Golden Globe Nominee John David Washington Says People of Color 'Are Thriving' in Hollywood

Following his Golden Globe Award nomination for his role in Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman,” actor John David Washington says people of color “are thriving” in Hollywood now after years of “standing on the shoulders.”

The actor, who has also had a recurring role on Dwayne Johnson’s “Ballers,” said that while it is nice to be “invited to the party,” his focus was on the film’s director. “I was more nervous for Spike … he deserves it, man.”

“We people of color, we’ve been standing on the shoulders for a long time, and we are thriving now,” the 34-year-old actor told TheWrap. “The minorities, you know, are getting recognized more. I was hoping he’d be more recognized for his fourth decade.”

Also Read: 'Vice,' 'Assassination of Gianni Versace' Lead 2019 Golden Globes Nominations

This is Washington’s first Golden Globes nomination — but like most of the country, the actor was asleep when the broadcast started airing early Thursday morning. Thankfully, his father Denzel Washington was wide awake.

“I’m actually at my folk’s place and I was sleeping and I hear some sneaks sliding … and it’s the old man, my pops, letting me know it’s on!” Washington said. “My mom is on a plane — she’s going to Chicago to audition for ‘Hamlet,’ and we were all on the phone, and they were just saying how proud they were of me, and they are so happy for me. There might have been some tears shedding, maybe not. It was a beautiful moment.”

Denzel Washington himself has been nominated at the Golden Globes nine times throughout his career, ultimately winning two for 2000’s “The Hurricane” and 1990’s “Glory.” He also received the Cecil DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in 2016.

Also Read: Golden Globes: Marvel Scores First Best Picture Drama Nod for 'Black Panther'

John David Washington says everybody in his category, which includes Rami Malek (“Bohemian Rhapsody”), Lucas Hedges (“Boy Erased”), Willem Dafoe (“At Eternity’s Gate”) and Bradley Cooper (“A Star Is Born”), is deserving of the final award, but there’s one person from this awards season that he can’t wait to corner at the show on Jan. 6.

“There are some serious names out there who are great for what they did,” he said. “There is something that Olivia [Colman] did in ‘The Favourite’ that I would really love to corner her and ask her about … it was incredible what she did! But everybody sticks out to me.”

Golden Globes 2019: See the Nominees (Photos)

Here is the full list of nominees in the 76th Annual Golden Globes for 2019 in all 25 categories. The awards will be handed out on Jan. 6.
20th Century Fox/Amazon/Disney/FX
Best Motion Picture - Drama

"Black Panther"
“BlacKkKlansman”;
“Bohemian Rhapsody”;
“If Beale Street Could Talk”;
“A Star Is Born” (pictured)
Warner Bros.
Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born,”;
Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate”;
Lucas Hedges, "Boy Erased"
Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody” (pictured);
John David Washington, "BlacKkKlansman"
20th Century Fox
Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

Lady Gaga, “A Star Is Born”;
Glenn Close, “The Wife” (pictured);
Melissa McCarthy, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”;
Nicole Kidman, “Destroyer”
Rosamund Pike, "A Private War"
Sony Pictures Classics
Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

“Crazy Rich Asians” (pictured);
“The Favourite”;
“Green Book”;
“Mary Poppins Returns”;
“Vice”
Warner Bros.
Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Viggo Mortensen, “Green Book” (pictured);
Christian Bale, “Vice”;
Robert Redford, “The Old Man and the Gun”;
Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Mary Poppins Returns”;
John C. Reilly, “Stan and Ollie”;
Universal
Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Emily Blunt, “Mary Poppins Returns” (pictured)
Olivia Colman, “The Favourite”;
Elsie Fisher, “Eighth Grade”;
Charlize Theron, "Tully"
Constance Wu, “Crazy Rich Asians”;
Disney
Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali, “Green Book”;
Timothee Chalamet, “Beautiful Boy” (pictured);
Adam Driver, "BlacKkKlansman"
Richard E. Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”;
Sam Rockwell, “Vice”
Amazon
Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, “Vice”;
Claire Foy, "First Man";
Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk”;
Emma Stone, “The Favourite” (pictured);
Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”;
Fox Searchlight
Best Director

Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born”;
Alfonso Cuaron, “Roma”;
Peter Farrelly, "Green Book";
Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman” (pictured);
Adam McKay, "Vice"
Photographed by Tyler Mitchell for TheWrap
Best Screenplay

“The Favourite”;
“Green Book”;
“If Beale Street Could Talk” (pictured)
"Roma";
"Vice"
Tatum Mangus/Annapurna Pictures
Best Original Score

"A Quiet Place," Marco Beltrami;
"Isle of Dogs," Alexandre Desplat;
“Black Panther," Ludvig Goransson;
“First Man” Justin Hurwitz; (pictured)
“Mary Poppins Returns," Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman
TheWrap
Best Original Song

“All the Stars” from “Black Panther”;
“The Girl in the Movies” from “Dumplin'”;
“Requiem for A Private War” from “A Private War”;
"Revelation" from "Boy Erased"
“Shallow” from “A Star Is Born” (pictured)
Warner Bros.
Best Motion Picture - Animated

“Incredibles 2” (pictured);
“Isle of Dogs”;
"Mirai";
“Ralph Breaks the Internet”;
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”
Pixar
Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language

“Capernaum”;
“Girl”;
"Never Look Away"
“Roma” (pictured)
"Shoplifters"
Netflix
Best Television Series - Drama

“The Americans” (pictured);
“The Bodyguard"
“Homecoming”;
“Killing Eve”;
“Pose"
FX
Best Actor in a Drama Series

Jason Bateman, "Ozark" (pictured);
Stephan James, "Homecoming";
Richard Madden, "The Bodyguard";
Billy Porter, " "Pose";
Matthew Rhys, “The Americans”;
Paramount Network
Best Actress in a Drama Series

Caitriona Balfe, "Outlander"
Elisabeth Moss, "The Handmaid's Tale"
Sandra Oh, “Killing Eve”;
Julia Roberts, “Homecoming” (pictured);
Keri Russell, “The Americans”;
Amazon
Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (pictured);
“Barry”;
“The Good Place”;
"Kidding";
“The Kominsky Method”
Amazon
Best Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy

Kristen Bell, “The Good Place” (pictured);
Candace Bergen, "Murphy Brown"
Alison Brie, “GLOW”;
Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”;
Debra Messing, "Will & Grace"
NBC
Best Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy

Sacha Baron Cohen, "Who Is America";
Jim Carrey, “Kidding”;
Michael Douglas, “The Kominsky Method”;
Donald Glover, “Atlanta”;
Bill Hader, “Barry” (pictured)
HBO
Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

"The Alienist"
“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” (pictured);
"Escape at Dannemora"
“Sharp Objects”;
“A Very English Scandal”
Ray Mickshaw/FX
Best Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie

Antonio Banderas – “Genius: Picasso”
Daniel Bruhl – “The Alienist”
Darren Criss – “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”
Benedict Cumberbatch – “Patrick Melrose”; (pictured)
Hugh Grant – “A Very English Scandal”
Ollie Upton/SHOWTIME
Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie

Amy Adams, “Sharp Objects” (pictured);
Patricia Arquette, “Escape at Dannemora”;
Connie Britton, "Dirty John";
Laura Dern, “The Tale”;
Regina King, “Seven Seconds”;
HBO
Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Limited Series or Movie Made for Television

Alan Arkin, “The Kominsky Method”;
Kieran Culkin, "Succession";
Edgar Ramirez, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”;
Ben Whishaw, “A Very English Scandal”;
Henry Winkler, “Barry” (pictured)
Amazon
Best Supporting Actress Series, Limited Series or Movie Made for Television

Alex Borstein, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”;
Patricia Clarkson, “Sharp Objects”;
Penelope Cruz, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”;
Thandie Newton, “Westworld” (pictured);
Yvonne Strahovski, "The Handmaid's Tale"
HBO