, Malcom is set to
direct his brother John David’s next film The Piano Lesson, which will also star Samuel L. Jackson.
4. Olivia Washington (33)
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Olivia has also been bitten by the entertainment bug, receiving her training at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Upon graduating, Washington booked her first role in Lee Daniels’ 2013 film The Butler. In the years since, the actress has continued to add to her credits with parts in popular series like Empire and Chicago P.D., and later expanding into more substantial roles working with her father in 2021’s The Little Things and The Tragedy of Macbeth.
Washington also had roles in the films Holiday in Harlem (2021) and the musical drama Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia (2021). In 2022, Olivia nabbed a role in the Abi Damaris Corbin-directed movie Breaking, which was co-produced by her sister Katia, and also starred John Boyega and Nicole Beharie. In 2023, Washington took on the role of Flora in the comedy series I’m a Virgo.
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