Joe Serio, former CIA agent and Russian mafia investigator, rates Russian mob scenes in movies and TV, such as "John Wick," for realism.

Serio breaks down common tropes about the Russian mafia, such as the role of hitmen in "John Wick" (2014), starring Keanu Reeves; the relationship between the Russian mafia and the Italian Mafia in "The Sopranos" S3E4 + S310 + S3E11 (2001), starring James Gandolfini and Michael Imperioli; and the portrayal of other organized crime groups originating from the former Soviet Union, such as the Chechen mafia, in "Barry" S1E1 + S2E1 + S3E5 (2018-2022), starring Bill Hader. He explains the culture of the Russian mafia groups, such their origins from Russian prisons and the importance of tattoos in "Eastern Promises," starring Viggo Mortensen; the presence of Russian mafia groups in the United States in "Lord of War," with Nicolas Cage; and their global reach and influence as depicted in "Our Kind of Traitor," starring Ewan McGregor — where Serio connects real-life mob bosses, such as Semion Mogilevich and Otari Kvantrishvili. He also discusses the criminal activities of Russian mafia groups, such as human trafficking in "The Equalizer," starring Denzel Washington; and "The Boys" S3E4 (2022); the concept of a common fund in "Nobody"; and their operations in Russia in "Брат" ("Brother") (1997) and GoldenEye, starring Pierce Brosnan.

Serio lived in the former Soviet Union and present-day Russia for nearly 10 years. He was the only American to work in the Organized Crime Control Department of the Soviet national police. Eventually, he worked as a security consultant, and later as the Director of Operations, for Kroll Associates — a global corporate investigation and business intelligence firm — where he conducted investigations on Russian mafia groups. He was also a CIA agent for five years in Moscow, where he provided information regarding Russian organized crime. Serio wrote two books focusing on the Russian mafia and his life in Moscow, "Investigating the Russian Mafia" and "Vodka, Hookers, and the Russian Mafia: My Life in Moscow."

You can follow Joe here.

You can find his books about the Russian mafia here.

• Denzel Washington is one of the most beloved movie stars of all time.
• He's been nominated for nine Oscars, with rumors of a 10th buzzing after "Gladiator II."
• But not all of his films have been hits with critics.

If you think about the greatest movie stars of the last five decades, there's no way Denzel Washington doesn't make that list.

In addition to having two Academy Awards from nine nominations, he's also been a major box-office draw and the star of at least one successful franchise ("The Equalizer"). He was also named People's Sexiest Man Alive in 1996, the first man of color to receive the honor.

But even if the 69-year-old is widely considered one of the finest actors of his generation, it doesn't mean all of his films are stone-cold classics — though, admittedly, even the bad ones are entertaining.

We used Rotten Tomatoes scores to determine the best and worst movies of Washington's career, according to critics.

These are the worst movies Washington has starred in, according to critics.

Washington has been nominated for nine Academy Awards across 36 years, winning two. But not every film in his career has been that highly regarded.

These are the worst films in his career, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

15. "The Pelican Brief" (1993)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 54%

"The Pelican Brief" is based on the John Grisham novel of the same name, and stars Julia Roberts as Darby Shaw, a Tulane law student who uncovers a widespread conspiracy about oil drilling in Louisiana. Washington plays a journalist who teams up with Darby to shed light on the plot.

"An old hand at this sort of thing, [director] Alan J. Pakula goes through the motions, but not much more," wrote Time Out.

13 (tie). "Safe House" (2012)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 52%

In "Safe House," Washington plays Tobin Frost, a former CIA operative who has been accused of turning on the agency. When the safe house he's being held at is attacked, he goes on the run with his handler, Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds).

"The film's super-saturated look and quick cutting are mere substitutes for any real sense of intrigue," wrote The New Yorker's Bruce Diones.

13 (tie). "The Equalizer 2" (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 52%

Washington returns as Robert McCall in "The Equalizer 2." This time, Robert is dragged back into action after the death of his close friend Susan (Melissa Leo).

The London Evening Standard's Guy Lodge called this film "clunky, over-processed cement-mixer cinema, given some consistency by Washington's screen presence."

12. "The Taking of Pelham 123" (2009)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 51%

A remake of the 1974 film, "Pelham 123" stars Washington as an MTA employee who negotiates with a group of men who have taken an entire subway train hostage in exchange for millions of dollars.

"This is pointless, redundant, irrelevant film remaking, in which nothing of weight is ever at stake, and no relationships are ever formed," wrote Deborah Ross of The Spectator.

11. "Power" (1986)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 50%

"Power" is the story of a media consultant, Pete St. John (Richard Gere) who pulls out all the stops to get his client, businessman Jerome Cade (JT Walsh), elected to the US Senate. Washington plays a PR expert who goes up against Pete.

"The movie seems to be asking us to walk out of the theater shaking our heads in disillusionment, but I was more puzzled than disillusioned," wrote Roger Ebert.

10. "The Book of Eli" (2010)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 47%

Washington plays the titular Eli in "The Book of Eli," which takes place in a future United States ravaged by a nuclear apocalypse. Over the course of the film, he travels across the States trying to deliver a mysterious book against all odds.

Ed Koch of The Atlantic wrote, "This picture is one big waste of time, including that of the actors and those in the audience who pay to see it."

8 (tie). "The Siege" (1998)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 44%

"The Siege" stars Washington as an FBI agent who, after New York City endures multiple terrorist attacks, goes against a US general (played by Bruce Willis) who declares martial law and begins detaining innocent American civilians.

"'The Siege' attempts to update the bluffs and counterfeints of the Cold War spy thriller, not to advance any ideological point but to obscure the fact that it doesn't have one," wrote Sight & Sound's Ken Hollings.

8 (tie). "The Little Things" (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 44%

"The Little Things" costars Washington and Rami Malek as two cops who are obsessed with an unsolved murder and become hellbent on proving that a suspect, Albert (Jared Leto), is guilty, no matter what.

"What saves the movie is the star. Malek is stuck at surface level, but with Washington you see the soul-deep breakage of a character whom the abyss has gazed back into," wrote Danny Leigh for the Financial Times.

7. "Fallen" (1998)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 40%

This film is about a fallen angel, Azazel, who becomes determined to possess Detective John Hobbes (Washington). But Hobbes is smarter than Azazel anticipated, and the cat-and-mouse game quickly becomes deadly.

"Denzel Washington has the almost impossible task of holding together a convoluted picture that's only intermittently suspenseful and not very engaging emotionally or intellectually," wrote Emanuel Levy for Variety.

6. "Man on Fire" (2004)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 38%

In "Man on Fire," Washington plays a CIA operative turned bodyguard, John Creasy. He bonds with his young charge Pita (Dakota Fanning), but after she is kidnapped, he pledges to do anything in his power to get her back.

"[Director] Tony Scott's latest exercise in assaultive excess nevertheless lingers for two and a half hours, like a drunken houseguest who won't leave," wrote Nathan Rabin for AV Club.

5. "Virtuosity" (1995)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 32%

When a virtual amalgamation of the most violent serial killers in history is brought into the real world via an android, the LAPD releases Parker Barnes (Washington) from prison in order to track down and neutralize the android.

"Washington, that talented and flexible actor, is wasted here (I believe the dramatic motivation he called upon was $7 million)," wrote Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum.

3 (tie). "The Bone Collector" (1999)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 29%

In "The Bone Collector," the actor plays a forensics expert who has been paralyzed from the neck down. Unable to continue his investigative work alone, he teams up with a young patrol officer, Amelia (Angelina Jolie), to hunt down a serial killer.

The Akron Beacon Journal's Chuck Klosterman wrote, "'The Bone Collector' is an example of everything bad about the serial-killer genre — it's gruesome and needlessly complex, only to end with a sudden avalanche of simplicity that teaches us nothing about the people involved."

3 (tie). "For Queen and Country" (1988)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 29%

This little-remembered film is best known for Washington's Cockney accent — he plays a British paratrooper who returns to London and finds that society is indifferent to the racism he experiences and his difficulties trying to integrate back into society.

"This is a serious subject, and worthy of a serious journalistic report. That is not, however, what 'For Queen and Country' is," wrote Dave Kehr for The Chicago Tribune.

2. "John Q." (2002)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 26%

"John Q." is the story of a father (Washington) who takes an entire hospital hostage in order to get his son on the heart transplant list after he exhausts every other option in the healthcare system.

The BBC's Neil Smith thought that the film "doesn't so much need a heart as a brain transplant."

1. "Heart Condition" (1990)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 10%

The worst film Washington has appeared in, according to critics, is "Heart Condition." He plays an ambulance-chasing lawyer, Napoleon, who has a rivalry with a racist cop, Jack. When Napoleon dies in a car crash, his heart is donated to Jack — but when Jack wakes up, he finds that he can't escape Napoleon's ghost.

"The movie is all over the map, trying whatever seems to work at the moment," wrote Roger Ebert.

On the other hand, Washington has appeared in so many classics, like these films.

These are the best films of his career, according to critics.

15 (tie). "American Gangster" (2007)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 81%

Washington received his sixth Golden Globe nomination for his performance as Frank Lucas, a real-life drug kingpin operating out of Harlem, as he goes up against a New Jersey detective played by Russell Crowe.

Empire's Ian Freer called the film "an entertaining romp through familiar cop-and-crim cat-and-mousery, bolstered by strong star turns from Washington and Crowe."

15 (tie). "Philadelphia" (1993)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 81%

Most of the praise for "Philadelphia" goes to Washington's costar, Tom Hanks, as Andrew Beckett, a lawyer with AIDS who sues his old firm for discrimination, but Washington's performance as Andrew's lawyer, Joe Miller, is just as important to the success of this film.

Marjorie Baumgarten wrote for the Austin Chronicle that "Philadelphia" is "comprised of enough 'little moments' that provide all the richness and grace we need to get us past the film's more inelegant moments."

14. "The Hurricane" (1999)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 83%

Washington's fourth Oscar nomination came for his performance as Rubin "The Hurricane" Carter, a real boxer who was wrongfully convicted of murder and served 20 years before being exonerated.

"Give director Norman Jewison credit for two things: 1) He made the movie; 2) He let Washington run away with it," wrote Mick LaSalle for SF Gate.

12 (tie). "Courage Under Fire" (1996)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%

"Courage Under Fire" switches back and forth between two timelines. In the present, Washington plays Nathaniel Serling, a former Army officer who is assigned a desk job after a traumatic friendly fire incident leads to the death of his friend. He's tasked with investigating the death of Captain Karen Walden (Meg Ryan) and to see if she's worthy of receiving the Medal of Honor.

The film also jumps back to the past to show us what actually happened to Karen on the day she died, and if she deserves the medal.

"Washington's inherent gravity anchors his troubled and troublesome character, and Ryan, whom we'd all but written off as a perpetual pom-pom girl, takes on an atypical role and acquits herself, well, honorably," wrote TV Guide.

12 (tie). "Inside Man" (2006)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%

Washington and Clive Owen costar as an NYPD detective and a master bank thief, respectively, who engage in a battle of wits after Owen's character executes an elaborate heist on the Manhattan Trust bank.

"Director Spike Lee's most polished effort in years is a gripping thriller with strong performances," wrote The Times-Picayune's Mike Scott.

11. "Unstoppable" (2010)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%

Based on a real incident in 2001, "Unstoppable" is about a literal runaway train … and the only people who can stop it are railroad engineer Frank Barnes (Washington) and conductor Will Colson (Chris Pine).

"Let's give credit where it's due: [director Tony] Scott's on his A-game — as opposed to, ugh, 'Spy Game' — for this occasionally exhilarating piece of popcorn cinema," wrote Keith Uhlich for Time Out New York.

8 (tie). "Malcolm X" (1992)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%

Washington's third Oscar nomination came in 1993 when he was nominated for his role as civil rights leader Malcolm X in this biopic of the same name.

"[Director Spike] Lee and company have performed a powerful service: they have brought Malcolm X very much to life again, both as man and myth," wrote David Ansen for Newsweek.

8 (tie). "The Mighty Quinn" (1998)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%

"The Mighty Quinn" is a breezy crime caper that takes place on a fictional Caribbean island. When a local, Maubee (Robert Townsend), is accused of murdering a hotel tycoon, it's up to his friend and chief of police, Xavier Quinn (Washington), to clear his name.

"With [screenwriter Hampton] Fancher's dialogue and Washington's comedic timing, 'The Mighty Quinn' is more fun than a cabana full of bananas," wrote Rita Kempley for The Washington Post.

8 (tie). "Crimson Tide" (1995)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%

"Crimson Tide" is a submarine thriller costarring Washington and Gene Hackman. Hackman's character is the brash, experienced captain, while Washington plays a slower-to-action second-in-command with no combat experience. Their approach to leading the sub differs, which causes tension.

"Producers [Don] Simpson/[Donald] Bruckheimer have plunged to the ocean's depths to reach the heights of commercial, big-movie filmmaking," wrote Duane Byrge for The Hollywood Reporter.

6 (tie). "A Soldier's Story" (1990)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%

Washington has a supporting role in "A Soldier's Story," which is the complex story of the murder of a Black Army officer in World War II-era Louisiana. Washington plays one of the soldiers in the murdered officer's company.

Cinemania's Dan Jardine called the film an "occasionally preachy but mostly intense, intelligent and captivating racially provocative drama."

6 (tie). "Much Ado About Nothing" (1993)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%

In this Shakespeare adaptation, Washington plays Don Pedro, a prince and matchmaker for his close friends Leonato, Benedick, Hero, Claudio, and Beatrice. In classic Shakespeare fashion, things go awry almost immediately.

David Denby wrote for New York Magazine that "'Much Ado About Nothing' is one of the few movies of recent years that could leave its audiences weeping with joy."

2 (tie). "Devil in a Blue Dress" (1995)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

Washington plays a would-be PI living in Los Angeles in 1948 in this neo-noir classic. Easy (Washington) is hired to search for the missing wife of a politician, and the search takes him deep into the criminal underworld of LA.

"It is a smart, sly film imbued with the rich subtle tones of a mournful blues saxophone piece, worthy of comparisons to some of the best noir films of decades past," wrote Patricia Bibby for the Associated Press.

2 (tie). "Fences" (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

Washington received two Oscar nominations for "Fences": one for producing and one for acting. The film, based on the August Wilson play of the same name, costars Washington and Viola Davis as a married couple living in Pittsburgh with their son, Cory, who wants to play college football against his father's wishes.

"Denzel swells with dangerous charisma. Viola works high emotion from every one of her many lines. They are so good they almost convince us we're watching a movie," wrote Donald Clarke for The Irish Times.

2 (tie). "Mississippi Masala" (1991)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

"Mississippi Masala" is a romantic drama about an Indian-Ugandan immigrant, played by Sarita Choudhury, falling in love with a local Mississippi man, played by Denzel Washington, against the wishes of her father who wants more than anything to return home to Uganda.

"'Mississippi Masala' appears to have been produced on a modest (by Hollywood standards) budget, but it is a big movie in terms of talent, geography and concerns," wrote The New York Times' Vincent Canby.

2 (tie). "The Tragedy of Macbeth" (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

Washington received his ninth and final (for now) Academy Award nomination for playing Macbeth in director Joel Coen's adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy. The story follows the doomed king of Scotland as he slowly descends into paranoia and tyranny.

"It's not exactly cheerful holiday viewing, but this 'Macbeth' is nonetheless a gift," wrote Moira Macdonald for The Seattle Times.

1. "Glory" (1989)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%

Washington received his second Oscar nom — and first win — for his role in the Civil War epic "Glory," which critics have deemed his best film. The film stars Matthew Broderick as Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, who leads the first all-Black regiment in the Union's army. Washington plays one of the members of the regiment, Private Silas Trip.

Ian Nathan of Empire called this film an "exceptionally well-rendered and emotive war drama."

• Ridley Scott compared one of the characters in "Gladiator II" to Donald Trump.
• The director said that Denzel Washington's character is "very close to Trump."
• Washington plays the scheming Macrinus, who plots to take over Rome.

Ridley Scott said he took inspiration from President-elect Donald Trump for one of his characters in "Gladiator II."

In the filmmaker's sequel to his 2000 epic, Denzel Washington plays an ambitious arms dealer who forces Lucius (Paul Mescal), the long-lost son of Russell Crowe's character Maximus, to be a gladiator — all while scheming his way into power.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Scott said that the character, named Macrinus, was "very close to Trump."

Breaking down the role, the director said that his version of Macrinus "was a prisoner of war — probably at a North African state — and actually was taken to Rome probably as a gladiator. Survived. Got free. Got into the business of maybe making wine and bread. He evolved into a very rich merchant selling shit to the Roman armies — food, oil, wine, cloth, weapons, everything."

"He maybe had a million men spread around Europe. So he was a billionaire at the time," Scott continued. "He's also a gangster — very close to Trump. A clever gangster."

"He creates chaos and from chaos he can evolve," he added.

"Gladiator II," which also stars Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger, arrived in theaters last week, competing with "Wicked" for the top spot at the box office.

It has so far grossed over $140 million domestically and more than $300 million worldwide, per figures from Box Office Mojo.

Washington has also spoken about how he sees his character in the film, previously telling The Hollywood Reporter that Macrinus tries "to use everybody."

"He'd use his mother, he'd use his own children; he's already used up his soul, so he didn't have any left. He's in bed with the devil," the actor said.

Representatives for Trump did not immediately reply to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• The ending of "Gladiator II" pays homage to Russell Crowe's character in "Gladiator."
• The new sequel has many parallels with the first film.
• Here's what to know about the conclusion to the film and why there may be another sequel.

"Gladiator II" doesn't end on a cliffhanger, but there may still be room for another sequel.

The new movie battles with "Wicked" for the top spot at the box office this week after both films premiered in the US on the same day.

Scott, who directed the first two movies, told Total Film in October that he had started a script. "I've already got eight pages. I've got the beginning of a very good footprint," Scott said.

Spoilers ahead for "Gladiator" and "Gladiator II."

'Gladiator II' replicates many beats from the first film.

The first film, which premiered in 2000 and won 5 Oscars, followed a Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe), an honorable Roman general whose wife and child are killed when a new emperor takes power.

After becoming a highly favored gladiator, Maximus takes part in a failed coup to turn Rome into a democracy. When this fails, the emperor mortally wounds Maximus and challenges him in the Colosseum, where they both die.

As Maximus is dying, he encourages the people to follow the dream of the old emperor, Marcus Aurelius.

Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), Aurelius' daughter, then gives a rousing speech that Maximus' death should not be in vain.

Rome is still a mess in "Gladiator II," set 16 years after the first film.

The sequel replicates many of the first film's beats, with a few new developments.

Instead of one tyrannical emperor, there are twins: Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn).

But the real twist is that both antagonists are killed by the real villain, Marcinus (Denzel Washington), a power broker who breeds chaos to take over Rome.

Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal), the new lead general and Lucilla's new husband, organizes a coup against the emperors, as Maximus did.

Like in the first film, the coup is cut short, and Acacius is killed in the Colosseum.

The sequel's protagonist is Lucilla's son, Lucius (Paul Mescal). After the first film, Lucilla sends her son beyond the empire for his own safety, which makes him hate Rome and his mother.

At the film's beginning, Rome attacks Lucius' new home. He is captured, becomes a gladiator, and learns from his mother that his father was Maximus.

Lucius eventually accepts his role as a leader when he hears his mother will be executed for her part in Acacius' coup. He sends a messenger to Acacius' militia to storm Rome and leads a group of gladiators to break from their prison and try to save Lucilla.

The gladiators overpower the Roman guards, but Marcinus kills Lucilla before riding out of the Colosseum to face Acacius' militia with his own army. Lucius gives chase and defeats Marcinus before the two armies can attack each other.

Lucius then wins over both armies with an inspirational speech about how he will rebuild Rome just as father, Maximus, and grandfather, Aurelius, would have wanted.

The hero will stay alive this time to ensure Rome is restored to glory.

There is a small homage to Maximus' death scene at the end.

In the final scene of the sequel, Lucius returns to the Colosseum to see where his mother died and mourn his fallen loved ones.

Calling back to Maximus and Lucius' favorite ritual, Lucius picks up dirt on the ground, looks up to the heavens, and asks his father for advice. Then, there is a brief shot of a hand touching a wheat field before the movie ends.

It is unclear if the clip was footage re-used from the old film, or if it was shot again.

It is an ambiguous ending, but suggests Maximus' spirit is still around to help Lucius.

Fans of the first film may remember that wheat fields in the first film symbolized the afterlife. Throughout the film, the audience sees glimpses of this wheatfield, and when Maximus dies, we see him fully in the field, walking to his wife and child.

Since Lucius is still alive and seemingly the new emperor of Rome, a third film could explore his attempts to save Rome and the new villains who will rise to stop him.

Mescal told Variety last week at the London premiere of "Gladiator II" that he would be "massively down" to appear in the next sequel.

• All of Denzel Washington's immediate family has films debuting Friday.
• He, his wife, and two of his children are actors. A third is a producer, and the fourth is a director.
• Here's what to know about Washington's kids: John David, Katia, Malcolm, and Olivia.

Almost the whole of Denzel Washington's family will appear in a film that debuts Friday, as "Gladiator II" arrives in theaters and "The Piano Lesson" premieres on Netflix.

Denzel Washington stars in "Gladiator II" and seems to be leading his family into the movie business, too.

He is also a producer on "The Piano Lesson," a drama about a Black family haunted by the ghost of the descendant of the family's former enslavers, which has become a family affair for the Washingtons.

John David Washington, Washington's eldest child, stars as the lead.

Katia Washington, the second child in the family, is an executive producer on the film.

The film is Malcolm Washington's directorial debut. He is the youngest in the family with his twin, Olivia Washington, who appears as Young Mama Ola in the film.

Pauletta Washington, Denzel Washington's wife, plays Mama Ola in the film.

In recent years, there has been growing backlash against Nepo babies, children of celebrities who follow in their parents' career footsteps. Fans complained that some of these children only have their position in the industry because of their parent's fame rather than their talent.

The Washington family has largely avoided this criticism.

Samuel L. Jackson, who stars in "The Piano Lesson," told Extra earlier in November: "Folks will call them nepo kids if they want to, but they work very hard to become who they are. If you're a nepo kid, you deserve a shot."

John David Washington

John David Washington, 40, appeared in two films while he was a child. When he grew up, he pursued a football career before following his parent's footsteps.

This journey began when he attended Campbell Hall High School, where he competed in football, basketball, and track. After graduating in 2002, he got into Morehouse College in Atlanta on a football scholarship, where he started to make a name for himself as a running back.

In 2018, John David Washington told Andscape that pursuing football was a way to escape being compared to his father.

"You are your own man. You took those hits. You ran those yards," he said. "What ended up happening, though, as I started becoming successful, the press starts getting involved. It's not John David Washington that runs for 200 yards and five touchdowns, it's Denzel's son runs for 200 yards and five touchdowns. So I see this thing was going to be inescapable."

John David Washington went pro after college, signing with the St. Louis Rams in 2006 and then signing with Germany's Rhein Fire in the NFL Europe league in 2007. He eventually joined the California Redwoods in the United Football League, a minor league shut down in 2012.

In 2013, he ruptured his Achilles tendon, leading to his decision to enter the acting world.

"I was in the doctor's office, and when the doctor, who ended up operating on me, told me I would be out for the whole year, I burst into tears," he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018. "It was actually the best thing that ever happened to me because it forced an early retirement."

While recovering from the injury, John David Washington auditioned for "Ballers," an HBO football drama starring Dwayne Johnson.

In 2020, John David Washington told Esquire that he didn't tell his father about the audition until he got the role. He did get help from his mother — Pauletta Washington is a film and Broadway actor — who drove him to the audition and helped him practice his lines.

In 2018, Denzel Washington told People that he was glad his son pivoted away from football because he was worried about the injuries.

Since then, John David Washington has gone on to star in Spike Lee's 2018 film "BlacKKKlansmen," Christopher Nolan's 2020 movie "Tenet" and Gareth Edwards' 2023 movie "The Creator."

In 2022, John David Washington made his Broadway debut in "The Piano Lesson," the play that the Netflix movie is based on. Jackson also starred in the play, and both actors reprised their roles in the film.

Katia Washington

Katia Washington, 37, has lived a more private life compared to her older brother.

Per her LinkedIn profile, she was at Yale from 2006 to 2010 and majored in history. After graduating, she worked behind the scenes in Hollywood as a personal assistant on 2012's "Django Unchained."

By 2018, Katia Washington had worked her way up to a production executive role at Bron Studios, a Canadian finance and production company.

Katia Washington has worked on several movies, including "The Equalizer," which starred Denzel Washington, "Fences," which was directed by Denzel Washington, and "Malcolm & Marie," which stars John David Washington.

Malcolm Washington

Malcolm Washington, 33, played basketball in high school and college, just like his father.

He won multiple sporting accolades while attending Windward School in LA. After graduating in 2009 he attended the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

There, Malcolm Washington joined the college basketball team and majored in film studies.

After college, he attended the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, leaving the film school with a master's degree in directing.

"The Piano Lesson" is Malcolm Washington's first feature film and has a connection to his father. "Fences," directed by Denzel Washington in 2016, and Malcolm Washington's film are both based on plays by August Wilson, a Tony-award-winning African-American playwright who died in 2005.

Denzel Washington was also a producer on Netflix's "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," based on another play by Wilson.

Malcolm Washington cowrote the script with Oscar-nominated screenwriter Virgil Williams. He dedicated the film to his mother.

In September, AP reported that Malcolm Washington said at the "The Piano Lesson" premiere during the Toronto Film Festival: "I started with a clear idea of this is about fathers and sons. As we were shooting, I just really started to see this mother-daughter story, and my mom is such an inspiration for me."

Olivia Washington

Olivia Washington, 33, immediately went down the arts path, graduating from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 2013.

Per a Vogue feature from June, Olivia Washington first fell in love with ballet when she was enrolled in performing-arts classes in California as a child.

In 2015, Olivia Washington told the New York Amsterdam News that she was inspired to choose acting over dancing or playing the piano after working with her aunt, Latoya Richardson-Jackson, the wife of Samuel L. Jackson.

Olivia Washington made her on-screen debut in 2013's "The Butler" and has since starred in TV shows and movies such as "She's Gotta Have It," "I'm A Virgo" and "Empire."

Olivia Washington has also appeared on stage, most notably as the lead actor in the West End production of "Slave Play" earlier this year.

• Denzel Washington is approaching 70, and he's taking steps to ensure that he ages well.
• For instance, he's almost 10 years sober and has started working out with a trainer, he told Esquire.
• "This is the last chapter — if I get another 30, what do I want to do?" Washington said.

Denzel Washington, 69, knows he's not getting any younger, so he's choosing to prioritize his health.

In an interview with Esquire, the actor — who turns 70 next month — spoke about aging and the steps he's taken to change his lifestyle for the better.

For one, he's approaching a decade of sobriety after having an unhealthy relationship with alcohol.

"I've done a lot of damage to the body. We'll see. I've been clean. Be 10 years this December. I stopped at 60 and I haven't had a thimble's worth since," Washington told Esquire.

Wine had been his vice, partially because he had a 10,000-bottle wine cellar added to his house during construction in 1999, he said.

"I never got strung out on heroin. Never got strung out on coke. Never got strung out on hard drugs. I shot dope just like they shot dope, but I never got strung out. And I never got strung out on liquor. I had this ideal idea of wine tastings and all that — which is what it was at first," Washington said. "And 15 years into it: Send me two bottles, and make it good stuff, but just two. And I'd drink them both over the course of the day."

However, he never drank when he was working, he said.

Washington eventually kicked the habit once he realized that it was getting out of hand because he would wake up disoriented, "not knowing what happened."

Apart from giving up alcohol, the "Equalizer" actor is focusing on getting fit and building strength.

His friend, Lenny Kravitz, introduced him to a fitness trainer whom Washington has been working with since February last year.

"He makes the meals for me and we're training, and I'm now 190-something pounds on my way to 185," Washington said. "I was looking at pictures of myself and Pauletta at the Academy Awards for 'Macbeth,' and I'm just looking fat, with this dyed hair, and I said, Those days are over, man. I feel like I'm getting strong. Strong is important."

Part of his desire to adopt a healthier lifestyle is because he wants to live better in his golden years, he said.

"Things are opening up for me now — like being 70. It's real. And it's okay. This is the last chapter — if I get another 30, what do I want to do? My mother made it to 97," Washington said.

In the US, the average life expectancy for males is 74.8 years and 80.2 years for females, per the CDC.

While immortality is still science fiction, there's been a growing interest in longevity and the idea of reversing one's "biological age." Antiaging trends such as IV treatments and red-light therapy are also gaining popularity.

Earlier this year, Alyson van Raalte, a demographer who researches why some people live longer than others, told Business Insider that the length of a person's life is mostly determined by their genes, life circumstances, and things we can't predict.

However, she said that adopting simple habits — including not smoking, exercising regularly, and having a strong social network — can lead to a longer life.

A representative for Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside regular hours.